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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted tour

English Lake District - June 2026

Lake District steam trains, vintage boats, and castles from Windermere.

Illustration of English Lake District - June 2026

The Railway Touring Company's six-day Lake District tour combines mainline rail travel with heritage railways, vintage boat cruises, and castle visits in Cumbria. Departing in June 2026, the holiday begins with a First Class Avanti Pendolino journey from London Euston to Oxenholme, followed by a coach transfer to Bowness-on-Windermere, where you spend all five nights at The Macdonald Hotel. The itinerary balances relaxed days at one hotel base with daily excursions: cruises on vintage motor vessels Swan and Tern on Lake Windermere, a sail aboard the Victorian steam yacht Gondola on Coniston Water, steam train journeys on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway and the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, lunch at a 400-year-old pub, and visits to Beatrix Potter's Hill Top House and Muncaster Castle. A Tour Manager coordinates all transfers and activities. This tour suits couples and repeat rail travellers seeking guided comfort, heritage railways, and literary and castle heritage in one place.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure is currently listed (June 2026); confirm availability with the operator.
  • The ground-only option (1,485 GBP) excludes rail travel from London Euston; the from-price (1,695 GBP) includes First Class rail and all itinerary activities.
  • One lunch is described as own arrangement at the Lakeland Motor Museum; two additional lunches are included.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Bowness-on-Windermere

    First Class rail travel to Oxenholme, coach transfer to Windermere

    Holiday begins in the First-Class lounge at London Euston before boarding a morning Avanti Trains Pendolino service to Oxenholme in the Lake District (125mph along the West Coast Main Line). Short coach transfer to Bowness-on-Windermere; leisure time to explore before dinner at The Macdonald Hotel.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Bowness-on-Windermere

    Lake Windermere cruise; Steam train on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway

    After breakfast, board the vintage motor vessel 'Swan' (built by Vickers in 1938) for a forty-minute cruise to Lakeside at the southern end of Lake Windermere. Connecting steam train on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway (former Furness Railway branch, opened 1869) to Haverthwaite, with time to visit the engine shed. Coach transfer to the Lakeland Motor Museum for lunch (own arrangement), then return by steam train to Lakeside and ship to Bowness. Dine at The Macdonald Hotel.

  3. Day 3overnight: Bowness-on-Windermere

    Steam boat cruise on Coniston Water; Hill Top House

    Cruise on Coniston Water aboard the restored Victorian steam yacht 'Gondola' (launched 1859, now cared for by the National Trust). Lunch at 'The Black Bull' in Coniston, a 400-year-old pub. Coach transfer to Hill Top House, the former home of Beatrix Potter. Return to Bowness for dinner.

  4. Day 4overnight: Bowness-on-Windermere

    Scenic cruises on Lake Windermere and Ullswater

    Morning cruise on the classic motor vessel 'Tern' (built 1891 as a steam yacht, converted to diesel 1956) from Bowness to Ambleside. Coach onward to Grasmere (coffee stop), then Keswick via Dunmail Raise and Thirlmere, with lunch at a nearby restaurant. Coach to Pooley Bridge for an afternoon cruise on an Ullswater 'Steamer', past the Aira Force waterfall to Glenridding. Return by coach to Bowness for dinner.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Bowness-on-Windermere

    Steam train on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway; Visit to Muncaster Castle

    Coach to Ravenglass, terminus of the 15-inch gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway ('La'al Ratty'), which runs 7 miles to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the Eskdale Valley. Travel the full length of the line and back. Coach transfer to Muncaster Castle for the afternoon, then back to Windermere; dinner at the hotel.

  6. Day 6rail

    Homeward bound

    After breakfast, coach transfer to Oxenholme Lake District for the return to London Euston in First-Class comfort aboard an Avanti Pendolino train.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Board an Avanti Pendolino from London Euston in First Class, travelling at 125 mph along the West Coast Main Line to Oxenholme.
  • Day 2Cruise Lake Windermere aboard the vintage motor vessel Swan, built by Vickers in 1938, then connect by steam train on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway.
  • Day 3Sail Coniston Water on the restored Victorian steam yacht Gondola, launched 1859 and now cared for by the National Trust.
  • Day 5Travel the full length of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a 15-inch narrow-gauge line running 7 miles through Eskdale Valley, then tour Muncaster Castle.

Included

  • First Class rail travel from London Euston to Oxenholme Lake District and return by Avanti Pendolino trains
  • Coach transfer from Oxenholme to Windermere and Windermere to Oxenholme
  • 5 nights Half Board hotel accommodation
  • 2 lunches
  • All rail and boat trips as detailed in the itinerary
  • Travel on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
  • All seat reservations and transfers
  • The services of a Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

Is rail travel included?
The tour price of 1,695 GBP includes First Class rail travel from London Euston to Oxenholme Lake District on Avanti Pendolino trains. A ground-only option (1,485 GBP) excludes this rail leg and begins at Windermere.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout the six days to coordinate all transfers, boat trips, heritage railway journeys, and castle visits.
Which heritage railways are included?
The itinerary includes the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway (former Furness Railway branch opened 1869) and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a 15-inch narrow-gauge line running 7 miles through Eskdale Valley.
What accommodation is provided?
Five nights at The Macdonald Hotel in Bowness-on-Windermere on a half board basis (breakfast and dinner included). Two additional lunches are included; one lunch at the Lakeland Motor Museum is own arrangement.
What is the physical activity level?
Moderate. Days involve boarding and alighting trains, boats, and coaches, plus walking to visit Hill Top House, Haverthwaite engine shed, and Muncaster Castle. No sustained hiking or high altitude.
When does the tour depart?
The Railway Touring Company lists one departure in June 2026, priced at 1,695 GBP per person (two sharing). Confirm current availability before booking.

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