01904 521 936
Tour Search



UK Short Breaks by Escorted Rail

With so many ideal holiday destinations on your doorstep, the United Kingdom is a fantastic place for a short break by rail. After all, the British Isles are packed with exciting towns and cities, a wealth of outstanding scenery and a rich cultural heritage. From the Cornish coast to the Shetland Islands, and from the Scottish Highlands to the Isle of Man and the Norfolk Broads, our UK short breaks are filled with places you "always wanted to visit" but never got around to.

Whether you'd like a brief getaway in the old-world city of Canterbury, or would prefer a short break amongst the rugged mountains of the Lake District, all of our UK short breaks all begin in towns and cities that are easily accessible by rail. So, you can leave the car behind and let the train take the strain, meaning that your holiday begins at your local station.

We explore every corner of the British Isles on our UK short breaks, and each individual place is filled with local myths, legends and attractions for you to explore. Naturally the included excursions differ according to the region visited, but they all give a wonderful insight into the area and cover the most famous sights - whether this is the magnificent York Minster, the fantastic castles along the North Wales coastline or the impressive SS Great Britain in Bristol Harbour.

Of course, our UK short breaks also all include some fantastic railway journeys. As well as some of the world's most scenic routes such as the West Highland Line, on our UK short breaks we also feature a number of classic heritage railways. We are proud to support these lines, most of which use restored steam engines and vintage rolling stock - allowing you to take a nostalgic trip back in time to relive the bygone age of the railway. Often these lines pass through some magnificent scenery and connect idyllic countryside villages along the way, which we take the time to visit.

Our UK short breaks by rail are simple, stress-free holidays, which represent superb value for money. With such a comprehensive and varied range of tours to choose from, you are bound to be drawn to our collection of UK short breaks by rail.

If you want to learn more about the stunning railways of the UK, discover Coastal Railways with Julie Walters. More information can be found here.

14 results matching: UK Short Breaks by Escorted Rail

Filter by
Clear All
Holiday type
Reset
Holiday length
Reset
Departure date
Reset
Mobility rating
Reset
Theme
Reset
Transport type
Reset
Additional options
Reset
ClassicClassic
Vintage Railways of the Isle of Man
Save up to £200pp
4.7 stars(650 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
6 days from
£799 pp £699 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
6 days from
£799
£699
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsHeysham
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
ClassicClassic
Highland Adventure
Save up to £200pp
4.3 stars(319 reviews)
2025MarAprMayJunJul...
5 days from
£799 pp £699 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
5 days from
£799
£699
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsInverness
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
ClassicClassic
Stonehenge at Sunset
Save up to £200pp
2025MayJunJulAugSep
7 days from
£1,499 pp £1,299 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
7 days from
£1,499
£1,299
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsSalisbury
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail
Map and accommodation
DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Save up to £200pp
4.4 stars(114 reviews)
2025MayJunAugSepOct
5 days from
£479 pp £429 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
5 days from
£479
£429
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsWorcester
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
DiscoveriesDiscoveries
The Highlands by Steam
Save up to £200pp
4.2 stars(248 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
6 days from
£899 pp £799 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
6 days from
£899
£799
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh / Edinburgh Waverley
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
ClassicClassic
Edinburgh Tattoo
Save up to £200pp
4.5 stars(41 reviews)
2025Aug
4 days from
£799 pp £699 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
4 days from
£799
£699
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsDunblane
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Lighthouse at the Needles
Save up to £200pp
4.2 stars(94 reviews)
2025AprJunJulAugSep
5 days from
£599 pp £549 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
5 days from
£599
£549
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsSandown / Portsmouth
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Norwich & Norfolk
Save up to £200pp
4.3 stars(333 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
5 days from
£499 pp £449 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
5 days from
£499
£449
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsNorwich
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
DiscoveriesDiscoveries
The Peak District
Save up to £200pp
4.1 stars(127 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
5 days from
£429 pp £379 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
5 days from
£429
£379
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsDerby
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Edinburgh Tattoo
Save up to £200pp
4.4 stars(72 reviews)
2025Aug
4 days from
£699 pp £649 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
4 days from
£699
£649
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
ClassicClassic
York
Save up to £200pp
2025AprMayJunJulSep
6 days from
£699 pp £599 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
6 days from
£699
£599
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsYork
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail
Map and accommodation
ClassicClassic
The Aberdonian Steam Train - © Alan Weaver
Save up to £200pp
3.7 stars(45 reviews)
2025JulSep
5 days from
£1,199 pp £1,099 pp
View Details
Save up to £200pp
5 days from
£1,199
£1,099
per person
View Details
Tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh / Edinburgh Waverley
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Our customers love our UK Short Breaks tours
Norwich & Norfolk
11/Nov
Roy
5 stars
“Excellent trip. Good use of trains and a very pleasant tour guide. Thank you.
Collected by Trustpilot
Highland Adventure
28/Oct
Wendy Langley
5 stars
“An excellent tour that was well planned with a great itinerary. Our tour guide Garth had a lot of knowledge that he passed on, giving us lots of information and history. He was great.
Collected by Trustpilot
Vintage Railways of the Isle of Man
27/Oct
John Thwaites
5 stars
“Nothing went wrong but we would have preferred not having to walk to the hotel when we arrived.
Collected by Trustpilot
Yorkshire Dales and Moors
15/Oct
Lesley
5 stars
“Enjoyable and interesting tour, especially the last day in the dales . The hotel was very good , with excellent breakfasts and h er loful staff .
Collected by Trustpilot
Royal Deeside and Glamis Castle
16/Sep
Doreen Guest
5 stars
“The tour was very well organised and ran very smoothly, helped by an extremely good friendly guide who engaged fully with all the group. The visits were very good particularly Glamis Castle and also the Highland cow farm and the gin distillery. The only disappointment was the failure of Tornado...
Collected by Trustpilot
Edinburgh Tattoo & Floors Castle
6/Sep
Gordon Howat
5 stars
“Very good trip
Collected by Trustpilot
Cotswolds & The Severn Valley
29/Oct
Nancy
4 stars
“The time in Bridgenorth and Broadway were most enjoyable, however,after the view of the Neptune fountain and a pleasant stroll along the promanade, we found the Sunday afternoon visit to Chelthenham just another town of similar shops.
Collected by Trustpilot
South Devon, Dartmouth, and The English Riviera
24/Oct
J Staveley
4 stars
“We found the whole programme provided an interesting tour of the area. However on such a short duration holiday having a full day free seemed excessive having travelled so far to attend. The hotel Mercure that we stayed was 5 stars as was the tour guide. Ken Cumbria
Collected by Trustpilot
Isle of Wight
15/Oct
Elizabeth Capper
4 stars
“Excellent trip. Although it was disappointing that the railway did not run from Hyde Harbour to Sandown but considering the age and mobility of most of the guests it was better to be coached to places. Wide variety of experiences, good hotel
Collected by Trustpilot