UK & Ireland Festive & Winter Rail Tours

A Railtrail winter train holiday brings together reserved rail travel, carefully chosen hotel accommodation, seasonal excursions, and the company of a dedicated Tour Manager, all arranged before you set off. Every tour in our UK & Ireland festive and winter programme runs on this same escorted format, backed by over 40 years of operating escorted rail holidays, so there’s nothing to book independently and no logistics to manage once you’re aboard.

Departures run from late November through to the New Year, with four and five-day breaks priced from £529 to £1,249 per person. A traditional Christmas Day lunch is included on several tours, alongside castles and country estates dressed for the season and illuminated gardens and light trails around the country. In the Highlands, the season builds towards Hogmanay celebrations to welcome in the New Year.

Rail is the primary mode of travel throughout each tour, with free time built in for exploring York, strolling around Christmas in Oxford, or relaxing in Torquay after a day of sightseeing.

If you’d rather take a rail holiday UK without the festive theme, browse our Classic UK & Ireland train holidays for departures throughout the rest of the year.

Where Our Festive Train Holidays Go

Eight tours make up the 2026 programme, each built around a different kind of winter break.

Yuletide Yorkshire is based in the spa town of Harrogate, with a Christmas visit to Castle Howard and a ride through the countryside at Skipton. The Glenfinnan Viaduct on the West Highland Line is the centrepiece of Festive Highlands Tartan & Taster, with Eilean Donan Castle also on the itinerary.

Step into Christmas in Windsor & Blenheim stays in Oxford, where Windsor Castle and the festive light trail at Blenheim Palace fill the days. Devon gets its own tour in Torquay, Tinsel & Christmas Cheer, built around a ride on the Christmas Train of Lights and a visit to Plymouth’s Winter Wonderland.

Four tours include a traditional Christmas Day lunch: Stratford Festive Delights in Shakespeare’s home town, the Winchester Christmas Celebration beneath Winchester Cathedral, Yuletide Magic in County Durham with its visit to Auckland Palace, and Seasonal Splendour in Stirling, which pairs Stirling Castle with the festive atmosphere of Edinburgh.

Every tour includes reserved rail travel, hotel accommodation and a Tour Manager throughout. 2026 departures run from late November to 23rd December, with further dates already on sale for 2027.

For a winter break on the continent instead, our Christmas train holidays in Europe cover the Christmas markets of Germany, plus a scenic Christmas tour along the Glacier Express route in Switzerland.

Booking Your Christmas Rail Holiday

Each tour travels in a small group, with a dedicated Tour Manager on hand from the moment you leave your local station to the moment you return. Luggage is handled between hotels and all tickets and seat reservations are arranged well in advance.

You can book with a small deposit from £75 per person, with the balance due well ahead of departure. All UK & Ireland tours are covered by ABTOT (member no. 5577), and Railtrail has been rated Excellent on Trustpilot after over 40 years of operating escorted rail holidays as a family business.

Not sure a winter tour is right for you? Call our customer care team on 01538 382323, or request a free brochure to see the full programme before you decide.