“It gave us time to listen to consumers and build product,” she tells TTG. “We weren’t overloaded.” From those early, tentative steps, Byway has enjoyed several years of impressive growth, including doubling sales in 2024.
Much of this growth has been powered by development of Byway’s in-house technology, responsible for 60% of the operator’s itineraries, which blends rail, ferry and bus travel – or as Jones puts it, “anything that isn’t a plane”.
Jones’s inspiration for a flight-free package brand is rooted in her own travel experiences. “I’ve never owned a car,” she explains. “I was always swanning about on trains, boats and buses. It was a lovely, rich experience, but it wasn’t easy with all the timetables. ‘How do we string this all together?’ was always the question.”
The solution? Build the tech to do it. A £100,000 grant from the government’s Innovate UK fund in late 2020 helped Byway recruit a technology team and, eight months later, the first version of its booking engine was up and running.
Trade relations
Five years after its creation, Byway is thriving and has established close relationships with the trade, including operators such as Exodus Adventure Travels, Intrepid Travel and First Choice.
“We have a good cross-section of partnerships – it gives another option for those Intrepid and Exodus trips people would normally fly to,” Jones explains. “Clients can extend their trips and cut their carbon footprint.”
Byway also works closely with Kuoni’s high street shops, as well as independent agents around the UK. “They love our product,” Jones continues.
“Their clients have an amazing time – 96% of our reviews are five-star. Agents see that, and it’s snowballed with lots of repeat bookings. We always want to work with more agents.”
Product mission
Rail remains the “backbone” of Byway’s itineraries. Its most popular destinations are Italy and France, and sleeper rail services to Scotland and Cornwall. It also offers Morocco using trains to southern Spain and a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar. Jones is keen to expand Byway’s range further in North Africa, and around Scandinavia – including Iceland.
New EU policies, meanwhile, are encouraging more high-speed rail services and night trains in mainland Europe, and opening up additional lines to increase competition. “There’s so much more to do – the more we teach the technology, the more we can offer,” Jones enthuses.
“It allows us to expand to new places, offer extra flexibility and increase our product in existing destinations. There’s enormous potential in, and demand for, slow travel. People are making more sustainability-conscious decisions.
“The majority of our clients are driven primarily by the travel experience, with sustainability as a kicker. There’s also a significant minority who have given up flying, who were our early adopters.”
So what’s next? A new AI-powered Byway Maps feature serving as an interactive itinerary builder is now live, while Jones hopes to expand into the Netherlands to tap into the EU travel market.
As for celebrating its anniversary, Byway is planning a customer event and a weekend trip for staff to the Isle of Wight – with travel by train and ferry, of course.
