Evoke the golden age of travel with a holiday that celebrates the romance and nostalgia of the railway. These six UK destinations can be reached via classic train journeys and offer accommodation that has a timeless, charming quality, allowing you to slow down and savour a more traditional travel experience.
The ultimate nostalgic journey is the Night Riviera Sleeper from London Paddington to Penzance. There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned and exciting about being rocked to sleep by the train’s motion and waking up in a different part of the country. This perfectly sets the scene for a stay in a charming Cornish cabin, where you can watch the fishing boats and imagine the artists of the 1800s capturing the same view.
The East Coast Main Line journey to Northumberland is another classic. As the train curves towards the North Sea, you get a sense of the grand scale of British railway engineering. Alighting in the quaint village of Alnmouth feels like stepping back in time. A stay in a traditional seaside cottage, watching the waves and enjoying the simple pleasures of the coast, completes the nostalgic experience.
A stay at The Retreat at Elcot Park in Berkshire allows you to experience the life of the country gentry. The hotel is a beautifully restored 18th-century building, and wandering its 16 acres of grounds evokes a sense of history and tradition. Arriving by train from the historic Paddington station adds to the feeling of a classic English country escape.
The Lake District has been a beloved tourist destination since the Victorian era, when the railways first made it accessible. Arriving by train into Windermere, and staying in a handsome 19th-century stone house, connects you to this long tradition of tourism. Hiking up Orrest Head, just as Wainwright did, is a way of participating in the area’s rich history. The timeless Essex countryside and the ancient Scottish woodlands also offer a powerful sense of connection to the past.