Steam & Sail in the English Riviera

DAY 1

For those travelling with us by train, we will experience one of England's most quintessential holiday welcoming moments - the Great Railway Journey along the sea wall at Dawlish - before climbing high into the rural pasturelands of the Devon hills then descending back to the coast to arrive on the English Riviera at Torquay. On arrival, we will make our way to the Livermead House Hotel, our hotel for the next four nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we travel to Totnes where we join the oldest preserved steam railway in the south-west, the South Devon Railway, and follow a scenic seven-mile rail journey connecting the beautifully maintained stations at Totnes and Buckfastleigh. We enjoy time at Buckfastleigh where we visit the Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary or, alternatively, we can venture a little further and visit nearby Buckfast Abbey and Gardens before returning to Torquay in time for our evening meal together.

DAY 3

Today is free to relax in Torquay or explore the stunning English Riviera. You may decide to take the short ferry ride across the bay to the small fishing town of Brixham, home of the 'Golden Hind' replica of the iconic Tudor ship, or perhaps visit the neighbouring town of Babbacombe, famed for the 1926 cliff railway and model village. We will reconvene at the hotel for our evening meal together.

DAY 4

This morning, we make our way to Paignton for a fantastic steam journey on the Dartmouth Steam Railway travelling alongside the English Riviera coastline to Churston, then on through the wooded slopes of Long Wood bordering the Dart Estuary to Kingswear. We take a short ferry crossing to the historic resort of Dartmouth where there is free time for some sightseeing and a gentle circular river cruise viewing Bayards Cove, Kingswear and Dartmouth Castles, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dittisham Village, and Sir Walter Raleigh's Boathouse. We return by steam train to Paignton before continuing to our hotel for our final evening meal together.

DAY 5

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Torquay and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner