ACP Rail Blog » Angela and Jen’s UK Adventures

On Board BritRail

Angela — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:28:18 +0000

Seating and amenities make for a comfortable journey

If it’s your first time traveling on UK trains then you’ll be happy to hear that the seats are comfortable and many trains have extra amenities. On our recent trip around England, Scotland and Wales, we experienced firsthand the joys of traveling on board BritRail. Here’s what you can look forward to:

Clean, comfortable seating, with big panoramic windows to enjoy the views.
Trolley service in both first and standard class, where you can buy beverages, snacks and sandwiches. Some trains also have a café car where you can purchase food and beverages.
Tidy bathrooms, often surprisingly spacious and found on roughly every second passenger car.
Space at each carriage’s entrance to place your luggage and a shelf running above the seats to store smaller items.
Some trains have special carriages such as ‘Quiet Carriages’ great for taking a nap, working or reading. We also rode on a train with an ‘Entertainment Carriage’, where each seat had a personal TV, complete with movies, news and more.
Many trains have power outlets located just above or below the tables, great for plugging in your laptop.
Each carriage usually offers a selection of seating arrangements, from 4 seats facing each other with a table in the middle, to rows of 2 seaters back to back, to some single seating in first class. The table seating is often popular as it’s a great occasion to pull out a crossword, enjoy a family lunch or play a game amongst friends.
First class service:

o It depends on the train, but generally you can enjoy trolley service offering free tea, coffee and cookies.

o Free newspapers are also generally offered to first class passengers.

o On select trains there is a First Class At Seat Menu, offering hot meal options that can be ordered at your seat and enjoyed en route.

o Select trains also offer free WI-FI in first class.

With a BritRail Pass in hand, sit back, relax and enjoy the views!

Day 14 – How much can you pack into one day in London?

Angela — Tue, 31 May 2011 02:53:38 +0000

May 27, as I was commenting to a UK resident that there is just so much to do in London, he shared this great quote with me; ‘When you are tired of London then you are tired of life’ (Samuel Johnson). So no matter if you have a day or a week in London, you’ll find the list of attractions, shows, districts, activities, monuments, museums, galleries, restaurants, shopping etc… is infinitely exciting.

With our last day of this adventure upon us, we ventured out to try and conquer London in a day. An impossible feat but we covered quite a bit of ground nonetheless! Here’s what we did:

Buckingham Palace for changing of the guard. It is held daily at 11:30 from May to July, and on alternate dates throughout the rest of the year. A popular attraction for visitors, arrive a bit in advance to get a good spot near the gates.
Tower Bridge, the iconic bridge, which I actually thought was called London Bridge. The Tower of London is also located near the entrance to the bridge on the north end of the River Thames.
Tate Modern, a fantastic 5-floor gallery of contemporary art, featuring themes for all tastes and famous paintings by Picasso, Dali and more. ‘Enjoy Great Art for Free’.
Big Ben & Houses of Parliament, walking around this building is an impressive example of grandeur and gothic architecture. Westminster Abbey is also across the street.
London Eye, a half-hour ride on one of the world’s largest observation wheels providing 360 degree views of London. We rode it at sunset, which is highly recommended!

And for our last supper, well, you may be able to guess where we ate…did I mention Jamie’s Italian had 17 locations in Britain?!

Last thoughts…

We set out to experience traveling throughout Britain by rail and can honestly attest to the fact that there is no better way to do it than with a BritRail Pass.

14 days, 12 destinations and approximately 3,000 km later, trains were frequent, punctual, clean, safe and comfortable. Oh and the views, spectacular!

We also found it convenient that train stations are located in the city center so it was easy to hop off and enjoy a town, even if just for a quick stop over.

A note on the food in Britain, the old idea that it’s all about meat and potatoes is so far from the truth, in fact EVERY meal was delicious, from Indian fare, seafood, Italian, French, Mexican, fish n chips – every place we visited had a great selection of quality restaurants.

