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BEST SUMMER TRAIN TRIPS IN THE UK
14.4.25
Best Summer Train Trips in the UK
It's unsurprising our hearts lift when we travel by train; we've supplied the rail industry across the UK and Europe for two generations. From trains that steam up Harry Potter’s glasses to whizzy electric and soon-to-be defunct diesel, there’s a lot to love about summer train trips in the UK.
All aboard!
time to Deeside
Explore the magic of Northeast Scotland’s steam traction heritage railways via the Royal Deeside Railway west of Aberdeen and the Caledonian Railway at Brechin. You can hop aboard from Thursday 24th July to Friday 1st August 2025 and get to those northernmost upper reaches of these lovely islands. Orkney boasts pristine beaches and if you time it right, you’ll witness ‘white night’ on the island when the midsummer sun never entirely sets.
highland thing
You can either choose to walk the West Highland Way in slingbacks or you can hop aboard a train and put your feet up. Just not on the seats! You’ll travel from Glasgow’s urban sprawl into rugged Mallaig via the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which you might recognise from a film about a certain wizard who already got a mention. Lochs and mountains galore.
yorkshire rails
Think Last of the Summer Wine minus the woolly hats and wrinkly stockings. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage line that cuts through the heart of the North York Moors National Park. It’s 24 miles of moorland, forest, and little clusters of houses that look like they sprung up from the stoney landscape. You’ll alight at Whitby for some gothic splendour and maybe fish and chips?
Skips and Giggles
Lonely Planet says The Betham Line is a top travel experience for 2025. It goes from Leeds to Morcambe where you’ll find a beautiful bay, an art deco hotel, and a statue of Eric Morcambe. This one’s tranquil as the rolling stock rolls through rolling landscapes as you breathe in the dimensions of the Dales. Yorkshire, that is. Quaint is the word for towns like Giggleswisk and Skipton, and there are a few places of historical interest too.
oban-one-trainonly
The Belmond Royal Scotsman is luxury on the line. As well as breathtaking landscapes of the Highlands, lochs, and historic estates, you’ll also feel like you’re in the lap of luxury with attentive staff who hopefully won’t drop things in your lap if the train jolts. We’re talking gourmet dining, and spa treatments, all aboard a beautifully restored train. Destinations include Edinburgh, Spean Bridge, Fort William, Oban, Kilmarnock, Wemyss Bay, Aviemore, Stirling, Dundee, and Isle of Bute
happy valley
New to Wales, this summer train journey that takes you from Cardiff deep into the Valleys (Pontypridd). The South Wales Metro is still being added to, and this one is fast and efficient with tourists mingling with locals and commuters who all wish to get from A to B in a jiffy while taking in the majesty of South Wales when they look up from their phones.
sleep on it
The romance of speeding through the night while the train rocks you to sleep is something everybody should experience. The Caledonian Sleeper spirits you from one extreme of the UK to the other: London to the Scottish Highlands. You go to sleep in the big smoke and wake up amid smoky mountain glens. Or the other way around. Views of prehistoric Lochs and mountains like Ben Nevis are included in the ticket price!
Pennines from heaven
The Settle–Carlisle Line is renowned for dreamy Pennine landscapes and engineering feats that look like a lot of work to us. The Ribblehead Viaduct is perhaps the most impressive. Summer steam excursions, like aboard The Waverley (a steam-hauled beauty of a beast) add whiffs of nostalgia. Railway enthusiasts, tourists and landscape lovers make up the pick-n-mix.
twist and turn
If it’s good enough for Condé Naste it’ll do for us. They cite the Thanet Coast Line as a must-see destination. This Kent railway excursion takes in wee seaside towns via a 90-minute train ride from London. Tracey Emin’s hometown Margate is one, and has a bit of an arty vibe as you’d expect. Then there’s the literary heritage of Broadstairs (thanks to Charles Dickens), and Ramsgate with its history and sandy beaches.
Don't pass on the Duchy
Steam ahead from Bristol through the custard country of Devon and down to Cornwall for lashings of fun and pasties on this Royal Duchy summer train trip. This one's clearly vintage and nostalgic, so get ready to lose yourself in the past, the passing views and lullaby of the steam engine.
hugger chugger
A view of the sea from the train window can be the highlight of the day, and this coastline-hugging route is one of the best ways to acquaint yourself with the Lake District’s western coastal extremities. As a beautiful summer bonus, they even lay on steam locomotives that make the experience all the more magical.
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