Need help planning a Visit to England and question on Severn Valley Steam Time Table

[adammil1]

I am currently planning a visit this August to England, you guys really don't have any clue how lucky you are as someone who comes from the other side of the pond.

I have put together the following list of places to see;
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale
Ffestinog & Welsh Highland Railways
Astle Park Traction Engine Rally (Cheshire)
Severn Valley Railway
National Railway Museum in York
Beamish Museum
Swindon Steam Museum
London Steam Museum

I was wondering as an avid steam fan am I making the correct decisions on where to spend my time or will I be missing some must see sites? I have been looking forward to this trip since I was about 12yrs old and finally am going, sadly I only have 2 weeks in the country and a wife who has places she wants to see also so any commentary on my list above would be appreciated.

Secondly I have heard a lot of great things about the Severn Valley, however a visit to their website shows they do run Diesels but worse than that they don't seem to show on their schedule which trains are pulled by a Diesel vs. steam locomotive. Does anyone know how often they run steam there, vs what the risks of getting stuck behind a diesel locomotive are? I would really disappointed to travel so far only to see a diesel locomotive. We have plenty of those things over here and far too little steam.

Thanks for the help,

Adam

 

[chris89]

The SVR at weekends try to run the max possible steam locomotives as possible. If one train isn't you may just have to wait a little bit for the next one.

Weekdays at the moment, they are running diesels more. I guess due to it not being half term at the moment.

 

[sprinterguy]

Timetables A (blue) and C (green) do show which trains are planned to be worked by diesels: They're denoted by a black square at the top of the column.

There's no diesel workings shown on the yellow timetable B that is in operation most days at this time of year, but if there are any then diesel worked trains on the Severn Valley are usually in the minority: No more than two round trips a day.

You can always check the "Locomotives in use week ending..." page under the "Meet the Locomotives" section of the website (http://www.svr.co.uk/MeetTheLoco.aspx?id=58) the week before your visit to see if there are any trains that are intended to be diesel worked.

Can I also just say that, in my opinion, you have picked the cream of the crop of British steam sites for your visit! I can assure you that you will not be disappointed!

 

[33056]

The Severn Valley Railway do show when diesels are booked to run, if you go to "Planning Your visit" then "calendar and timetable" on their website, choose the month and click on the day that you plan to visit then it will display the timetable for that day with the diesel services clearly marked. In August it is only on the green table C days which is Saturdays and Sunday 24th and Monday 25th though only on one turn so there should be steam out on all days.

In fact if you go back to "planning your visit" then "meet the locomotives", the second link from the top shows what is planned to be running in the forthcoming week. Do bear in mind of course that problems can occur but I have usually found the SVR pretty good in updating their website.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Perhaps you should also include the Great Central Railway in Loughborough and the Jacobite steam train from Mallaig to Fort William (and return)?

 

[John Webb]

I am currently planning a visit this August to England, you guys really don't have any clue how lucky you are as someone who comes from the other side of the pond.

I have put together the following list of places to see....

...London Steam Museum.......

Adam

Do you mean the "London Transport Museum" at Covent Garden? Just that there's no such place as the "London Steam Museum"....

For locations and links to the vast majority of preserved railways try http://www.heritagerailways.com. Regrettably Ian Allan, the railway Publishers, no longer publish their "Railways Restored" guide. There is an alternative, albeit much less detailed, available from http://www.steamheritage.co.uk, but this also includes other transport and industrial museums which the Ian Allan guide didn't.

And St Albans South Signal Box is open 2-5pm on August 10th and 24th....

Enjoy your visit to the UK!

 

[Dave1954]

Have a facebook account Adamil ?
Unofficial Severn Valley Railway Facebook group , you`ll find lots of information and lots of other stuff too . regards Dave1954.

 

[Alistair G.]

Perhaps you should also include the Great Central Railway in Loughborough and the Jacobite steam train from Mallaig to Fort William (and return)?

I would certainly second that GCR recommendation. It is only a short stretch of track (roughly 9 miles) but there's sheds you can have a look round and also plenty of other things to see on route such as switherland sidings. They have a website you can visit, just don't confuse it with the GCR Nottingham.

