Ethical travel No-fly holiday ideas

Get a taste of other countries without even leaving the UK - you might be surprised by some of the UK's most stunning landscapes.

Large cities are particularly good for enjoying the rich experiences of other cultures. London alone has the largest Chinese New Year festival outside China.

Other celebrations include Vaisakhi (Sikh New Year), Diwali (the Hindu Festival of Lights) and the Shubbak festival of Arab culture.

For festivals of all kinds try Visit Britain.

Do you want to learn a new skill, or introduce the kids to a different experience? Whether it's map-reading, survival skills, cookery, or painting watercolours, the chances are there's a specialist company that will cater to your need. Get googling and book a holiday you won't forget. Lying on a beach never looked so dull.

Cornwall and Devon deserve some special attention. They're well-known for their wonderful beaches and wild walks, but you can also enjoy the Tate at St Ive, boat trips, Falmouth Sailing Week, Land's End, Dartmoor, and an industrial past – not to mention The Eden Project.

For some, canal boats are merely a means of transport between one lock-keeper’s pub and the next. But canals throughout the UK also offer a chance for anyone to enjoy a slower, more relaxing way of life. Find out more with the Canal & River Trust.

European rivers and waterways, including the Rhine and Dordogne, also offer excellent wildlife, and the chance to explore towns and villages along the riverbanks. Find out more about cruising on European canals.

Eurostar makes holidays by train an affordable and attractive possibility. Travel by train is usually far less stressful than flying, and allows us to savour the journey, as well as the destination. Champagne and a fancy picnic on the train make the journey feel like part of the holiday.

For rail travel to Europe and beyond, www.seat61.com is a fantastic resource. Be inspired by the amazing variety of destinations, and find all the advice you need to plan a memorable holiday.

Choose from destinations including Rome, Venice, Florence, Sardinia and Lake Garda – just hop on Eurostar to Paris, then get an overnight train.

If you can't decide on a destination, how about:

• London to Frankfurt - just 5.5 hours on the train. Deutsche Bahn do a really good London-Spezial* ticket – this was originally meant for Germans traveling to London, but also works the other way round. This gets you from London to any German station and back at a great price. (*The site is in German but should open with a “Translate” option.)
• Corsica - you can get there by train to Nice (via Paris) and boat, and travel around the island by train too.
• Visiting medieval fortress of Carcassonne, then on to Montpellier to see flamingoes on the south coast of France.

If you need more inspiration for new places to explore, see Lonely Planet's top European travel destinations or seven startling sights of Eastern Europe.

Lottery funding has provided regional cities with some magnificent visitor attractions. Find some of the best in The Independent's 50 best museums and galleries, and soak up the culture.

The UK is a seafaring nation of islands where canoeing, rock climbing, hill walking, birdwatching, scrambling, swimming, and even whisky-tasting are all on offer.

Even a trip to the Lake District will introduce children to the inland island-hopping adventures of Arthur Ransome's 'Swallows and Amazons'. See TripAdvisor's top 10 UK island destinations.

Europe also boasts countless islands reachable by train and boat. All you have to do is choose what you want from your holiday - from heat, sand, and centuries of rich history in southern Europe, to the midnight sun and watersports in Sweden.

House swap, home exchange, sofa surfing – whatever you want to call it. Staying in someone else's home, on a formal or informal basis, is a budget-friendly and usually sustainable way to take a break.

There are lots of online options, including Love Home Swap, HomeBaseHolidays and Airbnb.

Organised walking holidays are a wonderful way to make the most of a short holiday. You can book hotels in advance, and have your luggage sent on ahead, then carry little more on your walk than lunch and plasters.

For UK breaks, including weekend rambles, see The Independent's 50 best walking holidays.

By train, Europe has plenty to offer, with both easy and more ambitious terrains. Suitable destinations include the Pyrenees and the Swiss, Italian and Julian Alps. Get ideas for self-guided walks with On foot holidays.

The  National Trust and a number of environmental charities run 'working holidays' where you can undertake practical conservation projects. Or learn more about organic farming techniques, in exchange for accommodation and food, with  World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.