The First Luxury Sleeper Train in England and Wales Is Launching in 2025

The Britannic Explorer, Belmond train, will ride the rails from July

Belmond already operates luxury trains the British Pullman (which does day trips in England) and the Royal Scotsman (which runs sleeper tours through the Highlands) and next summer, it’s bringing a new luxury sleeper train to England and Wales. The Britannic Explorer, the first luxury sleeper train to operate in England and Wales, will be running three-night journeys, departing from London, across three different routes through Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales.

The train will be the height of luxury, with elegant interiors, featuring a nature-inspired colour palette and heritage details across the 18 cabins and the botanically-inspired bar (where the drinks list will hero artisan gins and craft beers). Simon Rogan will be curating the dining experiences on board, with bespoke afternoon tea, lunch and dinner menus for each of three routes, highlighting the best seasonal and local specialities. There’ll also be a wellness suite on the train where you can indulge in a treatment for even more relaxation.

And if you can bear to depart from the Britannic Explorer, there’ll be a host of off-train guided excursions on offer, like a a private tour and dinner at Hauser & Wirth in Somerset, wild swimming in the Lakes, and a visit to Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens in Cornwall.

Train travel in this country is expensive at the best of times but a trip on the Britannic Explorer certainly isn’t cheap; experiences start from £11,000, so this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Key Information

Date | Launches July 2025
For more information | belmond.com

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