I've always enjoyed the Llangollen railway too, it's a bit in the middle of nowhere to be honest but the line itself is beautiful. They do use a lot of diesel units though, so best to check if you are going to make the journey for visit

 

[telstarbox]

In two weeks you will struggle to get to all the places on your list (and you/your wife may fancy a change of scene).

You might be better to choose 4 or 5 and see some other things in while you're here!

 

[muddythefish]

adammil, I'd try to be less ambitious and see 3 or 4 of those places. You just won't have enough time particulalrly as your wife wants to see places too.

 

[davetheguard]

As an aside, adammil1, are you planning to travel around the country by train on a BritRail Pass or something, or are you planning to drive?

You might find travelling by train easier: roads can be quite busy here, as well as having features you may not be used to like roundabouts and driving on the left!

 

[Waldgrun]

adammil, I agree with muddythefish that your plans might be ambitious!
However, I feel there are a few question to ask, which might help us to help you.

1).Where are you staying?

2). How are you intending to travel in the U.K.?

3). What are your wife's interests?

What you will find is that there a lot of things packed into our small Islands. Near to me is the Welspool & LLanfair Light Railway see http://www.wllr.org.uk/
also in Welshpool is Powys Castle see http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle/ Something for both of you perhaps?

 

[davetheguard]

As well as preservation sites which operate trains over their own private tracks, there are also steam excursions operated by private companies over the tracks of the national network.

On the latter, you'll generally get to travel further behind steam, and quite a bit faster too (usually up to 75 mph rather than 25 mph).

Several companies run one-off trips, but the following operators run a series of trips over the same line on several dates through the summer (some are daily or weekly); so you might be able to find a date that suits you.

The Jacobite (Fort William - Mallaig, Scotland)
Scarborough Spa Express (York - Scarborough, England)
westcoastrailways.co.uk

The Fellsman (Lancaster - Carlisle via Blackburn, England)
statesmanrail.com

The Shakespeare Express (Birmingham - Stratford upon Avon, England)
shakespeareexpress.com

Hope this is of interest!

 

[adammil1]

Thanks everyone for the replies. As for our visit we were planning on renting a car. I am really hoping the timing works out.

My wife and I are used to packing a lot of stuff into one trip for example on our trip to Colorado where we able hit up all the steam railroads in the state, then swung down to the grand canyon, and up to Vegas where we flew home in about 12 days. I have been dreaming of going to the UK my whole life and since this will be my first and likely only one in the next 20 years or so I want to see as much as possible, even if it must come at the expense of a little sleep or time in car. From what I gather a 4hr ride may be a big one in England but isn't something uncommon for me. In a former job I used to be traveling to a lot of large steam power plants in the USA and there 12hr drives weren't uncommon.

A question for those of you who are saying we are being a little over ambitious how are the roads in England? The best I can tell is what google maps says a drive is. I know we have some decent length ones ahead of us but how is your highway system over there? Here once on the highway Google Maps tends to be pretty accurate on its timings but near the major metropolitan areas like say New York City a 30min commute can quickly become 4hrs. Is your highway system as good as we are used to with big 3 lane roads at 110kph or is it more like a big parking lot the whole way?

As far as taking the train we had thought of that however the biggest issue with that is where to keep our stuff and if we can cram as much as we would like into one trip. For example Google maps says the drive from Beamish Museum to Ravenglass is about 3hrs, is that accurate? If we were to be traveling by rail, how would one do that and how long would it all take? Also if both my wife and I are traveling lightly with just a suitcase or so each where do we leave them if we don't have a car at each place?

As for the Severn Valley Schedule we are looking to be there on the 11th of August right now which shows as a yellow timetable B. Is it safe to say that they plan that day to be 100% steam?

As for the steam museum in London I was hoping we could get to the museum of Water and Steam, http://www.waterandsteam.org.uk/. When it comes to scheduling where to go I have been trying to do my best to pick the best of each type of place. I am a steam guy who loves reciprocating steam in all shapes and forms, so trying to get to see some of England's traction community, narrow gauge, standard gauge, stationary steam.

