THE HEART OF ENGLAND AND WALES RAIL TOUR
June 7-21, 2001
Land tour from $2399.00
Join our popular English escort, Bob Bridger, on an in-depth late spring tour of the Principality of Wales and highlights of western England on this wonderful new tour. Past Rail Travel Center trips have concentrated only on the Snowdonia Mountains region in northern Wales. This trip offers a comprehensive look at Wales, from the stately capital city of Cardiff in the south to the towering peaks of the north. A central feature is riding on ten restored narrow gauge "Great Little Trains of Wales", plus standard gauge journeys on additional preserved steam rail lines in England and Wales.
Our tour highlights far more than trains, however. We explore ancient castle ruins, preserved citadels and restored stately homes. We also discover spectacular formal gardens and marvel at scenery ranging from England's "green and pleasant land" to the rugged gorges and peaks of northern Wales. Several unstructured days are included to facilitate independent exploration. Only three hotels are used: the fine Grosvenor Victoria in London for the first and last nights; the comfortable Marriott in Cardiff for five nights; and the historic Royal Oak Hotel in Betws-y-Coed for seven nights.
Because most of the "Great Little Trains" operate in remote areas, we use a motorcoach throughout this tour. This will simplify baggage handling, as our luggage will go by coach on all journeys between hotels. Participants have the option to purchase a BritRail Flexi-Pass to break away from the planned tour on selected days and explore further afield. Mr. Bridger will provide trip suggestions on scheduled trains to pretty and historic regions for free days and parts of other tour days. There also are interesting things to do on free days without the added cost of a BritRail Flexi-Pass. The choice is yours. Complete details follow. ALL ABOARD!
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Day One, Thursday, June 7 Arrive London, stay at Grosvenor Victoria Hotel. Flights arrive in London this morning. Transfers are not included due to the variety of flight schedules and airports serving London. Our hotel is quite easy to reach. Direct trains run to Victoria Station from Gatwick Airport (the hotel can be entered directly from the waiting room) with a fare of under $20 US per person. From Heathrow Airport, the A1 Airlink bus serves Victoria Station (and the hotel) with a fare of less than $20 per person as well. No organized activities are scheduled today. The hotel is a short walk or double-decker bus ride from the heart of the city, including Buckingham Palace and the newly opened underground War Rooms of Churchill's Imperial Cabinet.
Day 2:
Day Two, Friday, June 8 (CB,D) Visit Wisley Gardens, Great Western RY Museum. We depart London this morning by chartered coach and stop at the Royal Horticultural Society's spectacular Wisley Gardens. Later we drive west to Swindon, locale of the main shops of the remarkable Great Western Railway. This railway originally was built by visionary Victorian railwayman Isambard Kingdom Brunel to a very broad 7-foot gauge (standard gauge is 4 feet, 8 ½ inches between the rails). Although the GWR "shrunk" to standard gauge long ago, many of its engineering works still reflect its broad-gauge heritage. The GWR truly was "built for the ages". We tour the new Great Western Museum before crossing the border into the Principality of Wales, where we enjoy a five- night stay at the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Our "Welcome Dinner" is this evening at the hotel.
Passengers electing to purchase the optional BritRail Flexi-Pass can stay longer in London, then take the hourly 125 mph HST train service to Cardiff. An independent stopover is possible to see the Didicot Rail Centre Museum and/or the Swindon Museum. Please note that your bags will travel with the escort on the motorcoach, so you can travel light today!
(B) (D)
Day 3:
Day Three, Saturday, June 9 (B,D) Wells Cathedral, ride West Somerset RY. This morning we visit the great cathedral in Wells, then motor over the moors and rolling hills and board the steam-powered West Somerset RY for the longest standard gauge journey on a preserved British line. We climb steep hills and view pretty villages while riding this beautiful former Great Western RY branch-line from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard. Returning to Cardiff, passengers travel by coach or can use their optional Flexi-Passes for a trip on the former Great Western routes via Taunton.
