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August 2024

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If you are flexible with dates and times for your journey, and can book in advance, you can often achieve huge discounts when buying train tickets. Whether you're travelling for work or leisure, the cheap fare finder is your one-stop shop to finding the best option for your selected point-to-point journey.

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• Great Britain by train

Welcome to our guide to traveling in Great Britain by train; it should save you time money and confusion!

There are many unique aspects to travelling by train in Great Britain, but more often than not, what are now typical aspects of taking a European train journey apply. If you want to save money on a one-way, long distance journey on a direct train, then the start-to-finish steps of looking up a journey and booking it online aren't particularly unusual. So if you book ahead you can often obtain a cheaper price, but then have to stick by the terms of the type of ticket you have chosen.

What can make planning train journeys in England, Scotland and Wales a tad bewildering are the multiple methods of saving money, which you may, or may not come across; particularly when making a return journey. You may be offered a choice of different ticket types, prices or train services, depending on the journey you will be taking.

Something exceptional that does need explaining is the use of Great Britain as the country name in place of United Kingdom, as well as the references to British trains and tickets across SMTJ. It's because train services in Northern Ireland are both managed separately and linked to the rail network of The Republic of Ireland, so they will be included when we add The Republic Of Ireland to ShowMeTheJourney.

Every European country takes a unique approach to how it operates its train services, but the core difference with Great Britain’s (England, Scotland and Wales) rail network is the lack of a dominant national rail operator.

Instead a multitude of private operators provide the train services, with each separate Train Operating Company (TOC) being responsible for its own network. And two or more companies can provide the train service between cities and this can impact on how tickets can be used on such routes.

Which company (TOC) is providing the train service on a route impacts on both the ticketing and the on-board experience. That's because each specific TOC manages how its tickets will be sold, such as the types of ticket which will be available to purchase on each specific departure. They also have the freedom to set the service levels provided to passengers on the trains , including which catering facilities will and won't be available and how the Wi-fi access will be managed.

These are the 19 things that are particularly useful to know about rail travel in Great Britain: 1. The contracts which are awarded to the companies, which operate the trains have a regional element, so typically only one company provides all of the trains over large comparatively areas. Therefore all many travellers will need need to aware of is how that one company manages its trains - This is the case when exploring the likes of Cornwall or Kent , or Scotland , or Wales . 2. Despite the multiple companies which operate the trains many aspects of UK rail travel are universal, because the network is managed by National Rail - so it's a good source of info such as schedule adjustments due to construction works and looking up station facilities , journey planning and regional rail passes . 3. Also many aspects of rail travel in Britain apply, regardless of which company is operating the trains on each route - these include:

• tickets / charges not being required when taking bicycles - though some companies have a bike space reservation policy;
• tickets not being required for dogs; though there is always a maximum limit of two dogs per adult ticket holder;
• when they are available on a route, seat reservations are optional - though they will be automatically included when booking online;
• no charges for opting to add a reservation;
• children aged 4 and under travel for free and those aged 5 to 15 travel at a discounted rate of at least 50%;
• the acceptance of rail passes and railcards .

4. Aspects of travelling by train, on which the companies set out their own policies include:

• whether seat reservations will be available at all;
• if First Class will be available;
• ticket promotions, particularly around child tickets and making a return day trip - when available, Off Peak Day Return tickets, typically cost less than £2 more than a one-way ticket;
• the types of ticket offers which will or won't be available - which can matter to the prices that will be charged when multiple companies provide trains between two locations.

5. Though travellers can choose between companies on comparatively few routes . 6. Most of the companies also make a distinction between Peak travel times and Off-Peak travel times, with Peak times being applied on Mondays to Fridays before and after business hours - So making journeys at the Off-Peak times is cheaper, hence the availability of Off-Peak tickets. 7. The tickets which can be used at Peak times are the Anytime tickets, but for long-distance journeys they can be exceptionally expensive. 8. Most companies also offer limited numbers of discounted Advance tickets on longer-distance routes, regardless of the time of travel - which can be less than 25% of the cost of Anytime tickets. 9. Some of the train operating companies offer Advance tickets when booking tickets on the travel date, they can be taken off sale only 5-60 minutes prior to departure - Avoiding the Anytime tickets when booking tickets shortly before departure can save more than £100! 10 The idea is that Advance tickets can only be used on the the specific departure selected when booking, so if a seat reservation is available on the train, it is automatically included when booking this type of ticket. 11. When having booked Anytime and Off-Peak tickets for a long-distance journey, the idea is that you can choose between departures on a travel date - though those with Off Peak tickets can't travel at Peak times. Seat reservations are included when booking ahead, but they can be transferred to alternative departures - note that on services on which they are typically available, seat reservations won't be included when booking last-minute Anytime and Off-Peak tickets at a station. 12. Off-Peak and Anytime aren't discounted, but despite this National Rail stipulates that they are placed on sale 12 weeks ahead, but the operator's decide when to make the cheaper Advance tickets available - it can be before or after the Anytime and Off-Peak tickets have been released for sale. 13. Advance tickets aren't typically made available when construction works are being carried out on a route , because they are not valid on replacement bus services. 14. Tickets are also not typically available at the lower Advance rate for end-to-end journeys which involve connections between trains, but booking and using 'Split Tickets' can be a money saver - see the info in the 'Notes on the Ticketing' below. 15. These ticketing inconsistencies have encouraged a swathe of third party online services to sell rail tickets in Britain, hence the multiple 'National' companies on the ticket guide , but National Rail also sells tickets for any rail journey in Britain - plus each of the operating companies have booking services which also sell all or most national rail journeys. 16. An atypically large number of railcards are available , which typically provide a discount of one third off the price - and most of these, including Family and Two-Together Railcards, can be used when visiting Britain. 17. If you have a seat reservation you can occupy other seats instead - Most long-distance trains now have a system of Green light = seat available for the entire journey; Orange light = seat available for part of the journey; Red light = seat not available, so you can see whether you want to move to a seat by a window, at a table, or in a less busy part of the train. 18. Long-distance trains are comparatively frequent, when travelling between London and other English cities, and between London and Edinburgh, a minimum of two x trains per hour are typically provided. 19. When travelling First Class with most of the companies which operate the longer routes from and to London - Avanti West Coast, GWR and LNER, a complimentary hot meal service will be offered.

