Ranked, with the working shown

The best train tours in United Kingdom

331 hotel-based trips in United Kingdom had enough verified data to score; hostel and self-guided rail-pass trips are not ranked here. The ranking below is fully mechanical; here is exactly how it works:

  • Eligibility: only hotel-based tours are ranked. Trips built around hostels or self-arranged accommodation are left out, since these guides recommend hotel-inclusive tours for the general traveller.
  • Rail share (35%): the percent of the trip actually on trains, from the itinerary.
  • Value (20%): price per day against the other hotel-based trips on this page (cheaper per day scores higher).
  • Data completeness (25%): full day-by-day itinerary, imagery, inclusions, and verified price.
  • Departure breadth (20%): how many months the operator publishes departures for.
  1. 1
    Railways & Castles of Wales

    Great Rail Journeys

    84.5

    Six-day escorted tour of Welsh mountain railways and castles from Llandudno

    Rail share
    65
    Value
    96
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    88

    6 days · from $937 ($156/day)

  2. London to Venice on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with Alpine rail and three nights in

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    14
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    6 days · from $6,693 ($1,116/day)

  3. London to Venice and back aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    14
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    6 days · from $6,693 ($1,116/day)

  4. 4
    Grand Imperial Cities

    Great Rail Journeys

    82.3

    Twelve-day escorted rail journey through Vienna, Budapest, Prague and Berlin.

    Rail share
    65
    Value
    73
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    12 days · from $3,483 ($290/day)

  5. 5
    Treasures of Lake Garda

    Great Rail Journeys

    79.7

    Ten-day escorted rail journey from London to Lake Garda and Venice

    Rail share
    65
    Value
    60
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    10 days · from $3,349 ($335/day)

  6. 6
    Highland Adventure

    Great Rail Journeys

    79.3

    Five-day Scottish Highland rail adventure from Inverness to Culloden

    Rail share
    60
    Value
    79
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    88

    5 days · from $1,272 ($254/day)

  7. Ten-day First Class rail loop from London through the Italian Riviera and Cinque Terre

    Rail share
    70
    Value
    56
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    88

    10 days · from $3,483 ($348/day)

  8. 8
    Classic Glacier Express

    Great Rail Journeys

    78.1

    Nine-day Swiss Alps rail tour from London via Glacier and Bernina Express trains

    Rail share
    75
    Value
    34
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    9 days · from $4,153 ($461/day)

  9. Luxury rail journey from London through Spain's northern coast aboard El Transcantábrico

    Rail share
    85
    Value
    15
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    100

    12 days · from $13,259 ($1,105/day)

  10. Nine-day First Class rail circle through Swiss Alps from London via Glacier and Bernina

    Rail share
    85
    Value
    26
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    88

    9 days · from $5,091 ($566/day)