(B) (D)
Day 4:
Day Four, Sunday, June 10 (B,D) Ride the Gwilli and Teifi Valley RYs, National Botanical Garden of Wales. We begin our exploration of the preserved railways of Wales today. Our first ride is on the standard gauge Gwilli Railway, which has a short riverside line. At the Llwyfan terminus, a 7.25 inch gauge miniature railway provides a further point of interest. We continue by coach to Henlan to ride the Teifi Valley RY through the Pentprenshitw Gorge. Continuing by coach to Carmarthen, we complete the day with a tour of the lovely National Botanical Garden of Wales.
(B) (D)
Day 5:
Day Five, Monday, June 11 (B) Free Day. Optional Brit Rail day-trips to Salisbury and Bath or explore Cardiff. On this free day, Cardiff offers fine museums, a noble castle and interesting shopping for participants who choose to spend their time in the Welsh capital. Those with optional Flexi-Passes can ride back into the west country of England to explore the great cathedral town of Salisbury (where an optional local bus tour is available to see Stonehenge) and the renowned Roman spa town of Bath. Another option is to ride more of the railways of Wales by taking the local services to the Irish Sea ports of Pembroke Dock or Milford Haven.
(B)
Day 6:
Day Six, Tuesday, June 12 (B) Tour Castel Coch, and Caerphilly Castle, ride Brecon Mountain RY. This morning we visit lovely Castel Coch, a unique combination of Victorian Gothic fantasy and fairytale architecture. A project of Lord Bute and architect William Burtges, this 1875 country retreat is a showplace with round towers and rooms with wall and ceiling murals depicting tales from Aesop's fables. For contrast we visit Caerphilly Castle, a medieval fortress with massive gatehouses, moats and concentric defenses. The Great Hall here is particularly grand! This afternoon we motor to Pant to ride the narrow gauge Brecon Mountain RY on the rugged round-trip to Pontsticill. Unexpected highlights include American steam Engine No. 2, a Baldwin-built 4-6-2 "Pacific", and Engine No. 77, a powerful South African articulated Beyer Garrett. Passengers with BritRail Flexi Passes may return to Cardiff on the local train.
(B)
Day 7:
Day Seven, Wednesday, June 13 (B,D) Beautiful journey to Snowdonia Mountains National Park, ride the Welshpool and Llanfair RY. We transfer to the Snowdonia Mountains National Park region of northern Wales, stopping to visit Hereford Cathedral enroute to Shrewsbury. Passengers with BritRail Flexi-Passes can travel to Shrewsbury on the pretty "Heart of Wales" line if they prefer. This afternoon we continue our "Great Little Trains" rides on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light RY, a steam-powered line that traverses a timeless rural countryside. Our home for seven nights is a restored 18th century stagecoach inn, the Royal Oak Hotel, in the quaint village of Betws-y-Coed in the secluded Vale of Conwy.
(B) (D)
Day 8:
Day Eight, Thursday, June 14 (B,D) Ride Ffestiniog RY and Welsh Highland RY, explore slate caverns and Conwy Valley RY Museum. The most famous of the "Little Trains" is today's highlight as we ride the Ffestiniogg RY, the two foot gauge queen of Welsh lines, on its rugged climb (complete with a spiral tunnel) from the coast at Porthmadog to the mountain-top village of Blaneau Ffestiniogg. In addition, we ride the short restored segment of the Welsh Highland RY at Porthmadog. On June 16th we'll ride a much longer reconstructed section of the Welsh Highlands RY from Caernafon. At Blaneau Ffestiniog we tour Llechwedd Slate Caverns, then return to Betws-y-Coed to visit the Conwy Valley Railroad Museum.
(B) (D)
Day 9:
Day Nine, Friday, June 15 (B,D) Ride Snowdon Mountain Cog Railway and Llanberis Lake RY, visit Beaumaris Castle. We begin with a morning ascent to the highest point in Wales, riding the Snowdon Mountain Cog Railway to the peak. Many services on this mountain-climbing narrow-gauge line are steam-powered. Later we visit the Llanberis Lake RY for a "little train" ride along the shores of its namesake lake. In afternoon we visit Beaumaris Castle on the lovely Isle of Angelsey. This mighty citadel, considered the most technically perfect medieval castle in Britain, was built by King Edward I to control Wales after an uprising in 1295. The castle commands the old ferry route to Angelsey and is a perfectly symmetrical stronghold with four concentric lines of defense.
