Easy does it: 10 of the best short breaks in Europe by train and ferry | Europe

White-sand shores, Jersey, Channel Islands

Four hours by ferry from Poole
It might be a British dependency yet Jersey feels like a proper escape, with white-sand shores and villages with French names and sea views. It is the largest of the Channel Islands, but since it covers only 45 square miles, you’re never far from the water.

There’s much fun to be had, too. Island RIB Voyages can speed you to the scarcely inhabited Écréhous skerries, with a chance of spotting dolphins en route, while the whitewashed Nude Food beach club promises healthy brunches by day and DJs on weekend evenings. Sample whites, reds or rosés at the La Mare Wine Estate – none of its 20,000 bottles are ever exported, hence their low profile – or learn to shuck during Seymour Oyster’s champagne-fuelled tours (£45pp) around some of Europe’s largest oyster beds. Then devote some time to capital St Helier’s extensive, VAT-free shopping.

Jersey excels at wellness, and one of its spa attractions is the Sirène (day entry from £90pp), which offers treatments such as salt-crystal exfoliations and slimming wraps alongside a pool, an aromatherapy steam room and a whirlpool bath. It’s close to the Old Court House (doubles from £167 B&B), a 15th-century pub with stylish rooms overlooking St Aubin’s quaint harbour.
Condor Ferries from Poole to St Helier from £60 each way

Art and culture on the Rhine, Düsseldorf, Germany

Five hours by train from London
Düsseldorf will delight fans of art and architecture. Paintings by Picasso, Klee, Mondrian, Matisse are on display at the Kunstsammlung’s two hubs, and there is a great graffiti scene along the easterly Kiefernstrasse, with many buildings entirely daubed in extravagant prints.

As for architecture, take a Rhine cruise with KD Cruises (beginning on 29 May) or join a Tours by Locals guided walking tour for an introduction to Medienhafen, an upscale riverfront district featuring three twisted, curvilinear Frank Gehry conceptions. A stroll along the swanky shopping boulevard Königsallee, keeping to its chestnut-tree-lined canal, leads to Kö-Bogen, a sinuous mall and office block designed by Daniel Libeskind.

Near here begins the ancient, boisterous Altstadt district, whose estimated 260 pubs and bars are known collectively as the “longest bar in the world”.

On Sundays, as shops shut and hangovers kick in, stroll Rhine-side promenades or the botanical and ornamental gardens hugging Benrath Palace a few miles south.

An appropriately artsy base is the Max Brown Midtown hotel (from €116 B&B) with 65 pale-hued but boldly decorated rooms. The hotel, a 10-minute trot from the main Hauptbahnhof station, is in the city’s Japanese Quarter: Düsseldorf is home to Europe’s third-largest Japanese community and the streets surrounding Immermannstrasse are the place for great sushi and ramen.
Eurostar from London from £180 return, changing in Brussels and Cologne

Champagne moments, France

Four hours by train from London
Celebrations have been few and far between for the last two years, so toast our new relative freedom with a trip to the town synonymous with fine fizz. Épernay is at the heart of the Champagne region’s Unesco-listed vineyards – and easy to reach by train, with one change in Paris.

At nearby Aÿ (four minutes by train from Épernay), the Pressoria visitor centre, set in a former grape press, is dedicated to showcasing the art of making champagne. Designed by Casson Mann, the British design practice behind Bordeaux’s Cité du Vin, the centre charts the process using interactive exhibits, culminating in a tasting session. When you’ve heard how it’s made, nip down the road to La Frigousse to sip some more.

Back in Épernay, the elegant Avenue de Champagne is home to champagne houses such as Perrier-Jouët, Moët et Chandon and Champagne Mercier, which offer tours and tasting from about €19 (maisons-champagne.com).

If that doesn’t give you enough of a lift, board the tethered hot air balloon Le Ballon d’Epernay. It rises to 150 metres for 360-degree views. Stay at one of Bubble 8’s chic apartments in the centre of Épernay (sleeps two from €109 a night).
Rail Europe from London from £177.50 return, changing in Paris

Spa and food break in Roscoff, France

Ten hours by overnight ferry from Plymouth (five hours daytime)
Wake up in one of France’s most enchanting coastal towns, disembark and then take the short walk from the port to the Hotel Brittany (doubles from €185 room-only), which has an indoor pool and spa (treatments from €50).

Its Michelin-starred restaurant showcases the area’s abundant produce, including its eponymous pink onions, seafood and seaweed. The backdrop to chef Loïc Le Bail’s superb food (six-course menu de plaisir…