Few people who heard Greenland politician Aqqaluk Lynge’s impassioned plea for us to fly less to protect his homeland from environmental disaster, can fail to have been moved, writes Julia Stephenson

'You may say the expansion of London Stansted Airport will play only a small part in increasing climate change but everyone can say that about almost everything they do. It is an excuse for doing nothing. The result of that attitude would be catastrophic.'

Since making this statement in 2007, opposition to airport expansion has steadily grown, with passionate pressure groups like Plane Stupid, Climate Rush and Rising Tide winning popular support with a stream of witty and amusing protests - a recent suffragette tea party at Heathrow airport made a serious point and turned a demonstration into a celebration.

And yet, while many of us would like to see an end to airport expansion how many of us can hold their hand up and say they will never fly again?

However, those with a passion for travel and a conscience are increasingly finding the train is providing an alternative to the horrors of no-frills flying.  And once you factor in the time taken to get to the airport, the excessive security hassles and queues to check in, taking the train to Europe can often be as speedy, if not more so, than taking the train. The train can even be cheaper – London to Amsterdam, for example, costs £89 with Eurostar compared with £89 from Heathrow with BMI.

For those who don’t know where to start when it comes to long distance train travel, help is at hand in the form of rail guru, Mark Smith, the creator of cult travel website www.seat61.com which explains how to reach practically everywhere in the planet without getting on a plane.  It’s extraordinarily detailed, with photos of cabins, up-to-date timetables, tips and advice.

For those of you that need advice about booking a train trip I’ve always found Railbookers efficient and helpful. Meanwhile Mark Hodson explains here how the train is making travel glamorous again and offers details of other good rail companies and cheapest fares available.