Vintage Railways of the Isle of Man
Enjoy historic railways of the Isle of Man
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EnquireVintage Railways of the Isle of Man
6 Days from£780
per person
The Award Winning Leader in Escorted Worldwide Rail Holidays
You are viewing the 2018 itinerary
Itineraries and pricing may vary by departure year
The Isle of Man is famous for its stunning coastline, superb sandy beaches, spectacular scenery and gentle pace of life. This charming island also boasts some of the most impressive heritage railways found anywhere in the British Isles, not to mention the historic horse-drawn trams.
We meet in Heysham, Lancashire, ahead of our ferry journey to the Isle of Man. Heysham is easily accessible from other parts of the UK and the train from Lancaster arrives straight into Heysham ferry terminal.
Arriving into Douglas sea terminal, porters collect our luggage as we walk the short distance along the waterfront to the 4-Star Claremont Hotel, our base for the next five nights.
Please note: The Claremont Hotel is a Victorian built property unable to accommodate wheelchairs due to its age and how it is constructed. This tour is therefore unsuitable for anyone who uses a wheelchair.
Please Note: For departures MXB1802 & MXB1803 you will be departing from Liverpool.
Our excursion today takes us to the summit of the island's only mountain: Snaefell. We begin with a journey north along Douglas promenade, travelling by horse-drawn tram*. We then board an electric train to take us to Laxey. Here we board the Snaefell Mountain Railway to the summit of Snaefell, where we enjoy some free time. We then return to Laxey, where you have time to explore. Later we make our way back to Douglas by electric train.
*Please note that the horse-drawn trams may not operate on the April and October departures.
Please Note: For Departures MXB1805, MXB1807, MXB1809 & MXB1817 days 2 and 3 have swapped around.
Today we take the coach to Peel. On the way you call at Tynwald Hill, in the village of St John's, where you see the Church of St John and the Tynwald Exhibition. On arrival in Peel, we have some free time. We then carry on and enjoy a journey on the full length of the Manx Electric Railway from Ramsey to Douglas, making this journey in the oldest working tramcars in the world.
Please Note: For Departure MXB1816 days 3 and 5 have swapped around.
This morning we walk to Douglas railway station to board the Isle of Man Steam Railway, the island's oldest Victorian rail system. We pull into the station in Port Erin. After time to explore, we are collected by coach for a tour of the headland overlooking the Calf of Man. After touring the headland, we travel to Castletown, the island's ancient capital. Entrance into the Old House of Keys is included today, and you may enjoy some time at leisure to explore more of Castletown's delights. Day 5 is free to enjoy the island at leisure using your included travel pass ahead of a final farewell meal this evening.
Please Note: For Departure MXB1804 days 4 and 5 have swapped around.
After our breakfast, we make our way back to Douglas Sea Terminal. We arrive back into Heysham just after midday, where our tour concludes. You are then free to leave Heysham at your leisure.
Please Note: For departures MXB1802 & MXB1803 you will be arriving back in Liverpool.
We include two passes in this holiday: an Explorer Pass and a
Heritage Explorer Pass.
Explorer Pass
Available for use on your free day, the Explorer Pass allows you
complimentary travel on trains and buses across the Isle of
Man.
Heritage Explorer Pass
Available for use on your free day and during our excursions, the
Heritage Explorer Pass gives you free entrance to Manx National
Heritage sites. These include the Laxey Wheel, Peel Castle, the
House of Manannan, Castle Rushen, the Old House of Keys and the
Nautical Museum, among others.
Please be aware that the order of the excursions may be different than appears here.
MXB1802, MXB1803, MXB1809, MXB1811, MXB1813,
MXB1817
DAY 2 - MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY - RAMSEY TO SOUGLAS
DAY 3 - ELECTRIC RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO LAXEY RETURN
DAY 4 - ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO PORT ERIN
MXB1804
DAY 2 - MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY - RAMSEY TO SOUGLAS
DAY 3 - ELECTRIC RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO LAXEY RETURN
DAY 5 - ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO PORT ERIN
MXB1805
DAY 2 - MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY - RAMSEY TO SOUGLAS
DAY 3 - ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO PORT ERIN
DAY 4 - ELECTRIC RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO LAXEY RETURN
MXB1808, MXB1819, MXB1822
DAY 2 - ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO PORT ERIN
DAY 3 - MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY - RAMSEY TO SOUGLAS
DAY 4 - ELECTRIC RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO LAXEY RETURN
MXB1816
DAY 2 - ELECTRIC RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO LAXEY RETURN
DAY 4 - ISLE OF MAN STEAM RAILWAY - DOUGLAS TO PORT ERIN
DAY 5 - MANX ELECTRIC RAILWAY - RAMSEY TO SOUGLAS
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
An escorted experience and all travel arrangements
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Not Included
of travellers would recommend this tour
Tour Rating
based on 41 verified reviews
The hotel was good, if pricy for drinks and the food, especially breakfast and the farewell dinner was good. The Isle of Man was a charming place with a history more interesting than I expected As an aside the rail journey home was horrendous with cancelled connections, meaning we had to take a taxi to somewhere with a link to Leeds. Sadly that train too was cancelled and we had to wait an hour for the next one.
Well planned tour Friendly, well-organised and helpful leader Many new friends and experiences
I have already completed the questionnaire given to me by the tour manager.
The holiday tour of the Isle of Man was great but we had some concerns about the Claremont Hotel. Mentioning our concerns about access to and within the hotel for people with mobility problems and the fact that some rooms have obscured glass windows the Hotel told us that Great Rail Journeys should make customers aware of these things when booking. They didn’t make us aware.
Good hotel Excellent food Great tour manager Very good itinerary and organisation as usual
Being given the cards / tickets for travel / entry to museums was a big bonus. Unfortunately the train to Snaefell was not running due to safety issues but otherwise we really enjoyed our break.
Well organised.Interesting and informative trips to all parts of the island. The hotel was superb,breakfasts and evening meals were excellent.
The holiday was booked to colncide with our wedding anniversary. The event was taken on board by your representative ,Kevin and the hotel were we stayed. The holiday was a delight but made more enjoyable by the attention of both the above.
Isle of Man is such a beautiful place. The hotel was excellent and ideally situated. All the tours were very interesting and well thought out.
Well organised, enjoyable and just what we wanted. L
Enjoy historic railways of the Isle of Man
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