In terms of overall experiences for example it seemed like GCR would be a little too similar to say a SVR that it just couldn't make the cut unfortunately.

 

[steamybrian]

You have not mentioned whereabouts in England you are staying or are you travelling around.? If touring around are you travelling by rail ? Do you have directions of how to get to these attractions? Two of the railways Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway and Beamish Museum involve a bus journey from the nearest National Rail Stations but unsure myself of how to get Astle Park Traction Engine Rally.!
Personally I agree with what other members have said that your programme is too ambitious to cover all those railways in 2 weeks...?
A more detailed daily itinerary would enable us to comment further.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Thanks everyone for the replies. As for our visit we were planning on renting a car. .....


A question for those of you who are saying we are being a little over ambitious how are the roads in England? The best I can tell is what google maps says a drive is. I know we have some decent length ones ahead of us but how is your highway system over there? Here once on the highway Google Maps tends to be pretty accurate on its timings but near the major metropolitan areas like say New York City a 30min commute can quickly become 4hrs. Is your highway system as good as we are used to with big 3 lane roads at 110kph or is it more like a big parking lot the whole way?

As far as taking the train we had thought of that however the biggest issue with that is where to keep our stuff and if we can cram as much as we would like into one trip. For example Google maps says the drive from Beamish Museum to Ravenglass is about 3hrs, is that accurate? If we were to be traveling by rail, how would one do that and how long would it all take? Also if both my wife and I are traveling lightly with just a suitcase or so each where do we leave them if we don't have a car at each place?

As for the Severn Valley Schedule we are looking to be there on the 11th of August right now which shows as a yellow timetable B. Is it safe to say that they plan that day to be 100% steam?

As for the steam museum in London I was hoping we could get to the museum of Water and Steam, http://www.waterandsteam.org.uk/. When it comes to scheduling where to go I have been trying to do my best to pick the best of each type of place. I am a steam guy who loves reciprocating steam in all shapes and forms, so trying to get to see some of England's traction community, narrow gauge, standard gauge, stationary steam.

In terms of overall experiences for example it seemed like GCR would be a little too similar to say a SVR that it just couldn't make the cut unfortunately.

The roads in England are completely different to the US...!
British roads are much narrower, slower with more bends and traffic congestion...!
Driving on the left can be difficult if you have always driven on the right.
Most British cars have manual gear boxes so will you request an automatic.
British cars are much smaller than you are used to.
Road signs are different....
Parking can sometimes be difficult.
Motorways (highways) have a maximum speed of 70mph, single carriageway (one lane in each direction) a maximum of 60mph.
Recommend avoid driving in London is VERY, VERY, VERY expensive- congestion charge and expensive parking.
The London Museum of Water and Steam is at Kew in West London. It is mainly preserving static beam and pumping engines and only has a very short demonstration line - personally in London I would visit the Science Museum where they have a better display and it is FREE admission. As an alternative instead visit the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden ,Central London which covers London Underground, London trams, buses, etc.

 

[ac6000cw]

I've generally found the UK driving times on Google Maps to be pretty accurate (other than in peak periods), so it's a good basis for planning.

Driving standards in the UK and US are pretty similar, but as steamybrian says - if you are not familiar with using a stick-shift gearbox then you need to book a rental car with automatic transmission. Based on years of watching tourist driving habits in Cambridge, the biggest driving issue for US visitors is coping with roundabouts (circles) - just yield to traffic already on it and go round it in a clockwise direction.

British direction signing is much, much better than in the US (as are UK maps), so navigation (even without a satnav) is not difficult normally. The price of fuel will frighten you though....

Don't try using a car in central London - do the London stuff at the beginning or end of the trip (assuming you are flying to/from there).

As you doing a 'heritage' trip by the sound of it, make sure to leave time in your busy schedule for traditional cream teas in the afternoon and warm beer in the evening

What sort of places is your wife interested in visiting ? (so we've got the whole trip picture)

(...and we're not all steam nuts over here - I've just booked the tickets for my next 'big diesel' railfan trip to your side of the pond )

 

[muddythefish]

. I have been dreaming of going to the UK my whole life and since this will be my first and likely only one in the next 20 years or so I want to see as much as possible, even if it must come at the expense of a little sleep or time in car.

