It's a big year for my family this year. My mother-in-law turned 70 in June, my wife turns 40 this month and I turn 40 in October. I love travelling by anything that crosses land. I've always enjoyed a long car journey, can get the benefits out of a coach journey if I'm in the right mood but my real passion is travelling by train. I don't collect numbers although along my travels throughout my life I have become aware of different types of train and their class. Although it's the history of how they came about that fascinates me the most. The evolution of trains in this country is incredible (I love the story behind the APT for example, or finding out about old sleeper trains or Motorail) and we seem to be going through a stage now where they are evolving again. For example, the Intercity Express Programme, new Sleeper trains plus all the other new trains that are about to unleashed across the regions. London seems to have more and more new types of train every time I visit.
Anyway, I'm digressing. Back to the point of this thread.
In our family, I'm the one who knows about train travel and knows where to find not only the best deals, but also, how to get the best experience out of travelling by train. So I was set a task. I was told where my mother-in-law and my wife wanted to go for their birthdays and I had to plan an amazing train journey to get them there and back. We've already completed my mother-in-law's trip and my wife's birthday adventure starts next Sunday. Here is the itinerary for each and I'll report back how we got on! Sorry there won't be any train numbers, hopefully you'll still be interested in our trips though. (Although with GWR replacing their HSTs, it's going to be interesting to see what turns up on my birthday trip)
09:37 Wolverhampton to Glasgow Central (Virgin Trains 1st class)
Afternoon in Glasgow
18:21 Glasgow Queen Street to Corrour (Scotrail)
Night in Corrour Signal Box
Tuesday 3rd July 2018
11:21 Corrour to Mallaig (Scotrail)
Night in the West Highland Hotel
Wednesday 4th July 2018
Boat to Armadale (Skye) and back
16:05 Mallaig to Fort William (Scotrail)
19:50 Fort William to London Euston (Caledonian Sleeper, me and wife in a standard berth, her mum in 1st class)
Thursday 5th July 2018
Breakfast at The Ritz! (On my mother-in-law's bucket list)
Me and wife than travelled back to Wolverhampton on a Virgin Train (1st class) and her mum took a Chiltern to her home in Banbury.
10:05 Wolverhampton to London Euston (Virgin Trains 1st class)
Matinee performance of Matilda before a night in the Premier Inn hub in Kings Cross.
Monday 13th August 2018
08:31 London St Pancras to Amsterdam (Eurostar, Standard Premier, she thinks I've booked Standard!)
Then a couple of nights at the Ramada Apollo hotel in Amsterdam
Wednesday 15th August 2018
13:17 Amsterdam to Paris (Thalys, Standard, and it really is Standard so no birthday surprise for her on this one!)
A night at the Banke hotel in Paris. I said to my wife that we would have to change at Brussels on the way home from Amsterdam for custom checks. So originally we were going to have a night in Brussels. But when I booked the Thalys, they had a summer deal on and it was hardly any more to travel to Paris, she liked the sound of that more so that's what we're doing!)
Thursday 16th August 2018
17:08 Paris to London St Pancras (Eurostar, Standard Premier, again, she thinks it's going to be Standard)
20:03 London Euston to Wolverhampton (Virgin Trains 1st class)
08:30 Birmingham New Street to London Euston (Virgin Trains 1st class)
12:00 London Kings Cross to Inverness (Highland Chieftain, LNER 1st class)
We've then got 2 nights in the Royal Highland Hotel. Hopefully will be spending Tuesday 16th October exploring the Kyle of Lochalsh line, maybe visiting Plockton
Wednesday 17th October 2018
09:41 Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street (Scotrail, changing at Perth)
14:40 Glasgow Central to London Euston (Virgin Trains 1st class)
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance (GWR Night Riviera Sleeper, on my bucket list!)
Thursday 18th October 2018
We've got car hire arranged so we can explore the tip of Cornwall. Then a night at the Mount Haven hotel in Marazion.
Friday 19th October 2018
A bit more exploring before...
16:00 Penzance to London Paddington (GWR 1st class)
This is a Pullman train and I've managed to book a table. Again, it's a bucket list thing for me but I'm a little concerned as GWR haven't been running all of their advertised Pullman trains recently. Will be a big let down if there is no Pullman on this service, but hopefully, if the worst happens, we'll know in advance and it'll have to be fish and chips in Penzance before boarding the 16:00 to Paddington.
Then a night at the Paddington Hilton Hotel
Saturday 20th October 2018
13:22 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (GWR 1st class)
Then dinner in Bodega next to Foregate Street station, it's one of my wife's favourite resturants and it's a way I can say thank you for giving in to my need for going on this journey!
We'll find a way back to the West Midlands somewhere from Worcester!
So that's it. We've obviously completed the first journey and it was a complete success. In fact, one of the best trips I've ever had. Everything is booked for our 2 upcoming journeys. If anyone is interested, I can write a little report on how my mother-in-law's trip went and post it on here. Let's just say she was delighted with it and many brownie points have been won!