When travelling by train:

The rail network is centrally managed by National Rail and its website is a great resource for planning journeys, looking up general ticket and national rail pass info and checking whether maintenance works will be impacting on the route you will be travelling by. It also has the up to date info regarding the impact on rail services of the rail strikes . It’s also a central resource for information and booking of mobility services for those that require additional assistance.

In the coaches of most trains used in Britain there will be electronic information showing the calling points of the train. It is worth checking to see if the station you're heading to is the next calling point; as the automated announcements which will say "this train is now arriving at..." usually occur only around a minute before the train will get to a station.

This destination info is usually all that's available on the info screens on British trains, info such as details of onward connections, the location and the speed of the train, isn't typically shown. So if you will be making an onward connection it can be worth asking the conductor, for the time and platform number of any subsequent train you will be taking.

The seat reservation info

Because seat reservations are optional on British trains, systems have to be used to inform passengers without reservations which seats are available. Therefore information for reservations is assigned to each specific seat. On newer trains this is shown electronically, with the info being above the train windows, green lights can indicate available seats, but on older trains paper cards are inserted into the back of the seats

So if you have a reservation, the usual procedure is: 1: find your seat number(s), which will be on your reservation or ticket - or if you have booked a mobile ticket, you may need to check your booking confirmation email. 2. find the matching seat number within the coach. The info in the train will usually confirm that this is the seat you have been assigned, but some operators including South Western Railway, don't display any info re: seat availability.

If you don't have a reservation then blank electronic displays, or green lights, or no cards on the seat backs, are indicators of available seats. However, on busy trains it's worth checking the info displayed for each seat, because the stations between which the seat has been reserved for, will be shown, so the seat may actually be available for your journey. For example, you may be travelling from London to York and the reservation info for a specific seat may show that it has been reserved for travel between York and Edinburgh, but as you will only be travelling as far as York, you can occupy this seat.

Many train operating companies offer First Class long distance ticket holders complimentary food/drink ranging from snacks to a particularly generous full meal service; particularly when travelling on Monday – Friday.

Avanti West Coast and GWR and LNER offer particularly good First Class benefits.

First Class ticket holders can also access the First Class lounges provided at stations by the train operating company that they will be travelling by.

However, First Class is not available on some fairly lengthy regional express services, including those operated by, Northern , Transport For Wales and ScotRail .

Each Train Operating Company offers a specific MOBILITY ASSISTANCE services and details of how to book Assisted Travel can be found on these links below:

Avanti West Coast l Chiltern Railways l Cross Country l EMR l Grand Central l Great Northern l Great Western Railway l Greater Anglia l Heathrow Express l London North Western Railway l LNER l Northern l Scotrail l Southern l Southeastern l South Western Railway l TFW l Thameslink l Trans Pennine Express l

One of the most unusual aspects of travelling by train in Britain is the breadth of the different types of train used to provide the services across the country.

Each TOC is responsible for its own fleet and buys trains to meet its needs, so more than 35 different types of train are used nationally.

Though normally only one, or occasionally two, types of train are used on each specific route; though that is changing temporarily because new trains are gradually being introduced on many routes. That's because long-distance train travel in Britain has recently been transformed, because brand new trains have recently entered service across the country (Greater Anglia, TPE, Northern, TFW, Southeastern, Scotrail, Southern, South Western) - or will soon be introduced on a swathe of routes across the country.

Shorter distance train travel has also been transformed for the better, particularly across northern England , because the notorious 'Pacer' trains, which were in effect buses on rails, have now been replaced.

In general long distance train services are more frequent in Great Britain than any other country in Europe.

Many long distance routes between London and other major cities have 2 x trains per hour throughout the day, some have three! When travelling between cities other than London, a minimum of an hourly service of express trains is the norm, some shorter distances routes such as Leeds <> Manchester have 4 x trains per hour!

Though on some routes fewer trains operate at weekends; particularly on Sundays, and journey times can be longer at weekends too. Many routes and stations outside the major cities have a particularly limited service on Sunday mornings.

Works on the railway lines tend to be carried out at weekends and when they are occurring, buses are often used as substitutes for the train services: You can check which works are being carried out on all railway lines here .

When looking up tickets/journeys on the TOC's websites, it may not be particularly clear that works are being carried out on your travel dates.

Although if you’re only offered journeys with more changes than our journey summaries suggest, or the journeys are much longer, or Advance tickets aren't being made available on specific dates; it usually indicates that works are being carried out.

No charges apply when taking a standard non-folding bicycle on any British train - bike tickets aren't required.

However, each train operating company (TOC) has its own bicycle policy – only folding bikes may be allowed on some services/departures.

Certain Train Operating Companies including...

Avanti West Coast l Cross Country l EMR l Great Western Railway l Greater Anglia l LNER l Scotrail l South Western Railway l TFW l Trans Pennine Express

....request or insist that spaces for NON-FOLDING bikes are reserved before boarding on some or all departures; but there is rarely a charge for arranging this. (Those links above go direct to the bike reservation/info pages for each company).

Notes on the ticketing:

One of the not particularly unusual aspects of booking train tickets for British train journeys is that there are actually general nationwide terms for how tickets are sold; at most stations you can pick up a National Rail ticketing guide, which explains what they are.

For example, the names of the three main types of tickets sold are Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime, regardless of which website is selling the ticket, or which company is operating the train you will be travelling by.

However, the TOCs (Train Operating Companies) have the freedom to market tickets for the services they manage and the routes they operate. So for example, they may not offer Advance tickets on all or any of their routes, or can offer cheaper Super Off-Peak tickets at particularly quiet travel times.

Therefore the information below is very much a general guide and refers to the most typical scenarios, travellers will encounter when booking and using tickets on British train journeys.

(1) 'Advance' tickets live up to their name, because you'll need to book this type of ticket ahead of your travel date or time, but you will save money, as this type of ticket is discounted.

Avanti West Coast , CrossCountry , EMR , Great Western , LNER , and TransPennine Express are among the Train Operating Companies which offer particularly large discounts on Advance tickets.

In contrast the two other key types of British train ticket - 'Off-Peak' and 'Anytime' aren't typically discounted if you book ahead.

More info is available on our in-depth guide to British train tickets .

(2) A fairly recent change to how British train tickets are sold is that if you will be travelling long-distance by Avanti West Coast , CrossCountry , Grand Central , Greater Anglia , LNER , Northern and TransPennine Express , you can now also obtain discounted Advance tickets online on the day of travel. They'll be more expensive than booking Advance tickets ahead, but will be cheaper than buying last minute tickets at the station.

