Seven holidays, no flights: Diary of a flightless 2009

Wow - seven holidays in one year is a lot for me. I usually manage two or three. So is it because I decided to stay grounded and stuck with cheaper, easier train travel (plus the odd car journey) that I managed more down time last year?

OK, I'm including day trips and weekend breaks, but my philosophy when it comes to getting away is to do it little and often. For me, a long weekend away can be just as exciting and refreshing as two weeks somewhere far-flung and exotic - especially if the accommodation's nice, the journey's pretty easy and the company's good (it was my boyfriend so it was :-).

So here's my diary of flight-free holidays in 2009:

February: Paris

How: Eurostar from Waterloo to Gare du Nord

Where: Three nights in a small, beautifully decorated apartment in Montmartre.

Highlights: Turning a corner and seeing the magnificent white Sacre Coeur against dark blue evening sky. Walking through the bustling Jewish quarter on a Sunday. People-watching in Place des Vosges.

May: Cornwall

How: Borrowed a car and drove down the M4/M5 with a boot full of supplies

Where: Four nights in a friend's seaside bungalow in Crackington Haven

Highlights: Treating ourselves to a three-course lunch at Rick Stein's seafood restaurant in Padstow. A sunny, blustery walk at Widemouth Bay. Home-cooked full English breakfasts and DVDs.

July: Brighton

How: Southern Railway train to Brighton and back

Highlights: Tea, cupcakes, art and chat at a friend's photography and sculpture exhibition. Thai lunch al fresco. Sunbathing on the beach. A big group dinner. Home to bed.

July: Consett, near Newcastle

How: Train to Durham (the most beautiful view from a train station that I've seen)

Where: Two nights in Derwent Manor hotel for a family wedding

Highlights: Beautiful countryside as far as you could see. Everything in one place, from breakfast to walks to wedding to dinner to party.

September: Cornwall

How: Train to Penzance (the route follows the coast and you're so near the sea that it even splashes the train windows)

Where: A week at Prussia Cove, on the south-west Cornish coast

Highlights: A friend's three-day wedding celebrations. Swimming in the sea. Walks along the cliffs for pub lunches. Reading. Cooking.

November: Edinburgh

How: Sleeper train from Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley

Where: Three nights at One Royal Circus - the crown prince of B&Bs

Highlights: Walking up to the castle for sunset. Wandering round the National Gallery. Tasting the best coffee in Edinburgh, looking out over the Firth of Forth. Steak at Oloroso and full Scottish breakfast.

December: Bath

How: Train from Paddington to Bath Spa

Where: Two nights at the Royal Crescent hotel, two nights in a rented apartment on the Circus

Highlights: Massage, pool and jacuzzi - total relaxation. Christmas shopping done in two afternoons, ending in cream tea on Pulteney Bridge.

So there it is - not bad for a twelve month stretch and probably my all-time flightless record. OK so I did miss the Mediterranean heat that usually goes with my summer holidays - Cornwall's sea was pretty chilly - but I'm thinking about exploring the train route to Italy for this year...

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