UK: Five railway escapes

[John Ashworth]

Five railway escapes

BBC 15 March 2012 | By Oliver Smith, Lonely Planet Magazine

Travel fast to Provence on a French TGV train or take it slow over afternoon tea in a vintage stream-drawn railway carriage on these UK-based weekend trips.

Forty miles of Welsh heritage

Stand on the platform of Porthmadog’s Harbour station and you’ll see a remarkable connection – two restored, narrow-gauge railway lines heading north and east into the mountains. The Ffestiniog Railway runs from Porthmadog up to the slate-mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, on a track where engines – some dating from Victorian times – climb the only spiral loop train line in Britain. Linking up with this train, and open at last along its full route since April 2011, the Welsh Highland Railway runs for 25 miles between Porthmadog and Caernarfon, and through the foothills of Snowdonia.

Make it happen

Single tickets are £13 on the Ffestiniog Railway and £21 on the WHR. Caernarfon’s Victoria House is a guesthouse with a homely feel (from £50).

Take a direct train to France’s Vatican

How far can you travel by train from Britain without once having to move your suitcase from the rack? In the summer, at least, as far as the medieval walled city of Avignon – one of the cultural highlights of Provence. Every Saturday morning in July and August, a direct train runs from London St Pancras to the city’s TGV station in less than six hours. For a weekend trip, pick a train back to London that changes in Lille – you’ll have to wait until the following Saturday for the next direct service. In Avignon, take in the Gothic bulk of the Palais des Papes, built for the pope in 1309 as an escape from the political intrigue of Rome.

Make it happen

The direct Eurostar service runs from 7 July to 1 September 2012 (returns from £109). Le Limas is a designer’s dream in an 18th-century townhouse (from £108).

Through the night to Cornwall

The Night Riviera Sleeper travels from London to Cornwall every evening except on Saturdays. Penzance is the end of the line – for an art inspired alternative, get off a stop early at St Erth and change for a train to St Ives in time for breakfast, followed by a drop-in class at the St Ives School of Painting (classes from £15).

Make it happen

Off-peak returns with a twin cabin are available (from £149 per person). The smooth decor at Treliska b&b is attractive, as is the central location (from £75).

Wake up to dawn in the Highlands

Celebrate the continued service of the Caledonian Sleeper, which received an early Christmas present last year with new funding. These overnight trains with single and twin-berth compartments link London with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. However, to wake up to the choicest views from your carriage window, the Fort William route takes some beating. On arrival, you are within easy reach of magical Glen Nevis and its 1,344m-high sentinel, Ben Nevis.

Make it happen

Advance journeys in a twin-berth cabin go from London to Fort William (from £49). The Grange is a lovely 19thcentury villa in landscaped grounds (from £116).

To Stratford by steam locomotive

Taking an hour to cover the 50 miles between Birmingham and Stratford, the main engine of the Shakespeare Express shines in its 1926 GWR livery. The Bard must think himself accurs’d that he is not here to see his namesake steaming through the Warwickshire countryside. Round trips take place on Sundays in summer – if you want to see a play, come by regular train on a Saturday and take the Shakespeare Express to Birmingham the following day.

Make it happen

Trains run on Sundays from July to mid-September (£13, or returns £20). White Sails is a gorgeous Stratford guesthouse with five rooms (from £100).