So if you’re travelling long-distance try to avoid buying walk-up tickets at a station ticket desk just prior to boarding, as only the more expensive Off-Peak or Anytime tickets may be available. During peak business hours when Mondays - Fridays are working days, Anytime tickets can be more than 5 x more expensive than the most heavily discounted price of the Advance tickets.

(3) Because peak business hours have such a significant impact on prices when Mondays to Fridays are working days, if you travel at weekends or on national holidays, on most routes there will be a much wider choice of departures with tickets at cheaper prices.

(4) The further ahead you book, the bigger the savings, because the most heavily discounted Advance tickets inevitably sell out faster. Though there isn't a uniform time period as to when Advance tickets will be placed on sale, hence the launch of a useful new service by National Rail, which enable the dates ahead of travel that each operator is offering Advance tickets, to be looked up .

(5) There can be big price differences between each specific departure on a travel date, because the cheapest Advance tickets sell out fastest on the most popular trains.

(6) However, if your journey involves changing trains AND using more than one Train Operating Company, then it can be cheaper to book separate tickets for each part of the journey operated by each company - in the UK this is known as 'Split Ticketing', see the notes below.

(7) There are four different types of online services which sell tickets for British train journeys:

• The TOCs will sell tickets on their respective websites, most of them sell tickets for nationwide journeys, regardless of whether they operate the trains on those routes.
• National Rail is the organisation which manages the railway network and its ticketing service will connect you with the website of the TOC providing the train service on the route you will be taking.
• Independent ticket agents, which sell tickets for nationwide journeys, regardless of which TOCs will be operating the trains.
• Other independent ticket agents, which specialise in split-ticketing.

(8) What can be particularly bewildering are the multiple options, which can be available for booking return (two-way) journeys . The means of saving money can vary between travelling each way with Advance tickets, booking 'Open Return' or 'Day Return' tickets, or booking a different type of ticket for each direction of travel.

(9) Something that's different from the norm on mainland Europe, is that when taking shorter-distance journeys from cities other than London - the routes which are too short for Advance tickets to be available, you can board any train including the premium express services. As a result the Standard Class coaches on trains heading to London can be become particularly crowded between the big city location and a first station call, which isn't great when boarding at the starting point without reservations for a longer-distance journey. Examples of such routes include: Birmingham > Coventry Bristol > Bath Edinburgh > Dunbar Leeds > Wakefield Manchester > Stockport

(10) Children aged 5 – 15 travel at a discount of at least 50% on any UK train; some companies offer cheaper terms for children, particularly when travelling at weekends. Those aged 4 and under can travel for free when accompanied by an adult ticket holder. Though the terms for those 4 and under can vary between the Train Operating Companies re: how many infants can travel with an adult and whether those 4 and under have to travel in your lap.

(11) Up to two dogs per passenger can travel for free too.

(12) For those aged 60 and over, discounts are available when using a special railcard that both UK and visiting seniors can purchase (UK residents can buy this online or at station, but visitors need to purchase the card at a station).

When travelling between some towns and cities multiple Train Operating Companies (TOCs) can provide the train service.

These TOCs can share a route, or take different routes between stations.

This can impact on tickets on how tickets can be purchased and used, depending on;

• whether the trains will be taking the same or different routes,
• whether you book ahead online,
• if you'll be booking last minute at the station,
• how far you will be travelling.

Find out more

Split-Tickets can save money on:

• journeys which require connections,
• when travelling on routes shared by multiple operators.
• long-distance journeys

Journeys with connections

When looking up an end-to-end journey involving connections between trains operated by more than company, the prices can be comparatively expensive, on the booking services provided by the train operating companies.

Because the discounted Advance tickets are reliant on travelling on specific trains, usually the best case scenario is that the cheaper 'Advance' rate will only be factored into the total ticket price, for travel on the first train in a chain of connections.

However, that cheaper Advance rate may be available on all, or some, of the subsequent trains in a chain of connections - So some companies including Trainline will bundle these Advance rates together, enabling a cheaper total price to be offered for the end-to-end journey. The customer is therefore saved the bother of having to split the booking into a ticket per train.

Another anomaly, which can be less than obvious when looking up a journey, is that the Advance tickets won't typically be made available when having to make connections on a route which is managed by one company. This scenario can be common when travelling to and from the larger cities including London. It can be cheaper to book Advance tickets between the city centre station and a final destination - and then buy last minute tickets at the station for travel to and from the city centre.

Journeys along routes with multiple operators

Because each company can set its own prices it wants to charge for a travelling on a route, it can be possible to save by booking end-to-end journeys which involve making connections between trains provided by different operators. This particularly applies when travelling to destinations on the East Coast route between York and Edinburgh and on the West Coast route between Preston and Glasgow. Making connections between trains at locations such as York or Preston can be cheaper than travelling direct. You don't need to have an in-depth knowledge of this, but it's worth looking out for, as on some journeys you can save more than 50% by choosing journey options with these unnecessary connections.

On long-distance journeys

Because travelling by trains in Britain is typically more expensive at peak business hours, if you will be travelling on train which begins or ends its journey at those times, or passes through a city when the peak rate applies, this will push up the price of a conventional ticket. But those more expensive rates won't apply when booking tickets from stations further along the route. So some ticket booking services, including Trainline , will automatically look for those cheaper prices and then bundle them together into a cheaper total price. But as you will in effect be booking multiple Advance tickets for different sections of the journey, each ticket will have different assigned seat reservations.

Seat reservations are another aspect of British train travel, which is managed differently, compared to what's typical in Europe. What's particularly worth knowing is:

(1) Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, EMR, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, ScotRail, TFW and TransPennine Express are the TOCs Train Operating Companies which make seat reservations available for long-distance journeys. Greater Anglia also offers seat reservations on its London ↔ Norwich route.

(2) Seats are always assigned when purchasing Advance tickets online or at stations for journeys on trains operated by these companies. Because Advance tickets are only valid for travel on a specific departure, the seat reservation, which will be issued separately, is in effect an extension of the ticket. You will need to board with the ticket and the seat reservation for the ticket to be valid - the train conductor will need the seat reservation details as proof that you booked tickets, for the specific departure that you have boarded.

(3) If you opt to use e-tickets which can be stored in mobile phones, the details of the seat reservation = the coach + seat number(s) may not be shown on your ticket. Instead they may only be included on the booking confirmation email.

