The Unique AI-Driven Startup That Will Plan You A Completely Flight-Free Vacation

The fact that we can walk through a metal detector in New York City, sit inside a metal box for six hours, and hail a cab in London is nothing short of miraculous. Unfortunately, it's also the least environmentally friendly way to get around. While travel legend Rick Steves himself says the phenomenon of flight shaming is slightly overblown, travelers should always keep their eyes out for new ways to get around without having to take the wheels off the ground. If you want to reduce your air time and cruise along the countryside from the window seat, Byway is becoming the best way to plan flight-free holidays. The company identified a key problem in convincing people to take the scenic route: there are a mind-boggling amount of details to solve. Traveling from a city like London to Morocco by train, bus, and ferry is possible, but it requires an inordinate amount of logistics. 

But now, in about three clicks, you can go from the Byway landing page to a fully thought-out itinerary for a 23-day trip to the famous blue buildings in Chefchaouen, Morocco. The AI-generated itinerary tells you exactly which trains and buses to take, recommends hotels with free breakfasts, and instantly summarizes the price of all accommodation and travel bookings. The service even provides recommendations for nearby sights to see, and it's all fully customizable. 

The AI-powered search engine teams up with Byway's human travel agents, so if you want to add a trek through Morocco's "Grand Canyon" to your tour, they can find a way to get you to the mountaintop via train. Byway has leveled the logistical playing field and made train travel easier than ever. 

2025 marked Byway's fifth year in the business. The service had already helped plan over 4,000 trips by July 2024, which shows that the company is well out of its theoretical era and ready to help you plan a more environmentally conscious trip today. Head to the company's website, and you'll quickly see the three ways to use Byway: selecting a pre-built itinerary, mapping out your route, or engaging with the Byway Concierge to work with a human travel agent. The concierge option is a great way to book a trip originating from a less popular train station or to organize travel to a destination not yet coded into Byway's online service. Each package includes travel, accommodation, a trip guide with local activity recommendations, WhatsApp support, and free disruption replanning.

As anyone who has had to deal with connecting flights and delays knows, the more variables in your traveling, the more things can go wrong. Imagine the first leg of your journey to Morocco gets delayed, throwing off your entire trip. Byway's disruption replanning can help you move things around and re-organize your schedule. It's important to note, though, that this service doesn't replace travel insurance. Byway emphatically suggests buying third-party insurance for further peace of mind. 

For now, Byway covers destinations in the U.K., the E.U., Turkey and Morocco. Using the service is as simple as starting in a city like London, Paris, Amsterdam, or Vienna and figuring out where to head next. It's never been easier to check out routes through Historic Bosnia and Herzegovina or enjoy Europe's most scenic train rides through the Swiss Alps, all without worrying about liquids in your carry-on.