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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail holiday

The Great Britain XVIII

Eight-day steam-hauled loop of Britain from London through Scotland and back

Illustration of The Great Britain XVIII

The Railway Touring Company's Great Britain XVIII is an eight-day, fully escorted steam-hauled tour that circles Britain from London Paddington, south to Penzance, north through Wales and the Scottish Highlands, and back to London Euston via the East Coast Main Line. You travel in allocated seats in a restored British Railway first-class carriage (MK1 or MK2), with morning and afternoon tea service included on First Class, or silver-served dinners on Premier Class. The itinerary spans some of Britain's most celebrated and least-travelled routes: Brunel's Great Western Railway with its Dawlish Sea Wall, the Welsh Marches, the Settle and Carlisle line over Ribblehead Viaduct, the West Highland route past Corrour Summit (Britain's highest main-line station), and the Forth and Tay bridges. You overnight in a hand-picked collection of 3 or 4-star hotels. An optional excursion on The Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and the Glenfinnan Viaduct is available for an extra fee. This tour suits repeat rail travellers, history enthusiasts, and photographers drawn to Victorian engineering and Highland scenery.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure listed: April 2026 at GBP 3,995 (First Class) or GBP 4,895 (Premier Class). Availability and scheduling should be confirmed with The Railway Touring Company.
  • The optional Jacobite excursion on Day 5 is not included in the base tour price and must be booked separately.
  • Hotels are noted as 3-star (First Class) or 3 or 4-star (Premier Class) depending on the tier selected; final accommodation depends on the class you choose.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Penzance

    Steam from London Paddington along the Dawlish Sea Wall to Penzance

    Leaves London Paddington along Brunel's Great Western Railway via Slough, Reading and the Berks & Hants line through Newbury, the Vale of Pewsey and Westbury. Joins the Bristol-Plymouth route at Cogload Junction for the climb to Whiteball Summit, descends to Exeter, then runs along the Exe Estuary and the Dawlish sea wall through Teignmouth to Newton Abbot, climbs Dainton Bank and the South Devon incline via Totnes, crosses the Tamar on Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash, and continues via Truro and Hayle to Penzance.

  2. Day 2overnight: Chester

    Heading across the Welsh Marches and over the Cefn Viaduct to Chester

    Returns from Penzance via Plymouth and Exeter to Taunton and Bristol, crosses the four-mile Severn Tunnel into Wales, tackles the Welsh Marches route north through Abergavenny and Hereford to Shrewsbury, then crosses the Cefn Viaduct over the river Dee via Gobowen to Chester.

  3. Day 3overnight: Carlisle

    Over the Settle & Carlisle Line through Hope, Aire & the Eden Valley

    The Delamere Forest line to Northwich, through Altrincham and south Manchester to Chinley and the Hope Valley line through the Peak District, diverting via Barnsley and Horbury Junction to Wakefield Kirkgate, through the Aire Valley to Hellifield, then the Settle to Carlisle line over Ribblehead Viaduct and Ais Gill summit, descending through Appleby and the Eden Valley to Carlisle.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Fort William

    Journey north into the Scottish Highlands

    Crosses the Scottish border at Gretna Junction, follows the former Glasgow and South Western Railway via Dumfries and Kilmarnock to Glasgow Central (or the Caledonian route via Beattock Summit if required), then the West Highland line via Craigendoran, Rannoch Moor and Corrour Summit (the highest main line station in Britain) to Fort William.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Fort William

    Optional excursion: steam along the Jacobite route from Fort William to Mallaig

    An optional return steam-hauled trip on the West Highland Extension railway, crossing the Caledonian Canal at Banavie, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, Lochailort and Loch Eilt, Arisaig and Morar to Mallaig, with views to the Isle of Skye.

  6. Day 6overnight: Aberdeen

    Steam across the West Highland Line to Perth & Aberdeen

    A southbound run on the West Highland line past Loch Lomond and through north Glasgow to Croy, then Stirling, Perth, along the Tay through the Carse of Gowrie to Dundee, Carnoustie, Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven to Aberdeen.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Newcastle

    From The Granite City to Geordie Shores: steam via Dundee & the Tay Bridge

    A coastal run from Aberdeen to Dundee via Stonehaven and Montrose, crossing the Tay Railway Bridge into Fife, across the Forth Bridge to Edinburgh, then south along the East Coast Main Line over the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick to Newcastle.

  8. Day 8

    From the North East to the Capital: a Midland Main Line journey

    South through Durham and Darlington to York, then an unusual route via Doncaster, the Barrow Hill line, Chesterfield, the Erewash Valley, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and Corby to the Midland main line at Kettering, the Marston Vale line to Bletchley, and the West Coast Main Line to London Euston.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Day 1: Steam departs London Paddington and descends the Dawlish Sea Wall to Penzance, running along the Exe Estuary and South Devon Line.
  • Day 2Day 2: The train crosses the four-mile Severn Tunnel into Wales and climbs the Welsh Marches route through the Cefn Viaduct to Chester.
  • Day 3Day 3: The Settle and Carlisle line carries the train over Ribblehead Viaduct and Ais Gill summit before descending through the Eden Valley to Carlisle.
  • Day 4Day 4: Steam climbs the West Highland line past Corrour Summit, the highest main-line station in Britain, into Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.
  • Day 5Day 5: Optional Jacobite excursion from Fort William crosses the Caledonian Canal at Banavie and the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig, with views to the Isle of Skye.

Questions travellers ask

Is this trip fully escorted or self-guided?
The Railway Touring Company operates this as a fully escorted rail holiday. You travel with the tour group throughout the eight days.
What trains are used?
The Great Britain XVIII, a steam-hauled charter train, forms the main journey. The optional Day 5 excursion uses The Jacobite, another steam train running between Fort William and Mallaig.
Are meals included?
First Class passengers receive morning and afternoon tea service at their seat. Premier Class passengers receive morning coffee with a Danish pastry and a three-course silver-served dinner. Other meals are not specified as included.
What hotel standard should I expect?
First Class includes 3-star hotels. Premier Class includes 3 or 4-star hotels. The itinerary specifies one night each in Penzance, Chester, Carlisle, and Aberdeen; two nights in Fort William; one night in Newcastle.
What is the optional Jacobite excursion and does it cost extra?
On Day 5 at Fort William, you can opt for a return steam-hauled journey on the West Highland Extension to Mallaig, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct and viewing the Isle of Skye. It is listed as an optional extra and is not included in the base tour price.
When does this tour run?
The tour departs in April 2026. Only one departure date is published; confirm availability with The Railway Touring Company.

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