How can you enjoy your visit if you're zooming about from one place to another ?

For example, I think the SVR needs at least a 2-day visit to savour the atmosphere of the railway, its attractions (eg the Engine House at Highley) and its stations and environs.

I also think you will be surprised by the volume of traffic on British roads and the difficulty of travelling a relatively short distance for you of from (say) Birmingham to Scotland. Our roads are extremely congested and are frequently affected by big hold-ups because of accidents etc.

I also hate to say this, but you're fitting the stereotype of a US tourist who aims to "do" Europe in a week ! My message would be to slow down and take in a select few sights and visits.

 

[ac6000cw]

I also think you will be surprised by the volume of traffic on British roads and the difficulty of travelling a relatively short distance for you of from (say) Birmingham to Scotland. Our roads are extremely congested and are frequently affected by big hold-ups because of accidents etc.

It's no worse than for example, southern California or some of the other 'inter-urban sprawl' areas in the US I've driven around.

 

[BantamMenace]

The uk has 1/38 of the area of the us but 1/5 of the population so our roads and built up areas are very congested in comparison. I'd suggest renting a car in London for a few days, get the train to yorkshire, rent a car there for a few days and then get the train to Scotland and do the Jacobite and take in the views and the whiskies. Sleeper back to London if you're flying home from there would be a good experience.

 

[IanD]

It all sounds doable to me as long as the itinerary is worked out before hand e.g. don't plan the visit the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch one day and Beamish the next. It is possible, but you'd probably have to drive most of the night. Even if well planned, you'll been having a good few early mornings and late nights.

The SVR is excellent but 1 day is plenty to see everything on it. Highley and Bewdley are the pick of the intermediate stations for things to do between trains.

Of all the lines you've chosen, for me the ones not to miss are the FFestiniog and Welsh Highland - you can do a single trip on both on the same day then use buses and/or trains to get back to where you started. Eg if you start at Caernarfon the 10:00ish departure is ideal for a trip to Caernarfon-WHR-Porthmadof-FR-Blaenau Ffestiniog then you can either look at taking the FR back to Porthmadog and a bus to Caernarfon if they are still running. Otherwise, you could take the Arriva train up the Conwy Valley line to Llandudno Junction, then on to Bangor for a bus to Caernarfon (or depending on times there's a bus from Llandudno Junction to Caernarfon).

 

[sprinterguy]

As far as taking the train we had thought of that however the biggest issue with that is where to keep our stuff and if we can cram as much as we would like into one trip. For example Google maps says the drive from Beamish Museum to Ravenglass is about 3hrs, is that accurate? If we were to be traveling by rail, how would one do that and how long would it all take?

Any potential foibles with driving on the "wrong side" of the road aside, I would strongly advise hiring a car for the trip you have in mind. It'll offer far greater ease of access to the likes of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Beamish Museum and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. Travelling by train between these places would take an age (Beamish would additionally require a bus journey) and impinge on the amount of time you have available to you. With a car you don't have to feel pressured by the limitations of a sparse train service.

As others have said, in average traffic conditions I would say that Google maps offers a good guide to journey times. With regards to Beamish to Ravenglass specifically, I suppose it depends on which route you take: The comparatively direct route over the torturous Hardknott pass (Not necessarily for the faint hearted unfamiliar with single track roads!) is probably slower than heading round the Cumbrian coast on the bigger roads. Stick to the "main" roads and you'll probably find Google maps to be reasonably accurate as long as there are no unexpected hold-ups.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I also think you will be surprised by the volume of traffic on British roads and the difficulty of travelling a relatively short distance for you of from (say) Birmingham to Scotland. Our roads are extremely congested and are frequently affected by big hold-ups because of accidents etc.

If the British roads are as bad as some people are making out compared to America then I can only assume that there are barely any cars on the roads in the U.S.

