England Express Rail Tour
8 DAYS

England Express Rail Tour

Bath – Oxford – York – Windermere – London

Day 1. Bath – Arrival & Roman Baths

Arrive in Bath. Roman Baths and Thermae Bath Spa (open-air rooftop pool). Royal Crescent and Circus. Jane Austen Centre. Overnight in Bath.

Day 2. Bath to Oxford – Train

Train from Bath Spa to Oxford. Afternoon: Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera, Magdalen College and the Ashmolean Museum. Evening: punting on the Cherwell. Overnight in Oxford.

Day 3. Oxford – Blenheim Palace & University Colleges

Morning: Blenheim Palace (UNESCO World Heritage). Afternoon: walking tour of Oxford's extraordinary colleges: Christ Church (Harry Potter filming location), Merton College, All Souls College. Evening: the extraordinary Oxford pubs (The Eagle and Child – Tolkien and CS Lewis's meeting place). Overnight in Oxford.

Day 4. Oxford to York – Train

Train from Oxford to York via London. Afternoon: York Minster – the extraordinary Gothic cathedral. The Shambles – the medieval street. National Railway Museum. Overnight in York.

Day 5. York to Windermere – Train

Train from York to Windermere via Carnforth. Afternoon: Lake Windermere cruise. Ambleside village. Overnight in Windermere.

Day 6. Windermere – Beatrix Potter, Wordsworth & Coniston

Beatrix Potter's Hill Top. Wordsworth's Dove Cottage (Grasmere). Coniston Water boat trip and John Ruskin's Brantwood. Overnight in Windermere.

Day 7. Windermere to London – Train

Train from Windermere to London Euston. Afternoon: South Bank – Tate Modern, Globe Theatre, Borough Market. Evening: West End show. Overnight in London.

Day 8. London – Departure

Transfer to Heathrow or Gatwick for onward travel.

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

Thermae Bath Spa, Bath
Thermae Bath Spa, Bath
Punting on the Cherwell, Oxford
Punting on the Cherwell, Oxford
Oxford Colleges
Oxford Colleges
The Shambles, York
The Shambles, York
The National Railway Museum, York
The National Railway Museum, York
Ambleside Village, The Lake District
Ambleside Village, The Lake District
Brantwood House, Cumbria
Brantwood House, Cumbria
The Tate Modern, London
The Tate Modern, London
London West-end Show
London West-end Show

ACCOMMODATIONS

Options

Bath

★★★★★
  • The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa Bath
  • Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa Bath
  • Gainsborough Bath Spa
★★★★
  • Bailbrook House Hotel Bath
  • Abbey Hotel Bath
  • Francis Hotel Bath
★★★
  • Premier Inn Bath City Centre
  • ibis Bath
  • Holiday Inn Express Bath

London

★★★★★
  • The Savoy London
  • The Ritz London
  • Claridge's London
★★★★
  • Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London
  • Leonardo Royal London City
  • Hyatt Regency London The Churchill
★★★
  • Hub by Premier Inn London King's Cross
  • Travelodge London Central City Road
  • ibis London Blackfriars
Hotel room interior
Must try

FOOD

Bath Oliver

Bath Oliver

A hard, dry biscuit or cracker made from flour, butter, yeast and milk; the plainness of the biscuit lends itself to be combined with a range of sweet and savoury toppings; it was invented by physician William Oliver of Bath around 1750, thereby giving the biscuit its name.

Pie and Mash

Pie and Mash

This British working-class dish, which originated in the docks of London and is considered a "Cockney classic", typically consists of a minced beef pie served with mashed potato and a parsley sauce known as liquor, with malt vinegar as a condiment; Pie and mash shops have been in London since the 19th century and are still common in East and South London.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding

An English dessert consisting of a moist sponge cake covered in a toffee sauce, often served with a vanilla custard or vanilla ice cream; it is widely served across the UK, but particularly in the Lake District in North West England, where it is a culinary symbol.

RESTAURANT

Options
Halal Certified

Bath

  1. Al-Baraka Bath – Middle Eastern halal restaurant near Bath city centre
  2. Istanbul Bath – Turkish halal grill near Bath Spa station, good value lunch menu
  3. Rajpoot Tandoori Bath – Indian halal restaurant, Bath's longest-established curry house
  4. Medina Bath – North African halal cuisine near the Roman Baths, tagine and couscous
  5. Halal Kitchen Bath – International halal food near Pulteney Bridge, family-friendly

London

  1. Dishoom – Celebrated Bombay-style café, halal-certified, branches across London, legendary bacon naan
  2. Tayyabs – Legendary Pakistani halal restaurant in Whitechapel, famous lamb chops, always busy
  3. Roti Chai – Indian street food, halal-certified, near Oxford Street, excellent lunch thali
  4. Bayswater Grill – Lebanese and Arabic halal grill, Bayswater, popular with Gulf visitors
  5. Ferdosi – Persian cuisine, halal-certified, Kensington, renowned for lamb koobideh and saffron rice
Restaurant interior

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