(4) Seats are also assigned when booking Advance tickets for the longer-distance routes operated by London North Western Railway, Southern and South Western Railway, though when travelling with these operators, the reservations won't be marked on the trains.

(5) However, the time limit for booking reservations at stations ahead of travel depends on the TOC providing the train service you will be travelling by; it can vary from a couple of hours to just 10 minutes So if you will be departing the following morning, SMTJ's advice is to book reservations by the end of the previous day.

(6) Keep this is mind if you will be using a rail pass , such as a Britrail Pass or an InterRail or Eurail pass, because it typically won't be possible to book reservations at a station, just prior to boarding. Though when using rail passes you won't be charged for booking reservations at stations, but you will need to use a staffed ticket desk and not a ticket machine.

More information is available on the ticket guide .

Click on the buttons below to access info such as on board facilities, and what to look out for when boarding and travelling with luggage/bikes.

The UK capital is served by more major stations than any other city in Europe, so there's a weight of useful info that's worth knowing about taking trains to and from London. Hence the guide below:

• includes links to detailed info on how to use the eight largest London stations
• useful info on how to use / avoid the Underground and how to use the other cross-city railways
• how to transfer between the major stations
• explains how to travel on to the tourist destinations from each major station
• how to use the trains to travel between London's airports and the city centre.

The journey guides include access to booking links and information about the trains, tickets and destination stations. Plus for the scenic routes there are insights on how to make the most of the rides on the trains.

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Notes on the stations

The eight things most worth knowing about taking a train from a UK station are:

1: Unlike countries such as France, Italy or Germany there can be differences in how the information at UK stations is provided to travellers. Twenty of the largest stations are managed by Network Rail but all other stations are most typically managed by the Train Operating Company, which happens to provide most of the train services at that station. Therefore there isn't a national standard for departure screens and signage etc - hence the info below has to be general summary.

2: Outside of London most cities only have one major station; the main exceptions are Birmingham and Glasgow and Manchester .

3: Until recently British stations didn't have any information which informed travellers of where to wait on a platform (track) for easy boarding into coaches in which reserved seats are located. The platforms/tracks at British stations still aren’t usually divided into zones, as obviously as they are in France and Germany. Instead the platforms (tracks) at many large stations, at which trains call at during a journey, now have comparatively small signs spaced along the platform, which show the coach numbers of the trains; usually the trains heading to and from London.

4: It's a good idea to pay close attention to the information screens on the platforms (tracks) as many of them now show a lot more information than the destination and time of the next departure - they often now also tell travellers where to wait on the platform if you have a reservation.

5: At the lager terminal stations, the platform / track number that a train will be leaving from, isn't usually confirmed until around 20 mins prior to departure.

6: If a train is departing on time it can be removed from the main departure board two minutes before it is due to leave.

7: On long distance trains heading away from London, the First Class coaches are usually at the rear of the train, when heading to London, they’re usually at the front.

8: Trains very rarely reverse directions at stations in Britain during their journeys, so if you prefer to face forwards, you will usually be facing that way for the entire trip. The three major exceptions are:

• Manchester <> Bristol/Exeter trains reverse direction at Birmingham.
• Newcastle <> Southampton services reverse direction in both Birmingham and Reading.
• Manchester <> Bournemouth services reverse direction at Reading.

A train numbering system in which every individual train is given a specific code isn't used in Great Britain, so there isn't, for example, a train 5743 to Edinburgh which is also calling in York. Therefore in Britain the departure time is the key piece of information, which specifies the train you will be travelling by.

So if you will be travelling to York with a seat reservation on the 11:30 train from London Kings Cross, the key piece of information on your reservation is the departure time. When you're at King's Cross station you can look for which train you will be boarding on the main departure board. You would be looking for the train leaving at 11:30, it's final destination will be Edinburgh, but beneath its destination, all of the other stations the train will be calling, at will be listed. One of these other stations will be York, so this 11:30 train to Edinburgh, is also the train to York.

Therefore the train departures are arranged in vertical columns of lists of the stations that each departure will be calling at. As each train departs, the columns shift to the left, because they are shown in departure order from left to right.

Top right on each column will be the platform (track) number, but when each departure is initially listed, it will often be blanked out. So you'll know which departure you will be taking because you'll have matched your destination to the departure time, but you won't know, yet, which platform it will be leaving from. You need to keep an eye on the departure board, because at some point the platform number will appear and it won't usually be announced; only untypical information is usually announced at stations.

On the platform

On the platforms at non-terminus stations, the departure info will also list all of the stations that the next train to depart will be calling at. Though this info can be shown as scrolling text; this text is worth watching closely as it can also covey additional info other than the calling points.

Taking time out to check all of the info on the platform departure screens is recommended, particularly when travelling long-distance. As explained above, you can often use the info to work out where to wait for boarding into the coaches in which your reserved seats will be located, but other useful info, not usually shown on the main departure boards, can include the scheduled arrival time at each calling point.

Click the buttons below to discover how to travel to and from the stations by public transport, plus links to additional info including the station and city websites.

The scenic sections of the journey are shown by the arrows:

• Glasgow - Dalmuir > Arrochar > Fort William > Mallaig
• Leeds - Skipton > Settle > Carlisle
• Exeter > Totness - Plymouth > Lostwithel (Cornwall)
• Inverness > Kyle of Lochalsh
• Machynlleth > Pwllheli
• Newcastle - Morpeth > Berwick upon Tweed > Dunbar - Edinburgh > Kirkcaldy > Dundee > Stonehaven > Aberdeen
• Lancaster > Carlisle > Carstairs - Glasgow and Edinburgh
• Edinburgh > Kirkcaldy > Perth > Inverness
• St Erth > St Ives
• Swansea > Llanelli > Llandrindod > Craven Arms - Shrewsbury

Short videos showcasing some of these journeys have been uploaded to the ShowMeTheJourney channels on YouTube dedicated to England and to Scotland .

National Rail, which has overall responsibility for how the trains are managed in Britain, has teamed up with a swathe of tourist attractions for a promotion which allows two entry tickets for the price of one when travelling to and from them by train. How it typically works is:

• You can look for which attractions and guided tours are members of the scheme on the National Rail website .
• Having chosen an attraction you can then see how to book the special promotional tickets or voucher; when needed you can find promo codes on the dedicated page for each attraction on the National Rail Website.
• On the online booking page of the attraction you should see an option which corresponds to 'National Rail - Two for One offer'.
• Book your attraction tickets or voucher.
• On arrival at the attraction you present your attraction tickets and rail tickets to gain entry.