I certainly wouldn't advise driving in London, but using our national motorway network to get around is usually fairly painless. I quite often dash up and down between Birmingham and North East England and rarely encounter any problems (The only regular bottleneck seems to be turning onto the A1(M) from the M18) on the main roads: The journey can be done in three hours straight. Recently drove down from the Isle of Skye back to Birmingham in a day, too: The M6 route is mind-numbingly tedious, but few actual problems were encountered.

I don't suppose, however, that there's any harm in advising caution to someone unfamiliar with the British road network.

 

[Greenback]

As others have said, in average traffic conditions I would say that Google maps offers a good guide to journey times. With regards to Beamish to Ravenglass specifically, I suppose it depends on which route you take: The comparatively direct route over the torturous Hardknott pass (Not necessarily for the faint hearted unfamiliar with single track roads!) might actually end up slower than heading round the Cumbrian coast on the bigger roads.

I find Google maps to be optimistic myself. I'd add on about 15% to their estimates.

If the British roads are as bad as some people are making out compared to America then I can only assume that there are barely any cars on the roads in the U.S.

Generally speaking, I have found the roads in the US to be much quieter than roads in the UK, though this is obviously dependent on where you are. For example, I found the road between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay in California to be dead on a Saturday in September, an equivalent road on the Gower here would probably be at least three times busier.

Similarly, between Barstow and Las Vegas on a Sunday afternoon I'd say there was, roughly, a vehicle every two minutes coming the other way. Population density in the area is very low, but I would have expected to have seen more cars returning to LA from a Vegas weekend.

In the urban sprawl of the largest cities there are a lot of cars on the road, but they tend to have wider, straighter roads in the US than we do, and the fact that the cities are more recently developed also helps with traffic management.

I certainly wouldn't advise driving in London, but using our national motorway network to get around is usually fairly painless. I quite often dash up and down between Birmingham and North East England and rarely encounter any problems (The only regular bottleneck seems to be turning onto the A1(M) from the M18) on the main roads: The journey can be done in three hours straight. Recently drove down from the Isle of Skye back to Birmingham in a day, too: The M6 route is mind-numbingly tedious, but few actual problems were encountered.

I don't suppose, however, that there's any harm in advising caution to someone unfamiliar with the British road network.

Indeed. One of the most common errors made by visitors is to think that British roads will be as straight and wide as those in the US, Canada, Oz or New Zealand. Then they arrive and discover the joys of high petrol costs, bus lanes, tortuous one way systems, roundabouts, and being stuck behind a tractor on winding country lanes for half an hour!

Then, when they reach their destination, they discover how difficult it is to find a parking space, have to pay through the nose to do so when they do find a spot, and end up wishing they hadn't rented a car in the first place!

I exaggerate a bit, of course, but even ex pats returning to the UK seem to be horrified by how unpleasant they find driving through our cities compared to what they remember from years ago.

While driving may still be the best option for the OP, they need to know the facts about it, so that they are prepared for the reality of long distance and country driving here. Then they will have a far better holiday!

 

[ac6000cw]

Any potential foibles with driving on the "wrong side" of the road aside, I would strongly advise hiring a car for the trip you have in mind. It'll offer far greater ease of access to the likes of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Beamish Museum and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. Travelling by train between these places would take an age (Beamish would additionally require a bus journey) and impinge on the amount of time you have available to you. With a car you don't have to feel pressured by the limitations of a sparse train service..

I agree - it's the most flexible transport method if the time is limited and you are trying to visit lots of 'spread out' places.

adammil1 - That said, if you haven't been to the UK before, you ought try and fit in a 'modern' train ride somewhere along the way.

 

[IanD]

How can you enjoy your visit if you're zooming about from one place to another ?

Surely that's part of the enjoyment of the visit - you can see a lot of the countryside from the road network. Few of the places chosen are bang next to the motorway network. Also, between the zooming about, the OP has planned lots of leisurely journeys on preserved railways where there will most definitely be no zooming about!

