Byway Reviews 

From the first time I saw their website, Byway have been exceptional.
They hand crafted us a trip to Sweden, via Germany and Denmark, allowing us some nights to stay with friends. Their support was first class, and it was so relaxing knowing that all our hotels and trains had been sorted for us - and the first class upgrade was an added benefit!
We were away for 10 days, staying in 6 hotels in as many cities- and each hotel more luxurious than the last. We really appreciated the closeness of hotels to the stations, and the detailed instructions about how to get there.
Travelling by train is so relaxing, and we are already planning our next trip.

I found Byway extremely helpful in planning our trip. This was our first time Interrailing and they made it very straight forward for us to figure out our passes and getting on and off all the trains (17 in total) We loved most of our stops and the accommodations (some of which we'd definitely return to) Also when it looked like we were going to miss one of our connections Byway were extremely responsive on WhatsApp which made us feel protected.

Great service, felt like independent travellers - which is our preference - with the security and back if things go wrong. They took the effort out of the planning process as well but still remained very flexible as we changed out plans.

Byway created a custom trip for my teen family travelling across Eurpoe and back with a few days relaxation in Croatia in the middle. The itinery was great, as was the support before and during travel (e.g. with our Eurostar cancelled on the first day - alternative tickets sent to us within minutes). But we did have a persistent issue with hotel rooms: we have two young teens, one M, one F and I requested family rooms with twin beds for the teens. This was confirmed (with caveats), but when we entered the first and last hotel of our trip two doubles were present despite prior confirmation and checks otherwise. Whilst Byway tried to help, I don't think they took on board the seriousness of our need - young teens can't be in separate hotel rooms from their parents and can't share a bed, that's not optional. Travelling at peak times means alternatives were difficult on the day. I would happily use Byway again, but possibly not over the next couple of years for travelling with our teens, which is a shame because the trip was for them - to show them the opportunity for travelling whilst limiting our carbon footprint.

Byway's was very efficient with all our travel arrangements. The accommodation choices were outstanding. When we had delays and cancellations with our trains, Byway's was very prompt at sorting out new trains for us, taking the stress away.

We've recently returned from a Byways arranged rail journey to Paris, Lugano, Venice and Como. We were travelling with our 16 year old son and the trip was a perfect combination of cities and mountains and lakes which we all love.

The travel was seamless, no waiting around apart from for the Eurostar train but that was nothing compared to waiting at airports. The connections were all on time and the accommodation arranged was perfect. As it was our first time on an interrail trip, we were so glad that we went through Byways. It took the stress away from booking seats, reservations and hotels. Byways were great at every step of the journey from planning, booking, making reservations on the train and support whilst we were on holiday.

It was such a fabulous experience that we are booking again next year for a trip through Scandinavia.

Byways organised the whole holiday: a rail tour of Central Europe. The accommodation and travel was included in the package.
From start to finish they kept in touch, as and when was necessary. The complete experience was exceptional. A wonderful holiday. Rail travel is the way forward.
We will be booking with Byways again.

Brilliant first experience. I just came back from a trip around Spain and France from London. Normally I would consider developing a plan myself and doing the logistics, however there was a upgrade offer with Byway so I went with them. Everything to book and plan was so easy and simple. Plenty of flexibility and guidance along the way. Unfortunately there were a few late changes due to Eurostar and a Spanish rail strike .. the communication and support from Byway was second to none and worth me using Byway...for this I am glad I didn't DIY the trip. The destinations and choice of hotels were great. We are already looking at our next trip likely in the new year...and somewhere colder!

We had travelled with Byway before and had a good experience but this trip to Cologne, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Amsterdam via London was badly marred by extremely poor hotel accommodation. 3 out of 5 of the hotels were sub Travelodge standard, with tiny rooms and beds up against the wall, so one of us had to climb over the other to get in and out of bed. When we raised this with Byway, they tried to find alternative accommodation in Copenhagen, but it wasnt suitable. We were offered upgrades for Hamburg and Amsterdam but had to pay additional costs for the Hamburg upgrade. Breakfasts were not included in 3 out of the 5 hotels. All in all very poor value for money. We raised these issues on our return and were offered £100 refund. Given that the holiday cost over £3500, this was derisory. Not impressed.

Since writing this review, Byway have been in touch and have addressed our concerns and have given us reassurances on their selection of hotels and their handling of issues around the quality of their choice of hotel and how they describe them in their materials. They have also offered more suitable compensation. The tone of their response was genuine and considered and their apology rang true. This has gone a long way to restore my faith in Byway as a reliable and trustworthy holiday company, but just a word of warning to properly check the hotels suggested for your trip!