The offers are available to visitors to the UK as well as residents, so they can be a great way to save money when on a holiday .

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• The ticket machines at stations will retain one-way tickets, hence return tickets are a must - and if possible avoid putting your outward tickets through the machine, by asking the staff to open the gates/barriers.
• The two people entering the attraction on the 2-for-1 offer will both need separate rail tickets.
• The type of rail ticket, how much you paid for it and the distance travelled all don't matter, any pair of return rail tickets will suffice.
• If you have one, you can use Railcards to book the rail tickets.

Be inspired and discover how to make the fabulous journeys

How to experience the coasts and mountains without a car

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Escape from Britain on the train:

If you are not resident in the UK you can use Eurail and InterRail 'global' passes to see Britain by train in addition to other countries of your choice; though you'll need to be sure that your trip to and from England / Scotland / Wales falls within your selected period of time that your pass will be valid for.

For European citizens InterRail for Great Britain passes are available for 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 days of non-consecutive travel. Everybody else who solely wishes to explore Britain by train can make use of BritRail passes ; and if you meet the InterRail criteria and aren't resident in the UK, there are BritRail passes valid for two days of travel which are cheaper than those InterRail passes valid for 3 days. Eurail passes are not available solely for travel in Great Britain.

With any of these passes you can hop on any daytime national rail service, reservations are available but optional on most long-distance routes ; and on daytime trains there will be no charge for making the reservation; special rates are available to rail pass users on the Caledonian Sleeper and Night Riviera services.

Users of Eurail and InterRail 'global' passes can book reservations on Eurostar , which can seem pricey, but the cost per day of using the pass + the reservation fee, is often much cheaper than booking Eurostar tickets. However, BritRail passes are not valid on the Eurostar.

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Emergency engineering works between Fort William and London Euston – please view our service alterations page.

ASLEF Union announcement regarding industrial action from 6 th to 11 th May – please view our service alterations page.

Planned service alterations during April, May & June due to engineering works – please view our service alterations page.

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Castles, dungeons, ghosts and tunnels give Scotland’s capital an air of mystique, but there’s more to Edinburgh than history and creepy tales.

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Home to many a lively ceilidh – where the celebrated local malt is the toast of the guests – Fort William is an idyllic escape from the rat race.

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Win A Family Theatre Break To London With Caledonian Sleeper

Caledonian Sleeper is delighted to be partnering with Ambassador Theatre Group and Moxy Hotels to offer one lucky family the chance to win a fantastic trip to London! The prize includes: Return journey on the Caledonian Sleeper from Scotland to London Euston for 2 Adults and 2 children in Classic twin rooms with breakfast included […]

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4 reasons why Glasgow is a must-visit for 2024

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Caledonian Sleeper has provided a significant contribution to the Scottish loneliness charity Give a Dog a Bone. Through generous donations, £6,090 has successfully been raised to support the charity’s ongoing work. The donations allowed Give a Dog a Bone to hold two separate raffle competitions, each contributing to the impressive total raised. One raffle featured […]

Millburn Academy students visit Parliament

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England and Scotland by Rail

A Britain Rail Tour – Experience the cities and landscapes of two great nations on this rail journey of discovery through England and Scotland.  Travelling from vibrant London in the South to romantic Edinburgh in the North and back again your itinerary will take you through the historic cities of Oxford, Glasgow and York. Along the way you’ll experience scenic rail-rides through the rolling British countryside and enjoy hand-picked day tours to reach the rural sites and villages of the Cotswolds, the Lake District and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.

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After arriving in to Heathrow or Gatwick, validate your BritRail Passes and travel by rail to the historic university city of Oxford, your base for the next two nights. Here you can soak up the unique academic ambience and explore the lawns, quads and spires of renowned Oxford University which once inspired the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Oscar Wilde. Perhaps visit one or more of the famous colleges such as Magdalene and Christchurch or the Bodleian Library and New College Hall which were used as parts of Hogwarts in the "Harry Potter" movies.

Overnight: Oxford

Journey details: 20 minutes to London (via Gatwick/ Heathrow Express) followed by 1 hour to Oxford (approx.)*

Today is dedicated to exploring the quintessential English landscapes and villages of the Cotswolds – take a short rail ride from Oxford to the market town of Moreton-on Marsh. Meet your local driver to begin your scenic journey through the country lanes and rolling hills of the heart of England – your day will be packed with rustic Cotswold views and we’ll pause regularly to enjoy some of England’s prettiest settlements. Visit eccentrically named villages such as Upper Slaughter, Stow-on-the-Wold and Broadway each bustling with local markets, honey-coloured homes and thatch cottages.

Meals: Breakfast included

This morning board the train for a journey to the North of England and the rustic landscapes of Cumbria. Arriving in the beautiful market town of Windermere on the shores of the famous Lake Windermere make your way to your hotel to drop your bags. Spend the afternoon exploring this charming lakeside town – wander the local boutiques, visit The World of Beatrix Potter exhibition, hike along the shores of the lake or take a private boat or leisurely cruise along on the tranquil waters of Lake Windermere.

Overnight: Bowness-on-Windermere

Journey details: 4 hours 40 minutes (approx.)*

Today is dedicated to exploring the rugged landscapes of the Lake District with a local guide on a small-group tour of this spectacular region. Your journey will take you off the beaten track over mountain passes, through deep valleys and passing sparkling lakes. Along the way you’ll stop at one or more the traditional Lakeland towns or villages such as Grasmere or Keswick and take in some of the region’s most iconic spots such as Borrowdale Valley, Thirlmere and Castlerigg Stone Circle. The highlight will be an included boat trip on one of the lakes itself.

Board the train once more and head north through the rolling hills of the Scottish Lowlands on route to Scotland's largest city, Glasgow and your base for the next two nights. By contrast to the lakes, Glasgow is a vibrant city; explore the Victorian monuments of George Square, the bustling Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow Cathedral and necropolis, Kelvingrove Park and Museum before enjoying a vibrant Scottish nightlife around the fashionable bars of the Merchant City or the West End.

