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
Experience a fantastic steam tour to the West Country to explore remarkable rail heritage from the beautiful city of Exeter. Steam nostalgia over narrow-gauge lines, through stunning countryside, along magnificent coastlines, and past wild moorlands with heritage railway adventures every day. Cruise on the River Dart, ride the historic funicular at Lynton, and enjoy free time in Bodmin and Dartmouth to discover these vibrant and historic towns.
View Dates & Book6 days from £925
DEPARTS
Wednesday 25 June 2025
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Steam nostalgia on the Bodmin & Wenford line
Travel on the Dartmouth Steam Railway along the beautiful English Riviera coastline
Enjoy free time to explore Dartmouth, an historic naval town
Take in a circular cruise viewing sights from the majestic River Dart
Journey on the delightful West Somerset Railway
Experience the world’s highest and steepest water powered funicular
Ride behind steam on the narrow-gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway
Journey on the scenic South Devon Railway to Buckfastleigh
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 Exeter and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Rougemont 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
This morning, we travel by train over Brunel's Saltash Bridge into Cornwall arriving at Bodmin Parkway for a wonderful journey of nostalgia on the Bodmin & Wenford Steam Railway, a time-capsule of yesteryear's train travel. We enjoy some free time in Bodmin on our return, maybe grab a coffee in the café or browse the gift shops before we return to Exeter for our evening meal together.
B, DDAY 3
Today, we travel by steam train 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 and onwards to our hotel in time for our evening meal together.
B, DDAY 4
After breakfast this morning, we travel by private coach to Bishops Lydeard for a ride over the delightful 20-mile long West Somerset Railway through stunning countryside to the seaside resort of Minehead. We enjoy time to explore the town before our coach journey to Lynton where we experience a ride on the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, the highest and steepest water powered funicular in the world. Afterwards, we continue the short distance to Woody Bay for a ride behind steam over the narrow-gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway with wild moorland and rugged coastline views. Our coach returns us to our hotel in Exeter for our evening meal together.
B, DDAY 5
Today, 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 free time at Buckfastleigh where we can visit the Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary, located next to the railway station and only a few minutes' walk from the platform or, alternatively, we can venture a little further and visit nearby Buckfast Abbey and Gardens. We return to Exeter and enjoy our final evening meal together.
B, DDAY 6
After breakfast, we bid farewell to Exeter 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
Mercure Rougemont, Exeter
Ideally located in the heart of Exeter and close to the railway station, the Rougemont Hotel offers elegant Victorian features and beautiful views plus a restaurant and lounge bar. The stylish bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.
FARES
| Fare Region | First* | Standard |
| London: Paddington | £1,135 | £1,069 |
| Greater London | £1,145 | £1,075 |
| South of England | £1,165 | £1,085 |
| East Anglia | £1,145 | £1,069 |
| South West | £975 | £959 |
| Heart of England | £1,149 | £1,055 |
| Midlands | £1,169 | £1,039 |
| Yorkshire | £1,225 | £1,089 |
| North East | £1,279 | £1,119 |
| North West | £1,209 | £1,075 |
| South Wales | £1,235 | £1,049 |
| North Wales | £1,219 | £1,069 |
| Scotland | £1,369 | £1,175 |
*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.
£15 tour discount for holders of National Railcards
Join & Leave at Hotel £940
Single Room Supplement £240
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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