Sports & Activities

Playtime. An hour at the gym once a week is all well and good, but just occasionally you really want to let it rip, do something different, and do it somewhere different.

Pony trekking, skiing, sailing, hang-gliding, mountain climbing - these are all somewhat hard to practice in your back yard. You need the right terrain and the right weather to make them enjoyable.

Yoga, tai chi, tennis, golf - well, they are easy enough to practice at home, but you would really like to up your game, practice a bit more, give it your full focus.

The answer is to take a sporting break and dedicate anything from a weekend to a month to this thing that you love. And the cheapest and most accommodating way to do it is by train. Hop on board, equipment and all, and put your feet up until you get there.

In Europe, the Snow Train has become a hugely popular means of getting to the French ski slopes. Dubbed the 'disco train', it has an on board club car for those who would rather dance the night away - but it is furnished with couchettes for those who would rather conserve their energy. For golfing and tennis breaks, the Iberian peninsular is your best bet. Use the 'trainhotel' to convey you way down south, and catch a tan while you brush up on your strokes.

In Japan you could try something completely different. Enrol on a martial arts course, or take a yoga or reiki holiday. Or there's always sumo wrestling... Whatever you do in Japan, a Japanese rail pass is the key to getting anywhere.

Most of America is one big adventure playground - it's big you see, and they've got lots of room for it all. Dangerous sports, you name it - there's everything from extreme ironing to canyoning. Or try a summer baseball camp... Amtrak hold the key to your sporty vacation stateside - just grab one of their passes and off you jog.

Australia's pretty big too. You can always go riding through the interior, but we think of Australia and we think of surf and reefs. If you've ever wanted to learn scuba diving or surfing, dudes, this is the destination for you. Backpack, swimming trunks and railpass, and off you go.