Overnight: Glasgow

Journey details: 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)*

Today enjoy a small-group excursion to for a taste of Scotland’s dramatic Highlands. Meet your driver and group in the heart of Glasgow then head north passing the historic town of Inveraray and its white-washed castle on route to Scotland’s scenic West Coast. Pause in Oban “Gateway-to-the-Isles” for lunch before continuing deep in to Glencoe Valley; one of the most eerily beautiful areas of Scotland and home to a tragic history of clan battles. By afternoon you’ll return south over the barren Rannoch Moor and along the banks of Scotland’s largest Loch, Loch Lomond.

Today make the short journey east to the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh. Explore this magnificent city from the winding streets of the cobbled Old Town to the wide avenues of the opulent Georgian New Town. Stroll past the Gothic Burns Monument and through Princes Street Gardens before climbing the Royal Mile to the city's centrepiece at the magnificent Edinburgh Castle, home to the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and St Margaret's Chapel.

Overnight: Edinburgh

Journey details: 40 minutes (approx.)*

Today explore Edinburgh in more depth; perhaps enjoy a spot shopping along Princes Street, visit Scotland’s national museums and galleries or discover Royal Edinburgh with visits to the Palace of Holyrood House, the Queens Edinburgh residence, or the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith Docks, the official royal yacht for over forty years. By afternoon, take a short rail journey from Edinburgh to the historic town of Stirling, whose impressive castle was once the royal seat of Scotland. Alternatively, you could take an optional small group tour to St Andrews and the Fishing Villages of Fife.

Hop on the train and head south through the rolling hills of the Scottish Lowlands and rugged landscapes of Northumberland to York. This historic city is home to a wealth of historic and cultural sites to explore; wander the city from the cobbles of the famous Shambles (Britain’s first shopping street) to the medieval city walls, gates and towers. The highlight of course will be exploring the Gothic masterpiece at the iconic York Minster which dominates the city and marks York as the ecclesiastical capital of the North of England.

Overnight: York

Journey details: 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)*

Today you’ll be whisked south to London on the high-speed line; this will be your base for your final two nights offering you time to explore the stunning English Capital. London is a thriving metropolis with a vibrant modern culture and rich history and heritage. Explore world renowned sights including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. In the east of the city you’ll find the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral. By evening why not take a flight on the London Eye for spectacular views of the city skyline.

Overnight: London

Journey details: 2 hours (approx.)*

Today explore London in more depth; culture vultures will delight in some of the world’s most prestigious museums and galleries including the Tate Modern, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Imperial War Museum. You may choose to stroll through Hyde Park to the elegant Kensington Palace or simply enjoy the abundance of shopping opportunities the city has to offer; from the department stores of Oxford Street to the host of traditional street markets such as the one in Covent Garden.

Today bid farewell to the UK as you board the Heathrow or Gatwick Express rail links to take you back to your departure airport.

Oxford University, Oxford, England

Bibury, Cotswolds, England

The Lake District, Cumbria, England

Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, Scotland

Glencoe, Scotland

Panoramic view of Edinburgh castle from Calton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland

York Minster, York, England

Westminster, London, England

Tower Bridge, London, England

*Journey times and distances are estimates and are based on the direct route between the start location and end location for each day of the itinerary, where applicable. They do not include detours or stops for sightseeing.

What's included

• 11 nights accommodation (suggested accommodations listed below).
• Full cooked regional breakfast each morning
• BritRail Flexi Passes (8 day) – Passes offer 8 separate days of travel on the British National Rail Network within a one-month period. Travel is fully flexible and completely unlimited on each day of use and will cover all outlined rail journeys including transit on the Heathrow or Gatwick Express rail links.
• Famous Cotswolds or Cotswold Highlights tour from Moreton-in-Marsh.
• Ten Lakes Spectacular Tour from Windermere, Lake District.
• Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs and Castles tour from Glasgow.
• Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh.
• London hop-on-hop-off bus tour to explore the city.
• Adeo travel documents pack and suggested rail schedule information for each of your point-to-point journeys including journey durations and departure stations and travel departure times etc.
• Toll-free calls (from USA and Canada) to your Britain vacation specialist whilst planning your trip.
• Expert assistance during the planning of your trip and local out-of-hours number for use during travel.

Our Selected Lodging

• The Randolph (or similar), Oxford x 2 nights
• Lindeth Howe Hotel (or similar), Windermere x 2 nights
• Hotel Indigo (or similar), Glasgow x 2 nights
• Bonham Hotel (or similar), Edinburgh x 2 nights
• The Grand (or similar), York x 1 night
• The Kensington (or similar), London x 2 nights

Wherever possible we select characterful accommodation representative of the destination where you're staying. We regularly personally visit and quality-check hotels across the country. The hotels listed are a representative selection of just some of the properties we work with, ask your consultant for their personal favourites and recommendations. Read more about the accommodation we offer by  clicking here .

Optional extras

• Upgrade your rail passes for First Class Travel – first class carriages are available on many inter-regional services across Britain.
• Add a small group day-tour to St Andrews and the Fife from Edinburgh.
• Purchase London Oyster travel cards for flexible travel around London on its underground rail network.

Customize this tour!

• Add an extra night in York and enjoy a day-tour to the Yorkshire Dales or Moors.
• Combine this tour with one of our other Britain rail tours.
• Have your own rail travel expert accompany you on your tour.
• Travel on the London Underground, the Glasgow Subway rail networks – these are separate to the national rail network and your Britail Passes will not be valid.
• Taxis / transfers from train stations to your hotels – taxis are readily available at all major train stations in the UK and hotel receptions / concierges will be happy to call local taxi firms for collection on days of departure.
• Trip Insurance – we ask that our guests purchase suitable cover in case planned travel is affected or disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances. More information on the benefits of trip insurance can be found here .
• Flights – adeo Travel do not book air travel but are happy to offer advice on where to seek competitive airfare.
• Meals and/or sightseeing other than that outlined above.

Departure Dates 2023/2024

This self-guided tour is customizable and can be taken at any time throughout the year and starting and ending on any day of the week - simply let us know your preferred dates of travel!

Pricing 2023/2024

Twin/Double - from GBP £2,495 per person. Single supplements apply for single occupancy rooms, please ask for a quotation for details.

Pricing Notes

• Above pricing is an estimated "from" price based on shoulder-season travel (April/October). As this tour can be taken at any time pricing will vary dependent on departure day, date of travel, selected accommodations etc.
• Above pricing is based on suggested accommodations listed however please note that we can tailor your specific quote to accommodate your budget and preferences.
• Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room with one adult BritRail pass per person as specified. (Please enquire for single supplement)
• Prices are for land only travel and do not include flights.
• Prices are in GBP£ currency, for approximate amounts in other currencies please contact us.

