Trip from Hub Cities
Suggested Short Trips from Hub Cities
A great way to see Britain, and make the most of your BritRail Pass, is by using one of several cities as your hub. There are many beautiful and interesting cities that are both destinations in their own right and serve as excellent bases for day trips. The fast and frequent ‘go as you please’ BritRail network makes this travel strategy both possible and practical.
USE AS YOUR HUB CITY:
USING LONDON AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency* | Departure Station |
| Bath | 1 hour 20 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Paddington |
| Birmingham | 1 hour 21 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Euston |
| Brighton | 50 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Victoria |
| Brighton | 50 minutes | Hourly | Bridge |
| Dover | 1 hour 40 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Victoria / London Bridge/Charing Cross |
| Ely | 1 hour | Hourly | Kings Cross |
| Exeter | 2 hours 40 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Paddington / Waterloo |
| Cambridge | 1 hour | Hourly | Kings Cross |
| Canterbury | 1 ½ hours | 2 per hour | Victoria |
| Hastings | 1 ½ hours | Hourly | Bridge |
| Isle of Wight | 2 hours | Every 30 minutes | Waterloo - change to ferry |
| Manchester | 2 hours 6 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Euston |
| Norwich | 1 hour 50 minutes | Every 30 mins | Liverpool St |
| Portsmouth | 1 ½ hours | Every 30 minutes | Waterloo |
| Oxford | 1 hour | Every 30 minutes | Paddington |
| Salisbury | 1 hour 25 minutes | Every 30 minutes | Waterloo |
| Southampton | 1 ¼ hours | 3 per hour | Waterloo |
| Stratford Upon Avon | 2 ¼ hours | Every 2 hours | Marylebone |
* Minimum frequency
USING YORK AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Harrogate or Knaresborough | 30 minutes | Hourly |
| Leeds | 30 minutes | 4 or 5 per hour |
| Durham | 50 minutes | 2 per hour |
| Scarborough | 45 minutes | Every 30 minutes |
| Settle & Carlisle Line, Newcastle | Full Day Trip | Every 2 hours |
| Manchester | 1 ½ hours | 2 or 3 per hour |
| Hebden Bridge | 1 ½ hours | Hourl |
USING EDINBURGH AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Glasgow | 50 minutes | Every 15 minutes |
| Stirling | 50 minutes | Every 30 minutes |
| Perth | 50 minutes | Hourly |
| Oban | 4 hours | 4 per day |
| Aberdeen | 2 ½ hours | Hourly |
USING GLASGOW AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Stirling | 30 minutes | 2 per hour Q |
| Perth | 1 hour | Hourly Q |
| Oban | 3 hours | 3 per day Q |
| Fort William | 3 ¾ hours | 4 per day Q |
| Edinburgh | 50 minutes | Every 15 minutes Q |
| Ayr | 1 hour | 2 per hour C |
| Inverness | 3 ½ hours | Every 2 hours Q |
Q = Glasgow Queen Street Station C= Glasgow Central Station
USING INVERNESS AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Kyle of Lochalsh | 2 ½ hours | 3 per day |
| Wick/Thurso | 4 hours | 3 per day |
| Aberdeen | 2 ¼ hours | Every 2 hours |
USING CARDIFF AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Caerphilly | 20 minutes | 2 or 3 trains hourly |
| Trehafod | 30 minutes | 2 trains hourly |
| Pembroke, Tenby | 3 hours | Every 2 hours |
| Shrewsbury (Abergavenny, Hereford ) | 2 hours (35min, 1 hour) | Hourly |
| Llandrindod Wells | 3 hours | 6 trains daily |
| Bath Spa | 1 hour | 1 or 2 trains hourly |
USING MANCHESTER AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Liverpool | 50 minutes | 4 per hour B |
| London | 2 hours 20 minutes | 2 per hour P |
| Chester | 1 hour | Hourly P |
| Windermere (Lake District) | 1 ¾ hours | Hourly P |
| Blackpool | 1 ¼ hours | 2 per hour P |
| York | 1 ½ hours | 3 per hour P |
| Llandudno (North Wales Coast) | 2 ¼ hours | Hourly P |
| Buxton (Peak District) | 55 minutes | Hourly P |
B= Both Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly P= Manchester Piccadilly
USING CHESTER AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Manchester | 1 hour | Hourly |
| Liverpool | 35 minutes | 2 per hour |
| Llandudno | 1 ¼ minutes | Hourly |
| Conwy | 1 ½ hours | Hourly |
| Central Wales Line | Full Day | 3 daily |
| Shrewsbury | 1 hour | Hourly |
| Blaenau Ffestiniog | 2 hours | Every 3 hours |
USING NORWICH AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Sheringham / Cromer (North Norfolk) | 1 hour | Hourly |
| Lowestoft | 40 minutes | Hourly |
| Great Yarmouth | 30 minutes | Hourly |
| Cambridge (or Ely) | 1 ½ hours (50 min) | 2 per day |
USING SHREWSBURY AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Cardiff | 2 hours | Hourly |
| Aberystwth | 1 ¾ hours | 5 per day |
| Harlech/Ffestiniog/ Pwhelli |
2 ¾ hours to 3 ½ hours | Every 2 hours |
| Chester | 1 hour | Every 1 or 2 hours |
USING BIRMINGHAM AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Exmouth | 25 minutes | Every 30 minutes |
| Barnstaple | 1 ¼ hours | Every 2 hours |
| Torquay/Paignton/ Dawlish |
45 minutes/45 minutes/20 minutes | 1 or 2 per hour |
| Salisbury | 2 hours | Every 2 hours |
| Penzance | 3 ¼ hours | Hourly |
N= Birmingham New Street M=Birmingham Moor S=Birmingham Snow Hillk
USING EXETER AS YOUR HUB CITY:
Our suggestions include:
| Destination | Journey Time | Frequency |
| Exmouth | 25 minutes | Every 30 minutes |
| Barnstaple | 1 ¼ hours | Every 2 hours |
| Torquay/Paignton/ Dawlish |
45 minutes/45 minutes/20 minutes | 1 or 2 per hour |
| Salisbury | 2 hours | Every 2 hours |
| Penzance | 3 ¼ hours | Hourly |