(B) (D)
Day 10:
Day Ten, Saturday, June 16 (B,D) Ride Welsh Highland RY, tour Caernarfon and Penrhyn Castles. We motor to Caernarfon this morning to ride the newly restored steam-powered two-foot gauge Welsh Highland RY. Likely motive power is a former South African articulated Beyer Garrett steam engine. Eventually this will become the longest narrow gauge railway in the United Kingdom, completely crossing the Snowdonia Range and restoring a route originally torn-up before the Second World War. We then visit Caernarfon Castle, the official investiture site for the Prince of Wales who is heir to the throne of the United Kingdom. Later we visit Penrhyn Castle, a 19th century Victorian stately home noted for its superb art collection and an unusual museum of the slate mining railways.
(B) (D)
Day 11:
Day Eleven, Sunday, June 17 (B,D) Ride Bala Lake and Llangollen RYs, tour Chirk Castle, cross Horseshoe Pass. This morning we ride the usually steam-powered Bala Lake RY along its namesake loch, then motor north to the stately canal-side town of Llangollen to ride the standard gauge steam-powered Llangollen RY. This line offers a lovely and rugged ride along the canal and through the mountains round-trip to Carrog on a former Great Western RY line. Later we tour Chirk Castle, occupied since the 13th century reign of Edward I and noted for its elegant 18th and 19th century state rooms. We complete the day with a scenic drive over Horseshoe Pass.
(B) (D)
Day 12:
Day Twelve, Monday, June 18 (B,D) Free Day. Optional suggested local train ride to Llandudno. This is another free day. Participants can relax in Betws-y-Coed or join the escort on a pretty BritRail journey, using either the optional BritRail Flexi-Pass or paying a local fare of under $25. The beautiful Vale of Conwy Line takes us to the North Wales Coast seaside resort of Llandudno. Here we can enjoy beach time and/or ride the mountain climbing trams (trolley cars) of the Great Orme Tramway to a spectacular vista of the Irish Sea and Welsh mountains. Nearby, and reachable by local bus or taxi, are mighty Conwy Castle and the Plas Mawr house. Admissions are covered by your Welsh Heritage Pass.
(B) (D)
Day 13:
Day Thirteen, Tuesday, June 19 (B,D) Ride three "Great Little Trains": the Fairbourne and Barmouth Steam RY, Talyllyn RY and Vale of Rheidol RY. Our "Great Little Trains" expedition culminates with rides on three beautiful lines. First we ride the miniature Fairbourne and Barmouth RY along the estuary at Fairbourne, then continue to Tywyn to ride the beautiful Talyllyn RY round-trip to Nant Gwernol halt, deep in the hills. We visit the unusual Centre for Alternative Technology, then ride the steeply graded Vale of Rheidol RY. This was the last steam route operated by British Rail. The line ascends to the waterfalls at Devil's Bridge and is noted for its grand mountain scenery.
(B) (D)
Day 14:
Day Fourteen, Wednesday, June 20 (B,D) Ride Severn Valley RY, tour Blenheim Palace. Our final full day finds us motoring back into England. We pause at Bridgenorth to ride the steam-powered Severn Valley RR to Kidderminster on a standard gauge line that recreates a British Rail route in the 1950s. We continue to stunning Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill. The interiors reflect the splendor of the British Empire at the close of the 19th century, while the lovely gardens are a masterpiece largely designed by renowned landscape architect Capability Brown. Tonight we return to London for a Farewell Dinner at Bob Bridger's favorite cafe in the Victoria Station area, the Seafresh Restaurant, and a final night again at the Grosvenor Victoria Hotel.
(B) (D)
Day 15:
Day Fifteen, Thursday, June 21 (CB) The tour ends with independent departures from London today.
(B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
TOUR PRICES include all hotels; admissions except on the Free Days; a Welsh Heritage Pass; private chartered coach and preservation railway travel; meals noted as "included" above; escort services and luggage handling. BritRail fares are not included, as no regularly scheduled train travel is required during the tour. As noted above, several optional BritRail trips are possible for passengers who choose to purchase a BritRail Flexi-Pass. Not included are transfers to/from our London hotel and items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages and souvenirs.
$2399.00 per person, double occupancy
$2899.00 single occupancy
Also see tour packages in:
Local Culture
Railway Trips
|
| Check out these similar vacation offers: |
|
|