After a few days we wished we had worn pedometers, because we must have walked a million steps!

We saw a beautiful mix of cities, landscapes and culture and loved every minute of our UK adventure.

And a node to our theme song ‘on the road again’ which quickly became ‘on the rails again’. Happy travels!!!

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 13 – Chicago The Musical in London: Lights, Sparkles & Jazz

Angela — Mon, 30 May 2011 00:44:47 +0000

May 26, we boarded our last train ride of the trip from St. Ives to London, with a journey of approximately 5hr 30min. The views were once again spectacular as we made our way back up along the coast, Plymouth being another beautiful town to stop over if you wish to break up the journey.

After arriving in London and finding our way around the underground (which is really not as daunting as it seems, especially when traveling with an Oyster Card) we arrived at our hotel, freshened up and set out for our theatre evening in London.

The show…Chicago the musical! Cambridge Theatre is conveniently located near Covent Garden and Leicester Square underground stations, with tons of restaurant options for any taste or budget. We opted for Wahaca Mexican Market Eating, as it was recommended as one of London’s best cheap eats. After sampling their finest tacos and mohitos we were off to the show.

Chicago is a smash hit musical for good reason! You quickly fall for the two leading ladies, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly with favorite songs including ‘All that Jazz’ and ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’. The stage is set with a 14 piece jazz ensemble as the backdrop and lots of eye candy! Chicago features an exciting story of murder, sex and stardom and the perfect mix of comedy, singing and dance. The finale will especially blow you away with all the lights, sparkles and jazz!

Tickets for Chicago the musical and other popular London shows can be bought from: http://acprail.eolts.co.uk/.

For more information on planning your trip: Visit Britain

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 12 – A Day at the Beach, St. Ives England

Angela — Sun, 29 May 2011 23:27:40 +0000

May 25, after a whirlwind of a trip touring around England, Scotland and Wales we were pretty excited to have a day at the beach, with no plans but to relax and enjoy. First order of business, wake up at 5:30am to see the sun rise over the ocean, because nothing is better! Second order of business, prepare a picnic, because no beach day is complete without a good picnic! Third order of business, stroll over to the beach and rent a few beach chairs to set up our spot for the day. Only problem, our beach day was cloudy and windy! A few locals had also set up for the day but they came prepared, complete with wind blocking partitions and sweatshirts.

So we did what we do best; we set out to explore the town of St. Ives, with hopes for sun in the afternoon. St. Ives has 4 beaches, including:

Porthmeor – popular with surfers, this beach features a surf school and nearby Tate gallery.
Porthgwidden – is a smaller sandy cove, with quiet waters great for kids.
Porthminster – a long golden sands beach with all the amenities.
The Harbour – a tidal working port, lined with cafes and restaurants.

There are many beautiful coastal walks between the beaches and distances aren’t far so you could actually go beach hopping throughout the day if you wanted. There is an especially nice lookout on the hilltop between Porthmeor and Porthwidden, where St. Nicholas’s chapel sits.

And the town itself has quaint narrow streets lined with galleries, cafes and lots of tourist shops selling goodies from Cornwall, known for making delicious clotted cream. Clotted cream fudge, clotted cream ice cream, clotted cream shortbread…yum! But most importantly, clotted cream plays its staring roll in ‘Cornish cream tea’, which we sampled at teatime at Pedn Olva. Here’s the best definition of clotted cream I came across, in case you’re a newbie like myself:

“Ultra-thick clotted cream, the sort that has to be forcibly removed from its container and will not drop off an upturned knife or spoon in a thousand years…. When placed on the scone it will need to be squashed flat rather than spread, and should be generously applied, hence the unsuitability of other types of cream. As with the jam, cream should be piled high on the scone, bearing in mind only that which can comfortably fit into one’s mouth.”