Anyway, I'm digressing. Back to the point of this thread.
In our family, I'm the one who knows about train travel and knows where to find not only the best deals, but also, how to get the best experience out of travelling by train. So I was set a task. I was told where my mother-in-law and my wife wanted to go for their birthdays and I had to plan an amazing train journey to get them there and back. We've already completed my mother-in-law's trip and my wife's birthday adventure starts next Sunday. Here is the itinerary for each and I'll report back how we got on! Sorry there won't be any train numbers, hopefully you'll still be interested in our trips though. (Although with GWR replacing their HSTs, it's going to be interesting to see what turns up on my birthday trip)
Mother-in Law's 70th (She had chosen the Highlands)
(3 of us on this trip, me, my wife and her mum)
Monday 2nd July 2018(3 of us on this trip, me, my wife and her mum)
09:37 Wolverhampton to Glasgow Central (Virgin Trains 1st class)
Afternoon in Glasgow
18:21 Glasgow Queen Street to Corrour (Scotrail)
Night in Corrour Signal Box
Tuesday 3rd July 2018
11:21 Corrour to Mallaig (Scotrail)
Night in the West Highland Hotel
Wednesday 4th July 2018
Boat to Armadale (Skye) and back
16:05 Mallaig to Fort William (Scotrail)
19:50 Fort William to London Euston (Caledonian Sleeper, me and wife in a standard berth, her mum in 1st class)
Thursday 5th July 2018
Breakfast at The Ritz! (On my mother-in-law's bucket list)
Me and wife than travelled back to Wolverhampton on a Virgin Train (1st class) and her mum took a Chiltern to her home in Banbury.
My Wife's 40th (She's chosen Amsterdam)
(Just me and wife on this trip)
Sunday 12th August 2018 (Just me and wife on this trip)
10:05 Wolverhampton to London Euston (Virgin Trains 1st class)
Matinee performance of Matilda before a night in the Premier Inn hub in Kings Cross.
Monday 13th August 2018
08:31 London St Pancras to Amsterdam (Eurostar, Standard Premier, she thinks I've booked Standard!)
Then a couple of nights at the Ramada Apollo hotel in Amsterdam
Wednesday 15th August 2018
13:17 Amsterdam to Paris (Thalys, Standard, and it really is Standard so no birthday surprise for her on this one!)
A night at the Banke hotel in Paris. I said to my wife that we would have to change at Brussels on the way home from Amsterdam for custom checks. So originally we were going to have a night in Brussels. But when I booked the Thalys, they had a summer deal on and it was hardly any more to travel to Paris, she liked the sound of that more so that's what we're doing!)
Thursday 16th August 2018
17:08 Paris to London St Pancras (Eurostar, Standard Premier, again, she thinks it's going to be Standard)
20:03 London Euston to Wolverhampton (Virgin Trains 1st class)
My 40th (I've chosen everywhere!)
Again, just the 2 of us, with my wife being very tolerant to all the train travel we're going to do. I am incredibly lucky she's agreed to all of this!
Monday 15th October 2018Again, just the 2 of us, with my wife being very tolerant to all the train travel we're going to do. I am incredibly lucky she's agreed to all of this!
08:30 Birmingham New Street to London Euston (Virgin Trains 1st class)
12:00 London Kings Cross to Inverness (Highland Chieftain, LNER 1st class)
We've then got 2 nights in the Royal Highland Hotel. Hopefully will be spending Tuesday 16th October exploring the Kyle of Lochalsh line, maybe visiting Plockton
Wednesday 17th October 2018
09:41 Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street (Scotrail, changing at Perth)
14:40 Glasgow Central to London Euston (Virgin Trains 1st class)
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance (GWR Night Riviera Sleeper, on my bucket list!)
Thursday 18th October 2018
We've got car hire arranged so we can explore the tip of Cornwall. Then a night at the Mount Haven hotel in Marazion.
Friday 19th October 2018
A bit more exploring before...
16:00 Penzance to London Paddington (GWR 1st class)
This is a Pullman train and I've managed to book a table. Again, it's a bucket list thing for me but I'm a little concerned as GWR haven't been running all of their advertised Pullman trains recently. Will be a big let down if there is no Pullman on this service, but hopefully, if the worst happens, we'll know in advance and it'll have to be fish and chips in Penzance before boarding the 16:00 to Paddington.
Then a night at the Paddington Hilton Hotel
Saturday 20th October 2018
13:22 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (GWR 1st class)
Then dinner in Bodega next to Foregate Street station, it's one of my wife's favourite resturants and it's a way I can say thank you for giving in to my need for going on this journey!
We'll find a way back to the West Midlands somewhere from Worcester!
So that's it. We've obviously completed the first journey and it was a complete success. In fact, one of the best trips I've ever had. Everything is booked for our 2 upcoming journeys. If anyone is interested, I can write a little report on how my mother-in-law's trip went and post it on here. Let's just say she was delighted with it and many brownie points have been won!
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