Two hundred years ago, the world’s first modern railway rolled 26 miles across North East England, forever changing passenger train travel. Although people in Wales had been riding the rails since 1807, the train carriages were pulled by horses; when the Stockton & Darlington Railway was inaugurated on September 25, 1825, it was powered by steam engines. The first one, Locomotion No. 1, maxed out at 12 miles per hour, but its invention ushered in an era of modern train travel.
Today you can ride the rails all over the U.K., from London to Edinburgh, around the Cotswolds, and to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) in Wales. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, book one of these five beautiful train rides in the U.K. for your next trip.
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Come for: Vistas from the highest point in Wales and England
Price: From $60 for round-trip on the diesel train, or $83 on the steam train
Chug across two viaducts, past a thundering waterfall, and up to the 3,560-foot summit of Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, on one of Snowdon Mountain Railway’s seasonal trains. The diesel train accommodates roughly 60 passengers and runs to the summit from mid-April to late October, as weather permits. The steam trains, reconstructions of the original late-19th-century carriages and still powered by the original steam locomotive from Switzerland, seat 34 passengers. These run from early June to mid-September, weekdays only.
Both types of trains have large windows that can be partially opened for a bit of bracing mountain air. The whole journey takes two and a half hours, including a 30-minute stop at the summit, home to the U.K.’s highest visitor center. From there, on a clear day, you can catch a glimpse of Ireland.
British Pullman
Belmond’s British Pullman has beautifully restored and decorated carriages from the 1920s and ’30s.
Photos by Oli Douglas and Charlie McKay
Come for: A classic Sunday lunch—on wheels
Price: From $582
It’s pinkies up during afternoon tea on Belmond’s British Pullman. The beautifully restored 1920s train has 11 sumptuous carriages with whimsical names, such as Cygnus (designed by Wes Anderson) and Phoenix (apparently the favorite carriage of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother). Rail enthusiasts can join all sorts of day trips departing London Victoria Station, including Christmas and murder-mystery lunches, excursions to Bath, Oxford, or York, and afternoon teas. For a luxurious night train journey from London, consider one of Belmond’s sleeper train journeys on the Britannic Explorer, which launched in July 2025.
St. Ives Bay Line
The coastal train ride between St. Ives and St. Erth in Cornwall takes 10 minutes.
Photo courtesy Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership
Come for: Coastal views that look nothing like the Atlantic you know
Price: $5.60 ($2.80 ages 5-15, free for under 5s)
For Mediterranean scenery on the southwestern tip of England, hop on St. Ives Bay Line, which curves along the turquoise coast of its namesake St. Ives Bay. The ride is short and sweet, 10 to 12 minutes along powdery white-sand beaches. For the best views, sit on the right when you board at St. Erth and on the left if you are traveling from St. Ives. There are two trains per hour, seven days a week, except December 25 and 26. If it’s too cold to swim, take advantage of tiny St. Ives’ outsized art destinations—an outpost of the Tate and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Settle-Carlisle Railway Line
Among luxury train Northern Belle’s journeys around the U.K. is a day-long outing on the Settle-Carlisle line.
Photos courtesy of Northern Belle
Come for: A gourmand’s getaway
Price: From $9 for one-way on the regular Northern Railway train; from US$795 for the all-day outing on the Northern Belle
Speaking on a show about the world’s most scenic train journeys, Bill Nighy (of Love Actually fame) called the Northern Belle’s excursion on the Settle-Carlisle Railway line “the Grand Dame of luxury travel.” The Settle-Carlisle Railway line runs 72 miles past Yorkshire Dales National Park, moody moors, more gently undulating hills, and the River Eden.
There are two ways to enjoy this scenic train ride. You can book it as a trip from Leeds on the regular Northern Railway train. Once in Carlisle, you can rent a car, take a side trip to visit Hadrian’s Wall, or go directly to the Lake District, England’s largest national park.
The luxe alternative is an all-day outing on the Northern Belle, a regal 1930s-style train to rival Belmond’s. The Settle-Carlisle excursion, which you can pick up in Manchester, one of our favorite cities in 2024, includes brunch, a stop to visit Carlisle, champagne and caviar on board, and finally a six-course dinner.
West Highland Line
When the Glenfinnan Viaduct was built between 1897 and 1901, it cost £18,904, the equivalent of more than £2 million (US$2,676,200) today.
Courtesy ScotRail
Come for: Unending views of the rugged Scottish countryside
Price: $40 per person
Harry Potter fans flock to the Jacobite Express, but in the past couple of years, travelers have complained of run-down carriages and dirty windows. The alternative, at a fraction of the price, is ScotRail’s West Highland Line. This train runs from Glasgow all the way to Mallaig, up in the Highlands across from Skye. Depending on the season, you’ll see rolling green mountains shrouded in mist and deciduous and evergreen trees blowing in the wind, or bare trees backed by snowy peaks, all interspersed with lochs.
This is not a fast train; the West Highland Line covers 160-odd miles in about 5 hours and 20 minutes, so pack a picnic and a good book. If the whole trip is too long for one day, stay the night in Fort William (3 hours and 45 minutes from Glasgow). Hop back on the train the next day for the 85-minute ride from Fort William to Mallaig, during which the train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which the Hogwarts Express crosses and which has also appeared in The Crown.
