Not Ready for the Road? Try These 7 Road Trip Alternatives

Life may be a highway, but even avid road trippers may want to stray from the asphalt now and again. Rather than hopping behind the wheel, consider taking slow travel to heart and cover ground across the globe under your own power — or using a unique form of transportation.

Indeed, it’s possible to get a travel fix, covering new-to-you ground, in unexpected ways. Read on to discover seven road trip alternatives.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Ride the Rails in the Canadian Rockies

The Rocky Mountaineer train ride through the mountains between Banff National Park and Vancouver, British Columbia, runs past some of the continent’s most spectacular scenery: glacier-carved peaks, precipitous waterfalls, raging rivers and turquoise alpine lakes.

After a day spent ogling wildlife and wilderness under the train’s glass viewing domes, disembark and sleep in the comfort of a hotel. You can extend your trip to spend time in Vancouver or Calgary to experience more Canadiana, such as the Calgary Stampede.

Cycle Through Time in the American Southwest

Mountain bikers and road cyclists alike can gape at the geologic history on display in Utah from the saddle of a bicycle. Pedal on top of red rocks on the classic Slickrock Trail in Moab, or go the distance past stunning sandstone hoodoos and sheer cliff walls along Route 12 between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks.

Historic Park City offers pedalheads plenty of exhilarating cross-country and lift-assisted downhill trails, too, plus end-of-the-ride pampering at the spa at Hotel Park City, Autograph Collection.

Saddle Up at an Argentine Estancia

Don a poncho and live the gaucho lifestyle for a day at an estancia in Argentina. Many of these farms, such as Estancia El Puesto near Mendoza or Santa Susana Ranch close to Buenos Aires, offer horse rides into the countryside followed by a meaty barbecue lunch paired with wine.

Base yourself at the Auberge du Vin, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Tupungato in Argentina’s wine country and sip the region’s famed vintages.

Kayak the Caribbean’s Bio Bays

Less than 10 bioluminescent bays exist in the world, and four of them are in the Caribbean; three in Puerto Rico and one in Jamaica.

These waters are rich in dinoflagellates, tiny organisms that emit a bluish glow at night when they’re agitated by swimmers or the dip of a paddle. Seeing them is a surreal, one-in-a-lifetime experience that feels like gliding through stars in the water.

Base yourself in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to plan a kayak excursion to Laguna Grande near Fajardo, or explore La Parguera bio bay from the southern city of Ponce. Travelers to Jamaica can hit Luminous Lagoon from Montego Bay. By day, paddle to the islands’ many secret coves fringed by swaying palms.

Ferry Between Greek Islands

Sometimes, it pays to take the slow boat to the islands. Catching a ferry from Athens to Greece’s idyllic Cyclades archipelago, and then all the way to Crete, is not only economical, it’s a leisurely way to see the Aegean Sea’s layers of cerulean blue.

By the time you dock in Mykonos, Paros, Santorini or the port of Heraklion, Crete, you’ll be on island time. Stroll cobbled streets past whitewashed buildings, tuck into some dolmades and moussaka, and chase it all down with a shot of ouzo. As they say in Greece, “Opa!”

Sail and Snorkel the Red Sea

Never heard of the Red Sea Riviera? This scenic resort stretch between El Gouna and Hurghada, Egypt, with its palm trees and turquoise seas, calls out for a catamaran. So does the pristine water along the coast from Dahab to Sharm El-Sheikh — reputed to have the best snorkeling in Egypt.

The best way to get out on the water to sail past whale sharks and manta rays is to stay at a resort like the Sheraton Miramar Resort El Gouna or the Renaissance Sharm El Sheikh Golden View Beach Resort and organize day trips from the comfort of a cabana.

Trek in the Himalayas

You don’t have to summit Mt. Everest to bag a sense of accomplishment in the world’s highest mountain range. Every year intrepid trekkers head to Kathmandu, Nepal, to launch multiday hikes to Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp beneath two of the planet’s tallest peaks.

They also journey to Thimphu, Bhutan, to trek past monasteries and fortresses clinging to cliff sides on the eastern edge of the Himalayas.