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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(650 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
6 days from
£799 pp £749 pp
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  • 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
£899 pp £799 pp
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5 days from
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsInverness
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Save up to £200pp
7 days from
£1,399
per person
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  • 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
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£479
£429
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsWorcester
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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DiscoveriesDiscoveries
The Highlands by Steam
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4.2 stars(248 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
6 days from
£999 pp £899 pp
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh / Edinburgh Waverley
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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ClassicClassic
Edinburgh Tattoo
4.5 stars(41 reviews)
2025Aug
4 days from
£899 pp
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4 days from
£899
per person
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsDunblane
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Lighthouse at the Needles
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4.2 stars(94 reviews)
2025AprJunJulAugSep
5 days from
£599 pp £549 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsSandown / Portsmouth
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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Norwich & Norfolk
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4.3 stars(332 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
5 days from
£499 pp £449 pp
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsNorwich
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DiscoveriesDiscoveries
The Peak District
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4.1 stars(127 reviews)
2025AprMayJunJulAug...
5 days from
£449 pp £399 pp
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£449
£399
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  • DestinationEngland
  • Starts / EndsDerby
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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DiscoveriesDiscoveries
Edinburgh Tattoo
4.4 stars(72 reviews)
2025Aug
4 days from
£899 pp
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4 days from
£899
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
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York
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2025AprMayJunJulSep
6 days from
£799 pp £749 pp
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  • Starts / EndsYork
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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
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh / Edinburgh Waverley
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Our customers love our UK Short Breaks tours
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
Norwich & Norfolk
28/Oct
Caroline
5 stars
“Norwich easy to walk around , river and cathedral good to visit. Hotel within walking distance. Guide friendly and helpful and good coach driver
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