Scenic Train Journeys
From Penzance to Thurso, Great Britain is covered by an extensive rail network, which passes through some of the most spectacular scenery of England, Scotland and Wales.
Britain was one of the first countries in the world to introduce rail travel. The Victorian Age saw a golden age of rail travel in Britain as steam trains travelled along one of the most extensive rail networks of the world.
Today, Britain’s rail network has been modernised, extending via Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel, to continental Europe. But there are still some specialist operators that run steam trains and routes that offer great rail journeys of Britain.
One of the most iconic of these rail journeys is the West Highland line from Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig, passing through some of Britain’s most dramatic scenery and over the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, while you gaze out across the Scottish Highlands.
Wales has an excellent collection of narrow gauge railway lines guiding small steam trains through its rugged valleys of the Brecon Beacons and the mountain peaks of Snowdonia. These are run by groups of rail enthusiasts under the name of Great Little Trains, while a standard rail service operates the winding and dramatic route along the Cambrian Coast.
The best rail routes in England are found in the north of the country. The Leeds to Settle and Carlisle line is one of the most famous, passing through the sweeping valleys and rugged moors of the Yorkshire Dales, and skirting around the Lake District, with 325 bridges, 21 viaducts and 14 tunnels along the way. The North York Moors line operates steam train trips to the station of Goathland, which J.K Rowling fans may recognise as the stop for Hogwarts. 
But if you really plan to push the boat out (or should that be train?) then a journey on the Royal Scotsman is the ultimate in old-fashioned luxury rail travel. Journeying into the scenic heart of Scotland passing the shimmering lochs, lonely Scottish castles and wild glens of the Highlands, in pristine Edwardian Carriages pulled by steam engine.
myguideBritain have a range of special rail tours that offering the best in rail tours of Britain.
