Welcome to Railtrail Tours
A family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years.
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01538 382323
Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm
Explore the industrial age of waterways and railways on this fantastic tour staying in an historic hotel at the heart of Chester. Cruise across the magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, enjoy a nostalgic journey on the Llangollen Railway, stroll through beautiful gardens at Arley Hall, and visit the delightful village of Port Sunlight.
View Dates & Book5 days from £825
DEPARTS
Tuesday 12 May 2026
Tuesday 7 July 2026
Tuesday 15 September 2026
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Discover 2,000 years of history in the beautiful city of Chester
Wander along waterside paths and ancient city walls
Visit the lavish Arley Hall Gardens
Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the River Dee
Cruise across the breathtaking Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Enjoy a nostalgic journey along the Llangollen Railway
Tour the fascinating National Waterways Museum
Explore the beautiful village of Port Sunlight
Stay in an historic hotel in the heart of Chester
Also included in your Tour Fare:
4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 cream tea
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
DAY 1
Journey from your home station to Chester and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Mill Hotel, our hotel for the next four nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings and can take a stroll to the ancient City Walls or Roman Gardens before meeting for our first evening meal together.
DDAY 2
After breakfast today, we travel by road to Arley Hall Gardens where we explore their lavish gardens. The gardens are regarded as one of the finest in Europe and have been created over the last 250 years, offering an interesting blend of history, design, and modern ideas. We return to Chester in the afternoon and enjoy a cruise on the River Dee followed by time at leisure in the city's charming streets of black-and-white houses, Roman museum, beautiful Cathedral, and famous Rows. You can walk below the towering walls, marvel at the ingenious Northgate Staircase Locks, or idle away a moment watching the boats in Chester Basin before reconvening for our evening meal.
B, DDAY 3
Today, our private coach takes us to the Llangollen Canal for a breathtaking aerial cruise across one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Canals', the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Crossing 126ft above the River Dee, it is the highest and longest aqueduct in Britain and a World Heritage site, and we indulge in a sumptuous cream tea on our journey. Afterwards, we continue by road to Llangollen with time to look around the delightful town before a thrilling return train journey along the beautiful Llangollen Railway through the Dee Valley to Corwen.
B, LR, DDAY 4
After breakfast, we travel by train to Ellesmere Port to discover the colourful world of Roses & Castles at the National Waterways Museum. We enjoy a guided tour of the large collection of narrow boats, other canal craft, and recreated workshops. After lunch, we continue to Port Sunlight, the village that William Hesketh Lever built for his Sunlight Soap Factory workers in 1888, where we enjoy free time to explore the many attractions including the Port Sunlight Museum and Lady Lever Art Gallery before we return to Chester by train.
B, DDAY 5
After breakfast, we bid farewell to Chester and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.
BB=Breakfast, LR=Light Refreshments, D=Dinner
HOTEL
Mill Hotel & Spa, Chester
Located on the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal, the historic Mill Hotel offers beautiful canalside dining, a relaxing bar and lounge, and fantastic leisure facilities including an indoor pool, sauna, and gym. The stylish bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom with complimentary toiletries, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.
FARES
| Fare Region | First* | Standard |
| London: Euston | £1,095 | £949 |
| Greater London | £1,115 | £965 |
| South of England | £1,165 | £999 |
| East Anglia | £1,199 | £1,015 |
| South West | £1,119 | £965 |
| Heart of England | £1,005 | £895 |
| Midlands | £905 | £875 |
| Yorkshire | £1,015 | £929 |
| North East | £1,119 | £989 |
| North West | £1,009 | £915 |
| South Wales | £1,135 | £959 |
| North Wales | £949 | £875 |
| Scotland | £1,089 | £955 |
*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.
£5 tour discount for holders of National Railcards
Join & Leave at Hotel £830
July Departure Supplement £50
September Departure Supplement £80
Single Room Supplement £280
4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 cream tea
Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)
Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described
All excursions & admissions as detailed
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
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