Holiday July 2017 Planning

[Huntergreed]

I am looking to plan a 2017 holiday for me and my mum. I usually plan too far in depth far too soon (as this post may show you). My dad will be driving us to Dumfries station for 09:00 to catch the train to carlisle, once I arrive here... well... that's the purpose of this post. I have several options that have thought up of and I will be very grateful of any help you can give me! I am looking for the cheapest option that will give us a reasonable tour of England. I plan on staying at Premier Inn.

Option 1 - Tour of England by rails

This option would involve getting a train from Carlisle to a city (I thought either Liverpool, Manchester or York) and checking in here. Over the next few days I will travel to the two other cities, spending one night at each. I would then catch a train from the last city I visit (out of the listed three) to London, and spend 2 days in London. On the full day in London I would catch a train to Brighton. I would then catch a Virgin Train (preferably voyager) back to Carlisle. Let me know if you have any suggestions/amendments to this plan and I will be very grateful

Option 2 - Central Rail Hub

This option involves travelling from Carlisle to a Central Rail Hub (I thought either Crewe or Birmingham) and travelling from here to Manchester, Liverpool and London. Can anyone suggest another good rail hub that I may not have thought of yet? Any information would be appreciated, also if knows any of these buttress well, please let me know as I have some questions.

Option 3 - London and Visits

This option involves catching a Virgin Train from Carlisle all the way to Euston (preferably voyager) and then travelling from London to various places (Brighton, possibly Eurostar one day, any other suggestions?) I would then on the 2nd last day catch a train halfway up the country and stay at a premier inn in a city, I would then spend the last day here before getting an evening train up to Carlisle and back home.

I looking for the cheapest and most exciting option (with as much variety of traction as is possible.) Any assistance or advice will be hugely appreciated!

 

[ac6000cw]

If you are interested in loco haulage, then London is probably the place - 68s on Chiltern, 91s on ECML, 90s on Norwich (plus 66/70/86/90 on frequent freights at Ipswich). If the 37s will still be working around Norwich by next summer I don't know.

The routes out of Liverpool Street still have plenty of 'classic' EMUs like 315s & 317s, which will be gone in a few years, as well as modern stuff - and Norwich has 153/156/158/170 DMUs (most of those turn up at Ipswich too). Kings Cross has 365s, 321s, 317s (and 313s out of Moorgate), and you can easily do a nice circular tour around East Anglia via Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich, with a branch or two along the way.

As an alternative to Eurostar, the Javelins are the fastest non-international trains in the UK (timed for 125 mph, but allowed to do 140 mph). You could work those into a circular trip via Ashford, Hastings and Brighton.

And then of course HSTs, 165s, 166s, 180s out of Paddington, and the new station at Reading is worth a visit anyway.

 

[James Wake]

I am looking to plan a 2017 holiday for me and my mum. I usually plan too far in depth far too soon (as this post may show you). My dad will be driving us to Dumfries station for 09:00 to catch the train to carlisle, once I arrive here... well... that's the purpose of this post. I have several options that have thought up of and I will be very grateful of any help you can give me! I am looking for the cheapest option that will give us a reasonable tour of England. I plan on staying at Premier Inn.

Option 1 - Tour of England by rails

This option would involve getting a train from Carlisle to a city (I thought either Liverpool, Manchester or York) and checking in here. Over the next few days I will travel to the two other cities, spending one night at each. I would then catch a train from the last city I visit (out of the listed three) to London, and spend 2 days in London. On the full day in London I would catch a train to Brighton. I would then catch a Virgin Train (preferably voyager) back to Carlisle. Let me know if you have any suggestions/amendments to this plan and I will be very grateful

Option 2 - Central Rail Hub

This option involves travelling from Carlisle to a Central Rail Hub (I thought either Crewe or Birmingham) and travelling from here to Manchester, Liverpool and London. Can anyone suggest another good rail hub that I may not have thought of yet? Any information would be appreciated, also if knows any of these buttress well, please let me know as I have some questions.

Option 3 - London and Visits

This option involves catching a Virgin Train from Carlisle all the way to Euston (preferably voyager) and then travelling from London to various places (Brighton, possibly Eurostar one day, any other suggestions?) I would then on the 2nd last day catch a train halfway up the country and stay at a premier inn in a city, I would then spend the last day here before getting an evening train up to Carlisle and back home.

I looking for the cheapest and most exciting option (with as much variety of traction as is possible.) Any assistance or advice will be hugely appreciated!

Have you considered doing an All Line Rover?