BritRail Passes

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Travelling the UK with a BritRail Pass

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News / Scotland

Cross-border services impacted as train drivers begin industrial action

Three one-day strikes will take place this week, with Scotland to England services impacted on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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More on this story, train drivers to stage fresh strikes over bank holiday week, rail services between scotland and england set for bank holiday disruption.

Rail passengers face disruption on cross-border services this week, as train drivers begin industrial action.

Members of the ASLEF train drivers’ union will launch a six-day overtime ban at 16 operators from Monday, meaning services may be cancelled at short notice.

This will be followed by three, one-day strikes between May 7 and May 9, with cross-border services affected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel, with services that do run on strike days starting later and finishing earlier than usual.

No talks have been held between the union and train operators for more than a year, and for longer involving the government.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, wrote to Aslef last week suggesting informal talks which could result in more formal negotiations.

A spokesman for the RDG said: “The rail industry is working hard to keep trains running but it is likely that services on some lines will be affected on the evening before and morning after each strike between May 7 and May 9 because many trains will not be in the right depots to start services the following day.

“We can only apologise to our customers for this wholly unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership which will sadly disrupt journeys once again.

“It will also inflict further damage on an industry that is receiving up to an additional £54m a week in taxpayer cash to keep services running, following the Covid downturn.”

Train drivers will strike on the following days:

– Tuesday May 7: c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR’s Great Northern, Thameslink and Southern (including Gatwick Express), Southeastern, and South Western Railway.

– Wednesday May 8: Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, Chiltern, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, GWR, and West Midlands Trains.

– Thursday May 9: LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Express.

ASLEF said its members have not had a pay rise for five years and has accused the Government of “giving up” trying to resolve the dispute.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The transport secretary and rail minister have already facilitated a pay offer that would take train drivers’ average salaries up to £65,000 – almost twice the UK average salary.

“ASLEF are the only union left striking after the Government oversaw deals with all the other unions.

“Instead of causing passengers disruption, they should put this offer to their members and work with industry to end this dispute.”

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Scots rail passengers face disruption as train drivers strike in pay dispute

Cross border rail services will be severely disrupted this week by a train drivers strike in a long-running pay dispute.

Members of Aslef will walk out at services on Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry on Wednesday. This is part of wider strikes down south.

A strike will also be held on Thursday at LNER and TransPennine Express.

Services will be crippled for the day, with few trains running. Those that do run will start later and finish earlier than usual.

ScotRail services will not be disrupted.

Avanti West Coast runs trains between Glasgow and London, while CrossCountry runs services going to England from Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

LNER runs trains between Edinburgh and London, while TransPennine Express services go between Glasgow, Ediburgh and cities in the north of England.

An ongoing overtime ban at 16 train operators is continuing until Saturday which is also causing disruption.

Passengers are being urged to check before attempting to travel by train this week.

The dispute is now the longest ever in the rail industry.

Aslef said its members have not had a pay rise for five years and has accused the Government of “giving up” trying to resolve the dispute.

A UK Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The Transport Secretary and Rail Minister have already facilitated a pay offer that would take train drivers’ average salaries up to £65,000 – almost twice the UK average salary.

“Aslef are the only union left striking after the Government oversaw deals with all the other unions.

“Instead of causing passengers disruption, they should put this offer to their members and work with industry to end this dispute.”

There is a glimmer of hope that negotiations will start in a bid to resolve the row after the Rail Delivery Group invited Aslef to talks about exploring any common ground which could break the deadlock.

No formal talks between the operators and the union have been held for a year and for longer involving a UK transport minister.

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Rail strikes restart as Aslef train drivers embark on new action

Union to roll out 24-hour strikes across England’s train operators for three days this week and six-day overtime ban from Monday

Rail passengers face a week of disruption as train drivers embark on another round of industrial action on Monday, despite tentative attempts by the industry to restart talks.

Drivers in the Aslef union will strike for 24 hours at each of England’s national train operators over the course of three days from Tuesday until Thursday, while an overtime ban will apply nationwide from Monday until Saturday.

Most operators will not run any trains on their strike days, affecting some cross-border services to Wales and Scotland. The overtime ban will also reduce schedules and severely disrupt some operators who depend on voluntary shifts to run their services.

On Tuesday 7 May, the first wave will affect commuter routes into London, with drivers striking at c2c, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express and South Western Railway.

It will be followed on Wednesday by a 24-hour strike at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains; and at LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express on Thursday.

The union said it would continue to strike for an improved pay offer, with some of its members now going five years without a pay rise and the last talks breaking down a year ago.

A hint of movement came when the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, emailed Aslef late last week to suggest discussions about a framework for formal talks, which the union said it welcomed.

An RDG spokesperson said it had “written to the Aslef leadership to try and find areas of common ground that will allow us to move to formal negotiations”.

The Aslef general secretary, Mick Whelan, told members he would “explore this avenue in an effort to resolve this dispute”.

The drivers’ union rejected a two-year deal in early 2023 worth 4% annually, but with changes to working conditions attached. In percentage terms, the rise was less than that offered to other parts of the industry.

Speaking before this next set of rolling strikes, Whelan said: “We don’t want to be doing this. Nobody wants to be losing money, but unless we do this, nobody is going to come to the table and talk to us. So we’re left in a position whereby the only way that we can articulate our voice is to take action.”

Aslef members voted overwhelmingly in February to continue industrial action.

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Whelan added: “I’m out there talking to my people most nights of the week in branch rooms and elsewhere, and they want to keep going. They want a resolution. And after 22 months, why would you stop? We have to believe there will be an endgame; we have to believe there will be a resolution to this.

“After half a decade without a pay rise, should we stop and go another half a decade without?”

The government has argued that the offer would take the average pay of a train driver to £65,000, but it also demanded “modernisation” and workplace changes as part of the settlement.

Whelan said: “There was no workplace reform. Nobody could explain to me how cutting people’s sick pay makes a railway run quicker, or more resilient, or improves performance. It was a land grab for Ts & Cs [terms and conditions].

“We’ve done 17 pay deals in the last 12 months across the rest of the rail industry,” including in Scotland and Wales, the Elizabeth line, and for freight and open access rail operators . “None of them required any of these changes – this has got nothing to do with running a railway.”