Our first Byway holiday - a 10 day city break across Germany (Cologne) and the Netherlands (Utrecht and Amsterdam). We created our own itinerary with Byway's support which accommodated our family's requirements. Help/suggestions were both quickly provided and readily available during the "trip creation" phase. It felt like we got to see and experience more by travelling by train. The journeys felt more relaxed. There was a sense that nothing felt rushed or stressed. Air travel feels a bit chaotic and frantic these days - let alone the hours ahead you need to apparently be in the airport prior to departure. On our trip, we only needed to arrive ~1½ hours ahead for Eurostar travel and just a few mins for regular trains. Hotels were very nice and within easy walking distance of stations. The Byway itinerary and journey guide was great, nicely summarised and instructions/directions provided. We had one minor train change at Brussels but the whatsapp support was outstanding and quick; they gave us the heads up of the change, simple chat exchange made navigating that such a breeze. Absolutely loved it and would absolutely consider another trip in the future! Thank you Byway!

5 stars! We had a fantastic family holiday to Belgium and Paris using the Eurostar with Byway Travel. They planned everything perfectly, including brilliant hotel choices. Both hotels were in vibrant areas near metro stations. Being able to drop our bags early gave us extra sightseeing time. The WhatsApp support line also offered great peace of mind. Highly recommend to all!

Focus is on client enjoyment
Organisation superb, communication brilliant. Choice of hotels was fun and support during trip excellent. Had a really great experience and will use them again for sure.

Amazing help in booking, and adjusting and adjusting our travel plans from the concierge team at Byway.

From start to finish the Byway team made every effort to make this experience personal to us. They provide an outline and then
allowed us many opportunities to shape the trip to what we thought would best suit our needs.
The trip gave us the views and experiences we were seeking with the added unexpected bonus of sharing a hotel in Glasgow with athletes from across the Commonwealth. It also pushed us to get the daily exercise that as octogenarians we so needed.

Genius website - I could spend hours planning fantasy trips before actually booking something. Easy to pick a pre-planned itinerary and then tailor it by choosing different hotels or the number of nights at a particular destination. You can also start from scratch from the build a trip tab and search for a particular interest like "wild swimming" for example.

During the trip all the seat reservations and tickets are easy to access and at each destination the link to google maps makes it easy to find the hotel. I have been on two trips an inevitably things went a bit astray a few times - delayed and cancelled trains, or discrepancies in the timetables for example, and I found the Whatapp help genuinely friendly and helpful. On one occasion when a train was cancelled I was advised what I needed to do, but then had another message an hour or so later to check that I had got everything sorted. I had wanted to do this type of trip before but didn't want to organise it all myself, or to go on an escorted trip on a fixed itinerary following a tour leader around. The trips I did were brilliant, and I've already been back on the website looking for inspiration.

We asked Byway to create a trip for us to Sweden and Denmark, incorporating opportunities for us to see/hear our granddaughter performing in the Bristol Cathedral Choir, which was touring Sweden at the same time. They created a brilliant itinerary. We are elderly, and they gave us plenty of time to do all the train changes. We had lovely comfortable hotels within a short distance of the train stations (most were walkable with suitcases). We had sufficient time at each main point to enjoy the stay there. We saw our granddaughter in the cathedrals of Uppsala and Stockholm. Thank you Byway team - we think you are wonderful!

Everything was so well organised. The hotels were all in great locations. When one of our trains was cancelled the support from Byway was excellent. They rebooked us and made the whole experience stress free. Would definitely recommend Byway.

Travel was not without its problems mainly due to ongoing infrastructure works in Germany particularly with respect to transmitting from Brussels to Berlin.
We would have been in a lot of trouble if it had not been for the excellent support from Bywater, who were by our side through these difficulties.
The fact that they were immediately available at all times of the day and evening gave us great assurance and ultimately secured us an alternative train option to our destination.
I would definitely recommend the support that this company gives as second to none.
Would not consider this type of trip with anyone else!

We highly recommend Byway Travel, their expert knowledge of flight free travel makes planning your trip very easy, with excellent communication and support throughout.

Just what I needed.
We returned home yesterday evening from an amazing adventure to Venice by train. For me four days across Europe, No Driving, No flying just a 1st class de stress/unwind.
For my wife's 60th birthday a couple of days in Venice sightseeing and shopping perfect .
None of which would have been possible without the Byway team. All the heavy lifting, booking trains and hotels sorted for us.
Comms were spot on with email and wattsapp making sure that we didn't mis connections.
Our first of many Byway holidays.