For most people, the chance to fly off to the sun is the ideal way to escape the trials and tribulations of everyday life.

But it’s not the solution for those people who have a phobia of flying, in which case the thought of boarding a flight – no matter where the end destination might be – is enough to bring on nightmares.

In many cases, people are able to overcome their fears (or at least are able to put them to once side) and go on to enjoy their holiday but there are those people who simply will not go anywhere near a plane for whatever reason.

That obviously leads to certain restrictions when it them comes to booking a holiday, with anywhere long haul pretty much written off immediately and even short haul breaks suddenly becoming much more tricky.

But it doesn’t mean you have to simply resign yourself to spending the rest of your life holidaying here in the UK, even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with embracing the beauty that exists on our own doorstep.

In fact, more people probably should take up the opportunity to take a holiday on these shores once in a while for that very reason…

Luckily, there are options that still allow those with a serious flying phobia to experience an overseas adventure.

For a start, the fact you can hop onto a train and be in France within a matter of hours has opened up mainland Europe in a way that few would have imagined in years gone by.

From London, you can travel direct to the French capital Paris, head off with the family to Disneyland Paris, embrace the culture of Brussels or head further afield with a connection on to a range of other destinations – from the Alps to Amsterdam.

Mainland Europe can also be accessed by sea, with passenger ferries from Dover over to France and from Hull to the Netherlands being particularly popular.

You can also travel further afield on a cruise, with a number of cruise lines operating trips that embark from these shores.

In fact it is these so called ‘No Fly’ cruises that cater for a large part of the UK market, with the likes of P&O, Fred Olsen and Cunard operating trips that remove the need to head overseas to greet your ship.

As an example, a 19 night cruise with P&O could provide the chance to visit Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Gibraltar without the need to board a plane, whilst a 12 night trip with Cunard heads south to the Atlantic Ocean to visit Madeira and the Canary Islands before heading for home.

You’re not just restricted to the Mediterranean, with Fred Olsen running trips that head across the Atlantic to Canada or north to the Arctic.

You could even embrace the ultimate cruise experience and embark on a trip around the world to explore the top destinations that are available globally.

In short, simply because you don’t like flying, don’t worry that you can’t still see the world…