An RDG spokesperson said the strikes would “inflict further damage on an industry that is receiving up to an additional £54m a week in taxpayer cash following the Covid downturn”.

They warned there would be reduced services from Monday, with the overtime ban’s impact varying across the country, and advised passengers to check before travel.

The wave of action is the fourth week of rolling strikes staged by Aslef since December, after it altered its tactics in a dispute that has lasted almost two years.

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Lunch in Paris, dinner in Lyon: Taking the train from Edinburgh to France's foodie haven

As the channel tunnel celebrates 30 years, it remains one of the best ways to travel flight-free from the uk to europe.

Breakfast in Edinburgh, lunch in Paris and dinner in Lyon, the Channel Tunnel affords a a culinary, flight-free feast. Photo: Simon Williams

On May 6, 1994, the Channel Tunnel was inaugurated, forming a direct link between Britain and mainland Europe and connecting the people of Scotland, England and Wales to a seemingly endless web of railways across the continent and beyond. Three decades on, it’s the perfect way to enjoy a multi-culinary journey to Europe, eating breakfast in the Scottish capital before exploring the foodie haven that is France for lunch and dinner.

Just before 7am on a Saturday morning, a cluster of people with backpacks and trolley bags wait impatiently for the Pret a Manger to open at Edinburgh Waverley Station. I'm one of them – ordering a chocolate croissant – before leaving the cafe to gaze at the departures board through bleary eyes. Bathgate; Dunblane; Tweedbank. It’s wild to think that these regional stations in Scotland are linked by rail to Europe and Asia, all thanks to the Channel Tunnel.

The Edinburgh to London LNER train is the first on my three-leg journey to travel flight-free to Lyon in a single day from the Scottish capital. Sunshine blazes down on the east coast of Scotland as the train skirts the side of towering cliffs between Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed. A denim-blue sea stretches for kilometres on the left-hand side of the train.

The volume in the carriage increases as we stop at Newcastle and speed through the North of England. Day-trippers embark at Darlington, chatting excitedly about the sights of York. Then it’s a straight shoot to London.

We arrive on time at King's Cross and, although an hour and a half may seem excessive for the two-minute walk to St Pancras International, the queue for the Eurostar’s ticket check, airport-style security and passport control eat up the time like a starving man at a banquet. By the time I’m in the packed-out departure lounge, the train before mine – at 12.31pm – is already departing.

The journey on the Eurostar to Paris won’t make any “most scenic train journeys in Europe” list – it’s mostly black tunnel with the odd light whizzing past the window. But it gets you into Paris in a little more than two hours.

Bursting forth from the tunnel after 35 minutes of blackness, the concrete entrance from France is emblazoned with the words “30 years”. Digging for the Channel Tunnel began on both sides in 1987 and the undersea link between England and France officially opened seven years later.

My dad, an avid train enthusiast, was keen to be one of the first through it. I recall taking LeShuttle – the car train from Folkestone to Calais – in 1994, heading over to France and visiting a huge warehouse where we loaded up on frozen snails and other French delights, before returning to England on the same day.

As a seven-year-old, I was severely disappointed that the tunnel was just a long stretch of darkness, not an illuminated glass tunnel like those in an aquarium with schools of fish swirling above our heads, as I had pictured. As an adult – I can balance the visual disappointment with the joy of the culinary delights awaiting on French soil.

Arriving into the Gare du Nord, don't expect to step off the Eurostar and into the Haussmann-style romance of Paris straight from the platform. The train station is in a slightly dubious part of the city, but it's easily connected with a 10-minute journey on the Gare de Lyon. Very soon, I emerge into the bistro-filled, Haussmann-style Paris of postcards and Instagram grids.

The Gare de Lyon boasts one of the most lavish and beautiful train station restaurants in the world, so I’ve allowed enough time for a late lunch at Le Train Bleu, before the final leg of my journey. I can’t stop staring up in awe at the frescoed ceiling with gilded trim, even as my perfectly crisped filet mignon arrives and a trolley of local mature cheese is wheeled up to the table.

The jaunty “ba ba ba ba” of SNCF's (France's national state-owned railway company) announcement declares the platform ready and I board the fast train to Lyon, which takes a little less than two hours. Powering across countryside of vast fields, villages become more and more idyllic in honey-hued prettiness, and church staves pierce the sunset sky.

I arrive in Lyon to a balmy evening, just in time for a nightcap in one of the many cave-like wine bars by the Saone in Vieux Lyon. The Basilique Notre-Dame of Fourviere is illuminated against the night sky, presiding over the old rooftops.

I revel in the fact that I’ve made it all the way to the banks of the Rhone from Scotland without having to go anywhere near an airport. An 8.30pm arrival means I arrive hungry, so I head directly to a rustic cafe-bar on the Soane, to feast on a creamy cheese board and charcuterie platter.

After an overnight stay in the quirky, four-star College Hotel, I step straight into Vieux Lyon to explore the old city streets. The time-worn pavements are sleek with rain, but the weather doesn’t detract from the beauty of the city.

The best way to start the day in France is with a freshly baked pain au chocolat from a local bakery and the buttery layers paired with a rich black coffee, overshadowing my Pret a Manger choice in Edinburgh the day prior.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bouchon Palais Grillet (@bouchonpalaisgrillet)

I wander the streets of Lyon, pop into the marionette museum, where a collection of weird and wonderful stringed characters stare blankly back at me, and poke about in chichi little shops. It seems like every street is home to a vast selection of bouchons – traditional Lyonnaise restaurants serving the delicious, rustic cuisine the city is famous for.

Lyon is home to more than 4,000 restaurants, including 16 with Michelin stars. To work up an appetite, I hike up to the stunning, bone-white facade of Basilique Notre-Dame of Fourviere, visible from nearly every part of the city. The views over the shambling old streets and grand boulevards beyond is worth the climb, and the glorious interior of frescoes and gold inside the basilica offers a quiet moment of respite on my whirlwind tour.

I’ve chosen the traditional Bouchon Palais Grillet for a lunch of pistachio sausage, potatoes dripping with meat juice and rich onion gravy. Full of Lyon’s heartiest gastronomy, I’ve just enough energy to visit the Museum of Cinema for a surreal journey through the special effects of Hollywood and beyond.

Still stuffed from lunch, I opt for a casual bar for dinner, and people-watch as I slowly devour a plate of cured meat, cheese and pâté with plenty of crusty, homemade bread – the perfect ending to a flight-free escape in the foodie haven of France.

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