The greener route to a home in Europe

With faster train services, it's never been easier to reach a French farmhouse or Spanish villa without flying or driving, writes Zoe Dare Hall. "In the past two years, I've seen a massive increase in people choosing trains because of eco-concerns," says Mark Smith, who runs www.seat61.com, a guide to train routes and fares. "You'd think that people would mainly be pootling to France and Belgium but for a long time Italy was the most popular destination, followed by Spain then France," he adds.