OP: Make sure you visit the North York Moors railway when they are running through to Whitby. It's a great traditional seaside town where you can indulge in some of the best fish and chips on offer (I'd go for haddock rather than cod - no doubt someone will recommend a chip shop in the town) followed by a leisurely stroll round the harbour and a less leisurely climb up the 199 steps that lead to the Abbey ruins. Well worth the effort for the views.

Also, although I like the "London Steam Museum" I find it's one of those places that (as Dr Johnson would say) "are worth seeing, but not worth going to see" ie if you're in the area (eg visiting Kew Gardens or the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton Town or on your way back to Heathrow!) pop in, but you may be disappointed if you make a special journey. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure there are people who would be happy to spend the whole day there.

 

[adammil1]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. I realize the itinerary is a little packed but I am hoping it is doable. As mentioned before I doubt I will be back to the UK for 30+ more years so it is more a matter of seeing all that I have always wanted to see over there. There is something about the steam community in your country that is quite special and probably unique to you guys in the whole world. Even over here in the USA where it is quite rare to come across a British guy I would say that Brits make up a good part of the membership of our railroad museums and live steam clubs, so it definitely seems to be an admirable part of the culture that you have over there. At any rate here's how we have been planning it so far;

The wife's items should appear in red, fortunately she is being very understanding on this trip;

Day 1 : arrival in London in the AM
Day 2 : London sightseeing
Day 3 : Get up early to see London. Pick up car. From 2 to 3 pm a one hour drive to windsor castle leave at 6pm to drive to York
Day 4 - York-National Railroad Museum
Day 5- At 7:30 am a 45 minute drive to Pickering spend the day there and then in the evening a 2 hr drive to a hotel by Beamish.
Day 6- Beamish museum (no driving)
Day 7- Around 7am to 10am, a three hour drive to Ravenglass and then at 3pm to 5:30pm, a 2.5 hr drive to Liverpool for dinner. Then at 7:30 to 8:30pm, a one hour drive to hotel by Cheshire fair.
Day 8 Cheshire fair and then a 5pm to 6:10pm drive to Conwy
Day 9 A 8:30am to 9:40am, a one hour and 10 min drive to FFestiniog Railroad, UK. Then a 6pm to 9pm, a three hour drive to Severn Valley.
Day 10 Severn Valley 4pm to 6pm(2 hr drive) to coltswold for dinner. Then an 8pm to 10pm (2 hr drive) to Bath.
Day 11: Bath and then at 1:00pm to 4:00pm drive to Eden Project. Then a 7pm to 10pm, a three hour drive to Swindon.
Day 12: Swindon and/or Swanage. 6pm to 9pm, a three hour drive to hotel by Hythe.
Day 13: Hythe Station, Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway … Return to London in the evening
Day 14: London
Day 15: London/go home

One of the other things to point out is that my wife's patience around railroad museums is somewhat finite so in some cases certain visits cutting things off early could be somewhat of a necessity in order to be permitted to see such a nice list as the one above.

By the way how bad can your roundabouts be? Here in the USA we have rotaries from time to time and I don't see them as any big deal.

(...and we're not all steam nuts over here - I've just booked the tickets for my next 'big diesel' railfan trip to your side of the pond )

ac6000cw where are you headed?

Thanks everyone for all the help,

Adam

 

[IanD]

Day 1 : arrival in London in the AM
Day 2 : London sightseeing
Day 3 : Get up early to see London. Pick up car. From 2 to 3 pm a one hour drive to windsor castle leave at 6pm to drive to York
Day 4 - York-National Railroad Museum
Day 5- At 7:30 am a 45 minute drive to Pickering spend the day there and then in the evening a 2 hr drive to a hotel by Beamish.
Day 6- Beamish museum (no driving)
Day 7- Around 7am to 10am, a three hour drive to Ravenglass and then at 3pm to 5:30pm, a 2.5 hr drive to Liverpool for dinner. Then at 7:30 to 8:30pm, a one hour drive to hotel by Cheshire fair.
Day 8 Cheshire fair and then a 5pm to 6:10pm drive to Conwy
Day 9 A 8:30am to 9:40am, a one hour and 10 min drive to FFestiniog Railroad, UK. Then a 6pm to 9pm, a three hour drive to Severn Valley.
Day 10 Severn Valley 4pm to 6pm(2 hr drive) to coltswold for dinner. Then an 8pm to 10pm (2 hr drive) to Bath.
Day 11: Bath and then at 1:00pm to 4:00pm drive to Eden Project. Then a 7pm to 10pm, a three hour drive to Swindon.
Day 12: Swindon and/or Swanage. 6pm to 9pm, a three hour drive to hotel by Hythe.
Day 13: Hythe Station, Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway … Return to London in the evening
Day 14: London
Day 15: London/go home

