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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

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Vintage Railways of the Isle of Man
Save up to £200pp
4.7 stars(610 reviews)
2024Oct
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
6 days from
£845 pp £795 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsHeysham
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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ClassicClassic
Highland Adventure
Save up to £200pp
4.3 stars(293 reviews)
2025MarAprMayJunJul...
5 days from
£895 pp £795 pp
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsInverness
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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DiscoveriesDiscoveries
The Highlands by Steam
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4.2 stars(241 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
6 days from
£945 pp £845 pp
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh / Edinburgh Waverley
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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Edinburgh Tattoo
Save up to £200pp
4.5 stars(41 reviews)
2025Aug
4 days from
£895 pp £795 pp
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsDunblane
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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Castle Howard
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4.0 stars(41 reviews)
2025AprMayJunAugSepOct
5 days from
£895 pp £845 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsGisborough
  • AccommodationHotel
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Lighthouse at the Needles
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4.2 stars(92 reviews)
2025AprJunJulAugSep
5 days from
£579 pp £529 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsSandown / Portsmouth
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Norwich & Norfolk
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4.3 stars(318 reviews)
2024Oct
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
5 days from
£499 pp £449 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsNorwich
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Edinburgh Tattoo
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4.4 stars(72 reviews)
2025Aug
4 days from
£799 pp £749 pp
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
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The Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway
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4.1 stars(79 reviews)
2024Oct
2025AprMayJunJulSep
5 days from
£595 pp £545 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsPaignton
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DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Save up to £200pp
4.4 stars(106 reviews)
2025MayJunAugSepOct
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£479 pp £429 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsWorcester
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The Aberdonian Steam Train - © Alan Weaver
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3.8 stars(44 reviews)
2025JulSep
5 days from
£1,195 pp £1,095 pp
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh / Edinburgh Waverley
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The Peak District
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4.1 stars(109 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
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£429 pp £379 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsDerby
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Our customers love our UK Short Breaks tours
Vintage Railways of the Isle of Man
17/Sep
O Scholes
5 stars
“Fantastic boats, steam trains, electric trains, mountain trains, valley trains & the Great Laxey Wheel
Collected by Trustpilot
Cotswolds & The Severn Valley
16/Sep
Warren Pyke
5 stars
“This was our 4th Rail journey and they are always good value, good hotels, food, company and Tour Guides.
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
Highland Adventure
14/Sep
Paulette Compton
5 stars
“We thoroughly enjoyed our Scottish Highlands 5-day tour. Very organized, lovely hotel in Inverness and the best tour guide, Sandra. There were no disappointments and we definitely would book another tour, hopefully soon!
Collected by Trustpilot
Edinburgh & the Highlands by Steam
13/Sep
Diane Hadley
5 stars
“Had a lovely holiday on the steam trains, seeing some beautiful scenery and did a lot of travelling about on the coach. We could of done with a little more time in Pitlochry though. Hotels were good with delicious food.
Collected by Trustpilot
Edinburgh Tattoo & Floors Castle
6/Sep
Gordon Howat
5 stars
“Very good trip
Collected by Trustpilot
Norwich & Norfolk
15/Sep
J Wass
4 stars
“Very varied and interesting holiday, would have been improved had travelling days been days 2 and 4 rather than 2 and 3., but overall a first rate experience. Tour Manager, Paul Robson, was excellent, very well organised and a lovely character.
Collected by Trustpilot
Yorkshire Dales and Moors
12/Sep
Anthea
4 stars
“Lovely hotel, but quite long journeys on excursions.
Collected by Trustpilot
Edinburgh Tattoo and the Highlands
9/Sep
Colin Hearnshaw
4 stars
“the organised side by yourself was very good most enjoyable. unfortunately the hotel was not up to standard especially considering the reputation that the Hilton hotels have. The lift was out of order for most of the holiday. The mattress on the bed was very poor quality or it needed...
Collected by Trustpilot