Our afternoon sun arrived as ordered and we returned to the beach and did some train spotting, as the St. Ives line runs along the coast and arrives just above Porthminster beach. Then we returned to Pedn Olva to hang by the pool and have a gourmet dinner, complete with a rainbow!

For more information on planning your trip to St. Ives: Visit Cornwall

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 11 – England’s Riviera Line to St. Ives, Cornwall

Angela — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:21:13 +0000

May 24, with an early start to the day we were ready to continue our journey south from Cardiff, Wales to St. Ives, England. We had originally planned to stop in Bath along the way but were informed there was a service interruption – not a problem, as the beauty of traveling with a BritRail Pass is that you can be flexible and change your route on the go.

One of the reasons we wanted to venture to St. Ives was for the scenic journey along England’s Riviera Line from Exeter station onwards, where the train runs along the coast. From our seats we enjoyed stunning vistas of the ocean! If you have time to stop, I would recommend getting off at Dawlish station and strolling along the Oceanside walkway, which hugs the coast throughout the most scenic stretch.

As we were already covering quite a bit of ground in one day, we opted to continue right through to St. Ives, due to arrive at 4pm. After St. Erth station, look out your window on the right side of the train and you’ll see large expanses of white beach, blue water and palm trees! Welcome to St. Ives, one of England’s favourite beach towns.

After hopping off the train and wheeling our way through the parking lot, we spotted Pedn Olva Hotel, which couldn’t be more ideal for people arriving by train as it’s literally a few steps away. It also has the nicest spot on the coast, built high up on a rocky point between Porthminster Beach and The Harbour, our room had huge windows with 180 degrees of oceanfront views. With our flip flops on, we were at the beach in no time!

For more information on planning your trip to St. Ives: Visit Cornwall

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 10 – Cardiff, Welsh Heritage and Foodie Haven

Angela — Wed, 25 May 2011 09:23:50 +0000

May 23, after enjoying an early morning swim in Park Plaza’s stainless steel pool and spa facilities, we felt energized and ready to spend our first full day in one place, Cardiff. Departing from Cardiff Central’s train station are a number of buses, including service to nearby St Fagans, home to the National History Museum, Wales’ most popular heritage attraction. Entry is free and well worth the visit, as how better to learn about Welsh heritage than to see it with your very own eyes? The large grounds have a collection of old buildings that have actually been re-located to St Fagans from around Wales to display how the people of Wales have lived, worked and spent their leisure time.

From farmhouses dating back to the 1800’s, a church, a community center, and the workplace of the butcher, baker, blacksmith and many others, to a castle with its very own gardens. The homes have been furnished as they would have been during their respective eras, many of which have burning fires and ornate wooden furniture. From the many families and groups of school children it’s clearly also popular with children, as it’s more interactive and kids are free to run around outside, and enjoy the local pigs and sheep too.

From St Fagans we caught a bus back to Cardiff Central station, which departs hourly, and followed the signs for Cardiff Bay. There are also a number of buses well indicated for ‘Cardiff Bay’ and back to ‘City Center’ making for easy transport around the city. However, we opted to walk to the bay, and got caught in a heavy downpour so upon arrival, we were soaking wet! No worries, we braked for a late lunch and glass of cider in Mermaid Quay and hoped the weather would clear up. Cardiff Bay is a main attraction in itself, featuring the following:

Mermaid Quay, offering a number of dining options, most of which have large terraces for bay side dining.
Millennium Center, an iconic arts center great for an evening opera, musical, ballet or other show of your choice.
The Red Dragon Centre, packed with entertainment options, including a 24-hour casino, IMAX theatre, bowling alley and a variety of restaurants, bars & cafes.

As the rain wasn’t letting up, we returned to the city centre and did what any other lady duo would do…we went shopping! Well, really only window shopping as our luggage is full and we aim to travel light. St David’s mall has an amazing collection of stores, 150 of them to be exact, so this is a great shopping destination for people of all tastes.