That's probably doable.

It'll be quite a late arrival in York on day 3. York is a wonderful old city to explore. And plenty of places to sample some great British Beer (if you do that sort of thing).

Depending on where you're staying, it might take a bit longer to get from Beamish to Ravenglass. And similarly with the later drive to Liverpool. Don't want to stereotype Scousers (residents of Liverpool) but be careful where you park your car particularly if you have all your belongings in it.

As I said before for Day 9, you could consider taking the bus from Conwy to Caernarfon for 10am and then the Welsh Highland Railway to Porthmadog, transfer to the FFestiniog Railway to Blannaeu Ffestiniog, then take the Arriva trains service to Llandudno Junction where you can change for another train to Conwy. Fantastic journey on 2 narrow guage railways through breathtaking scenery.

By the way how bad can your roundabouts be? Here in the USA we have rotaries from time to time and I don't see them as any big deal.

We have this one in Swindon you might encounter but most are quite straightforward.

One other thing, we tend to call them railways in the UK

 

[Alistair G.]

Just to mention some of what other people have already said and expand. We have a lot of roundabouts over here.... Something which is not a familiar concept to most Americans, it is give way to the right when you are at a junction at a roundabout, I know it sounds crazy but just check out a video on YouTube or something to just familiar yourself to it.

We have very few tolls over here, m6 toll, which is needless as you cAn just use the m6 and dartford tunnel, which u may encounter as it's on the M25, however, congestion charges are worth looking out for, it's not like you pull up to a toll booth and pay, you need to sort your congestion payment out in advance, but will need your registration plate to do this, so maybe something the hire company can help you with when you land

Remember.... We cannot turn on a red light like you guys can (left in our case). It is illegal and at some lights you do have cameras

You also have speed cameras AND averaging speed cameras which are a nuisance but we never truly know which ones are switched on or off, so it's best to just stick to the limits, even if u do see the odd idiot race through!

We have quite a few one way streets in town and city centres, so again, look out for no entry signs, most sat navs will be programmed to know these, but be warned, if they haven't been updated then you may run into trouble, look out for no entry signs, they will soon tell you when u can't go down a road.

We also have bus and cycle lanes to look out for over here. A lot of them are time restricted, so peak hours they will be for public transport only, but it will tell you on the sign.

There's loads more to tell you but not knowing your experience as a driver or knowledge of UK road laws I won't go into any more detail. But any questions then feel free to ask, everyone is helpful here!

 

[Strat-tastic]

Good choice to visit the Eden Project

However in August, high season, the roads will be packed with tourists, all appreciating the beauty of Cornwall.

Go for it, but be prepared to set out an hour or so earlier if you can.

 

[Waldgrun]

This may help

https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/highway-code

it explains road signs, rules etc.

As I write at present Google maps is showing 3hrs 37 mins for the Journey Bath to St Austell (Eden project) due to traffic, not 2hrs 58 mins, something to keep in mind, that most google timings are based on best possible projections.

 

[Marvin]

One of the other things to point out is that my wife's patience around railroad museums is somewhat finite so in some cases certain visits cutting things off early could be somewhat of a necessity in order to be permitted to see such a nice list as the one above.

How important is it to you to do everything together? I ask only because at a few of the railways you've mentioned there are other non-railway things to do in the locality that she may enjoy while you're doing your train thing (e.g. York is a beautiful city to explore while you're in the NRM, as is Whitby if you get that far on the North York Moors, she could have some beach time while you're on the RHDR, etc.).