Forest of Dean Steam & The Wye Valley 2026

Duration

5 Days

Departure Dates

11th May 2026, 26th October 2026

Prices from

£809 Per person

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Explore the natural beauty and rich history of the Forest of Dean including three heritage railways, a cruise along one of the most scenic river landscapes, and visits to fascinating museums. Enjoy time to explore some of the many charming towns and villages including Broadway (Jewel of the Cotswolds), picturesque Ross-on-Wye, and the historic market town of Abergavenny.

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Abergavenny ©Shutterstock

5 days from £809

DEPARTS

Monday 11 May 2026

Monday 26 October 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Marvel at reservoirs and mountains on the Brecon Mountain Railway
Steam on the picturesque Dean Forest Railway
Cruise on the scenic River Wye from Symonds Yat
Journey through spectacular Cotswold scenery on the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway
Explore Gloucester’s National Waterways Museum
Discover the historic market town of Abergavenny
Visit the picturesque town of Ross-on-Wye

Also included in your Tour Fare:

4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Lydney and, on arrival, we transfer to Coleford and make our way to the Bells Hotel, our hotel for the next four nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we travel by coach over the Welsh border to Abergavenny where we enjoy free time to wander around this historic market town discovering lovely scenery and boutique shops before enjoying lunch at leisure. In the afternoon, we will continue along a scenic route to Pant for a return steam journey on the narrow-gauge Brecon Mountain Railway, formerly part of the Brecon & Merthyr Railway. Our journey will take us through Pontsticill along the full length of the reservoir before climbing to Torpantau, high in the Brecon Beacons, stopping at Pontsticill Reservoir on the return.

B, D

DAY 3

Today, our coach will take us to nearby Norchard for our visit to the heritage Dean Forest Railway including a private tour of the restoration shed. We will then board our train for a nine-mile return steam journey through beautiful woodland travelling south to Lydney Junction and north to Parkend with stops at both ends of the line. Afterwards, we travel by road to Ross-on-Wye where there will be free time to enjoy lunch before our afternoon boat trip on the River Wye from the beautiful Symonds Yat.

B, D

DAY 4

This morning, we travel to Cheltenham Racecourse for our nostalgic steam journey through spectacular Cotswold scenery aboard the heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway to Broadway. We enjoy a little free time in this picturesque Cotswold village before we depart to the most inland port in the country, Gloucester Docks, to visit the National Waterways Museum which tells the story of the 200-year history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Here, we enjoy a boat tour discovering the stories of the communities that lived and continue to thrive here before returning to Coleford by coach for our final evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 5

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Coleford and transfer to Lydney for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTEL

Bells Hotel, Coleford

Located in the market town of Coleford with beautiful views over the Wye Valley, the Bells Hotel offers elegant dining spaces, a comfortable lounge, and a relaxing bar. The hotel also boasts a county standard bowling green as well as an 18-hole golf course (both payable locally). The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom with complimentary toiletries, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

FARES

Fare Region	First*	Standard
London: Paddington	£1,069	£965
Greater London	£1,079	£975
South of England	£1,105	£989
East Anglia	£1,069	£975
South West	£1,085	£939
Heart of England	£1,079	£985
Midlands	£1,039	£899
Yorkshire	£1,175	£1,009
North East	£1,325	£1,089
North West	£1,159	£995
South Wales	N/A	£895
North Wales	£1,079	£959
Scotland	£1,295	£1,069
Join & Leave at Hotel	£809
Single Traveller Supplement	£NIL
Deposit	£85

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.

May Departure Supplement £30

4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
11th May 2026	£839 Per person	Book Now	Callback
26th October 2026	£809 Per person	Book Now	Callback

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Bells Hotel, Coleford

Brecon Mountain Railway

Dean Forest Railway

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

National Waterways Museum

Brecon Mountain Railway 1 ©Shutterstock

Brecon Mountain Railway 2 ©Shutterstock

Pontsticill Reservoir ©Shutterstock

Dean Forest Railway ©iStock

Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway 1 ©Shutterstock

Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway 2 ©Shutterstock

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Forest of Dean Steam & The Wye Valley 2026

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What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

Why Book with Railtrail

Unique Experiences

Financial Protection

Loyalty Rewards

Award Winning Team