Flightless Tales
Car, boat or train – but definitely no planes ✈️🚫
We’re travelling from Australia to Europe — without flying.
This is where it all begins.
About us
G’day and welcome to Flightless Tales. We’re Tania & Russell; two Aussies in our Early 60’s who have a serious case of wanderlust … and a firm no-fly policy.
That’s right — no planes here!
Our Stories
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We’re Off to Vegas, Baby!
We’d finally arrived on the west coast of America, but in just four weeks we needed to be on the east coast. That gave us the perfect excuse for an American road trip, ticking off some of the country’s iconic destinations along the way—as well as a couple of places that held personal meaning. For…
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Long Beach & Los Angeles – Our First Taste of America
As I’ve mentioned before, America had never really been on our travel bucket list. Our goal was simply to reach Europe from Australia in time for Christmas—without flying—and, at the time, travelling through the United States was the only route available. Rather than seeing it as just a stopover, we decided to make the most…
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Land at Last – Arriving in America
Six days after leaving Hawaii, the California coastline finally appeared on the horizon. We’d spent almost three weeks crossing the Pacific Ocean, visiting four countries, adapting to an unexpected change of plans when our stop in Guam was cancelled, enjoying extra days at sea, and finally spending two memorable days in Hawaii. Now another milestone…
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No Guam, But Hello Hawaii
We had Guam ahead of us, followed by ten sea days before arriving in Hawaii and then another six sea days before reaching California. Perhaps there would finally be some time to enjoy the pool.
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Three Ports, Three Very Different Experiences
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city. If you’re old enough to remember MASH*, you’ll probably know it by its former name, Saigon. With only one day ashore, we didn’t get the chance to explore Ho Chi Minh City itself. Looking at photographs of the city, with its impressive…
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Our Second Cruise Adventure
The next stage of our five-month, no-flying journey to Switzerland takes us aboard the Carnival Panorama for a 24-day voyage across the Pacific.
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Singapore— More Than a Stopover
We have arrived — and we’re excited to see what Singapore has to offer. Immediately, Singapore feels different. First, there’s the humidity — sitting just one degree north of the equator, the heat wraps around you the moment you step outside. Secondly, everything feels clean, organised and surprisingly safe.
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Experiencing the World Not Flying Over It
The truth is, sometimes the ship itself becomes part of the destination.
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Bali — Russell Survived Bali
After four days at sea sailing along the west coast of Australia, we arrived in Bali, Indonesia at 7am, due to depart again for Phuket at 5pm the very same day. As I’ve mentioned before, Bali was never really on our bucket list. (Russ doesn’t actually have a travel bucket list.) From what friends and…
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Leaving Australia by Sea
Leaving Australia by Sea