With the UK committed to reducing its carbon emissions to “net zero” by 2050, aviation’s environmental footprint is in the spotlight. But cutting out flights need not mean endless weekends in Paris. Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61, recommends some more adventurous itineraries.

Morocco

You can leave London in the morning and reach North Africa the following evening, without setting foot on a plane – if you can resist the temptation to stop off in Paris, Barcelona or Gibraltar.

Leave London St Pancras on the 07:55 Eurostar, with time for lunch at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon, opened in 1903 and probably the most glamorous station buffet of all. No curled sandwiches here, just beware...