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.
Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care
01538 382323
Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm
The mighty River Tyne is bordered by the unspoilt beauty, history, and heritage of Northumberland & Durham. This action-packed rail holiday time-travels from the Romans of Hadrian's Wall and Vindolanda, through historic Anglo-Saxon Bamburgh, to the Victorian 'living history' of Beamish plus a boat trip to view the stunning wildlife of the Farne Islands and visits to the South Tynedale Railway and Heatherslaw Light Railway.
View Dates & Book6 days from £835
DEPARTS
Monday 18 May 2026
Monday 13 July 2026
Monday 21 September 2026
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Visit Beamish – The Living Museum of the North
Enjoy a photo opportunity at the Angel of the North
Ride the South Tynedale Railway
Experience Vindolanda – the Roman archaeological site with live excavations
Discover 1,400 years of history at Bamburgh Castle
Cruise to the Farne Islands, one of the UK’s largest seabird and seal colonies
Journey on the Heatherslaw Light Railway
Enjoy free time in the coastal town of Berwick-upon-Tweed
Also included in your Tour Fare:
5 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
DAY 1
Journey from your home station to Newcastle and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Leonardo Hotel, our hotel for the next five nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.
DDAY 2
After breakfast today, we are transported to the South Tynedale Railway for a steam journey through the stunning North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on England's highest narrow-gauge railway. From here, we travel alongside Hadrian's Wall to Vindolanda, one of Europe's most important Roman archaeological sites. As well as having the chance to view thousands of extraordinary Roman artifacts, we may also get to watch live excavations.
B, DDAY 3
This morning, we leave Newcastle and travel by road to Bamburgh for a visit to Bamburgh Castle - once home to the Kings of Northumbria. Standing proudly on the edge of the North Sea, the castle has over 1,400 years of history to explore. Afterwards, we transfer to Seahouses for our 90-minute cruise sailing around the Farne Islands to view the stunning wildlife on one of the UK's largest seabird and seal colonies.
B, DDAY 4
Today, we visit Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, an incredible experience through time. A living, working experience featuring a recreated town including an Edwardian bakery, a coal mine, a local pub, and school amongst other things, all linked together by a historic tram system. On our return to Newcastle, we make a visit to The Angel of the North for a quick photo-stop.
B, DDAY 5
After breakfast this morning, we will travel the scenic rail route to Berwick-upon-Tweed and transfer to the Heatherslaw Light Railway for a return steam journey along the banks of the river Till. On our return to Berwick, we enjoy free time and sightseeing in this coastal town before travelling back on the East Coast mainline to Newcastle for our final evening meal together.
B, DDAY 6
After breakfast, we bid farewell to Newcastle 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
HOTEL
Leonardo Hotel, Newcastle
Situated close to Newcastle Railway Station, the Leonardo Hotel offers contemporary facilities and a fantastic location with a trendy bar and restaurant plus an all-day Costa Coffee bar. The spacious rooms provide a bathroom with complimentary toiletries, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.
FARES
| Fare Region | First* | Standard |
| London: Kings Cross | £1,095 | £979 |
| Greater London | £1,115 | £989 |
| South of England | £1,129 | £999 |
| East Anglia | £1,179 | £1,025 |
| South West | £1,245 | £1,049 |
| Heart of England | £1,155 | £1,009 |
| Midlands | £1,045 | £929 |
| Yorkshire | £1,035 | £949 |
| North East | £899 | £875 |
| North West | £1,089 | £979 |
| South Wales | £1,175 | £1,019 |
| North Wales | £1,219 | £1,049 |
| Scotland | £985 | £925 |
*Please note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class only, so First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of journeys.
£10 tour discount for holders of National Railcards
Join & Leave at Hotel £845
July Departure Supplement £30
September Departure Supplement £60
Single Room Supplement £160
5 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal
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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