Nice day out train jurneys(steam train etc) not to pricey

ktcoil

Hi my partner likes trains and we have a week off in September and I am trying to find different things to do for each day off and thought of maybe a nice train, we do have a car so its not a train to jurney somewhere that we want, more of a steam train or something like that where it also has nice views too, we live in Manchester side so looking at nice train rides in north west and again can drive to somewhere but dotn want a very long jurney away, there is good ones like that Orient express etc but there quite pricey?


thanks

WestonDave

Probably your best bet is a look on www.uksteam.info and see if there are any mainline runs in the week you have in mind that start from somewhere suitable. From there you can then click through to the relevant operators site (the main players at the moment are companies like West Coast, Railway Touring Co or Vintage Trains but there are others). That would potentially give you a full day out excursion behind a steam loco (albeit often parts are diesel hauled for technical reasons). Unfortunately unless you are going the first week in September you'll miss the Shakespeare Express runs from Birmingham to Stratford up Avon - but then those run on Sundays which could potentially do another time anyway.




The other option is to look at the preserved lines nearby - East Lancs Railway runs from Bury through to Rawtenstall which is probably your nearest, Peak Rail runs out of Matlock, or maybe further north you could look at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite line up near Lake Windermere. You will need to watch their seasons - they tend to cut back on train running once the school holidays are over although most will keep running a less frequent timetable through to October.

suejb2

Have you looked at Settle to Carlisle, Keighley/ Worth in West Yorkshire or even our very own East Lands railway from Bury

ktcoil

Hey thanks , yea ben looking at a few now, We have done the one from Bury which was good the other year, I was looking at one which goes around Preston, I would have loved the Settle one but its on a Wednesday and we are away the mon to wed in the lake district so not able to do it, I seen a few other trains which seem to be on a Wednesday to which is a pain. was looking for the thurs/fri or possible Saturday.

p00hsticks

We love the heritage railways, but can't always afford them.

If you're prepared to forego the steam train and vintage carriages, you can sometimes get great scenery much cheaper using the normal rail network.

For example, when we were on holiday in Whitby, day rovers for two adults on the North York Moors Railway came to over £50. But, two returns from Whitby to Middlesborough were only £15.60 for a total of three hours train travel through some lovely countryside.

And if you're ever on the North/West Wales coast, the Cambrian Coast railway between Pwllheli and Machynlleth has some wonderful views, and an adult can buy a Day Ranger ticket to travel on the line as much as you like all day for only £11.10 - and it's even cheaper with a railcard.

I'm not very familiar with nice lines in the North West, other than the Settle-Carlisle line that people have already mentioned but Nnorther Rail seem to have a number of Ranger and Rover tickets - including a Wayfarer ticket for £12 that "is a one-day ticket that lets you travel wherever you want to places in Greater Manchester and parts of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire and the Peak District. It gives complete freedom to go where you choose using buses, trains and trams."

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/1418.aspx

greenface

Take a trip on virgin from Mankchester to Bangor then enjoy the amazing steam trains North Wales has to offer . The Ffestiniog & welsh Highland Railway . The Cambrian Coastal Railway . The Snowdonian Railway . That's after you have travelled through the North Wales coast with Arriva . Why not make it a long weekend or mid week break . Great journeys . If your looking for a place to stay I may know somewhere too .