And the perfect way to end any night in Cardiff is at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant…attention all foodies, as this next part is guaranteed to make you hungry! Famous for being one of Britain’s celebrity chefs, a selection of Jamie’s Italian restaurants can be found in 17 UK cities and have mouth-watering menus at affordable prices. We ate every last bite of our rustic tomato and mozzarella salad, ricotta and beetroot bruschetta, wild porcini mushroom panzerotti, warm brownie and al fini lemon curd desserts.

For more information on planning your trip to Wales: Visit Wales

Stay tuned for day 11, where we ride the rails to the beach, at St Ives, Cornwall…

Jen’s highlight of the day: St Fagans open-air museum, where a sheep jumped up on the wall and she pet it…we’ve seen tons of sheep and she’s been waiting to get her hands on one!

Angela’s highlight of the day: our dinner at Jamie Oliver’s, where after every empty plate was cleared, Jen would say ‘that was unbelievable’!

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 9 – Conwy Castle & Cardiff Bound

Angela — Wed, 25 May 2011 08:35:29 +0000

May 22, we started the day with sunny skies in Llandudno and hopped on a short bus ride to the town of Conwy, which is beautifully set on the harbour, with castle views overlooking the water and a back drop of the hills of Snowdonia National Park. Conwy Castle is great to explore, featuring a total of 8 towers which you can climb and get great views overlooking the water, mountains and small town of Conwy. After, we walked through the town and saw some great gift shops, cafes and ‘award winning’ fish n chips; there is no shortage of this delightful dish in the UK!

When staying in Llandudno, another popular days out trip is to visit Snowdonia National Park, which has some great nature reserves and hiking trails. In this region there are also some nice train rides on Heritage Railways, including the Ffestiniog Railway and don`t forget you get a 20% discount on this ride when you show your BritRail Pass.

Next it was time to make our way back to Llandudno, where being Oceanside creates some windy and at times unpredictable weather, so I suggest you bring your raincoat along just in case. We hopped on a train, once again using our handy BritRail Passes and traveled southbound to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The train station is centrally located, as they all are in Britain, so it was easy enough for us to wheel our way to Park Plaza hotel. Upon arrival, we noticed that the lobby area is cozy and welcoming, complete with a fireplace and modern lounging areas, and we were equally pleased with our room. By this time it was late Sunday night so we ventured out to find a restaurant to have dinner, where we opted for some delicious Indian food, also well known to be a British specialty.

For more information on planning your trip to Wales: Visit Wales

Stay tuned for Day 10 – a day in Cardiff Wales…

Jen’s highlight of the day: Conwy Castle, with spectacular views.

Angela’s highlight of the day: being beachside and walking around Llandudno – it`s clear why this is a vacation destination!

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 8 – Lively Liverpool & Coastal Llandudno

Angela — Mon, 23 May 2011 19:10:29 +0000

May 21, we ventured out to learn all about the city of Liverpool with our very own Blue Badge guide, Sylvia, who offers a variety of specialty interest tours, namely all about the Beatles, architecture, history and much more. A quick summary about Liverpool – it’s a city based on music, fashion, architecture, maritime life and culture – and we absolutely adored it! Here are some great sights and facts not to miss on your next visit to Liverpool:

About music: Liverpool is known as the home of the Beatles, where you can visit The Beatles Story museum attraction, pop into The Cavern Pub, an old Beatles venue where there is live music on all the time, and stay at A Hard Day’s Night, a trendy hotel which was designed around the Beatles theme.
About architecture: the majority of the city center buildings are of Roman classical architecture with beautiful designs, statues and detail. The grandiose sense of the structures is rooted in the display of wealth when it was a thriving port city. To note, Liverpool Cathedral is a beautiful terracotta coloured structure, designed by Gilles Gilbert Scott, who is best known for having designed the iconic British red telephone booth.
About fashion: ONE is a new shopping center with 160 shops which helps to confirm ‘it is hard to beat Liverpool fashion’ as our guide Sylvia mentioned. And we tend to agree, as we explored the city we spotted a number of young women with curlers in their hair – on the bus, at the store, on the street – and Sylvia said this was perfectly normal as they will look smashing for the clubs on this fine Saturday night. I told you they like big hair!
About maritime life: Its port on the Mersey River is seeping with maritime history and continues to be busy with sailing across the river, which is a big tourist attraction, as well as five sailings a day to Belfast Ireland, two sailings a day to the Isle of Mann and beyond. The Albert Docks is probably its most popular attraction, home to Tate Liverpool, the Maritime Museum and the new museum, opening this summer. All museums and galleries are free!
About culture: there is much to say, as Liverpool was the 2008 European Capital of Culture confirms this. The city itself is a World Heritage Site with more listed buildings than any other outside London. Thanks to the port there are a number of cultures that call Liverpool home; we drove through its China Town and passed a variety of restaurant genres in the ‘Eastern Village’.

We could have easily stayed in Liverpool for a few more nights but it was time to make our way to Llandudno, Wales. Try and say that 10 times fast! Llandudno is actually pronounced ‘Clan-dudno’. This beautiful coastal town is complete with palm trees and is clearly popular thanks to its some odd 700 hotels! And even with this number of hotels, its town still felt quaint and uncrowded. After checking into our waterside hotel, The Imperial with stunning views of the ocean, we strolled down the promenade and walked down the windy pier. The views are breathtaking and we are happy to have ventured to this cozy town in North Wales. Time to put our feet up and have a cozy dinner…but wait, it happens to be Saturday night and we discover Llandudno has a vibrant nightlife, featuring trendy restaurants and a few clubs if you wish!

For more information on planning your trip to Liverpool: Visit Liverpool

For more information on planning your trip to Wales: Visit Wales

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 7 – Tour York and Savour Liverpool, oh my!

Angela — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:39:33 +0000

May 20, meet Ellie, The European Eagle Owl, housed along with other birds of prey on Swinton Park Castle’s grounds. After learning about all the resident birds, Ellie was released and invited to fly, and then land on each of our hands, with the help of pheasant meat bribes. Such a cool experience to feel the power of this bird’s flight!

After one last stroll around the castle grounds, it was time to make our way to the nearby city of York. We made use of the Yorkshire Sightseeing Pass beginning with a visit to the National Railway Museum, which houses a number of old steam locomotives, wagons & carriages, followed by a ride on the antique inspired road train which stops just outside York Minster.

York Minster, northern Europe’s largest Gothic cathedral, is certainly impressive as you get the real scale of the building comparing how small people appear when standing outside its steps. Upon entering we heard the organ playing some fabulously loud and moody piece, where a sign indicated there was an organ recital – lucky us! The cathedral is huge with many different sections to explore, including a quire, chapter house, under-croft, treasury and crypt. You really get a sense of how much history there is in this masterpiece, and a bit of an ‘Indiana Jones’ flashback, as you walk over old inscribed grave tiles and see the collections of silver goblets and other artifacts.

Next we made our way to Shambles Street, voted by Google to be Britain’s most picturesque street, lined with shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes, bakeries etc…and is located amongst a central maze of other quaint streets, where we found a cozy bistro to break for lunch.

Jorvik, was the next stop on our list as it represents an archaeological excavation site from the Viking Ages. We stepped onto a mobile ride-type capsule that transported us through an entire re-creation of a Viking village. We had no idea what to expect at this attraction and, although we thought the ride aspect was a bit weird, it was still an interesting display of Viking history.

We continued our tour of York onto Cliffords Tower for a climb up the steps and quick visit and then made our way to York Castle Museum, where unfortunately we didn’t have much time to explore; it was already time to catch a train to Liverpool for the night.

Arriving in Liverpool was exciting as the minute we stepped off the train we could feel the energy of this city and were happy to realize it was a Friday night! We walked from Liverpool Limestreet station to our trendy hotel, base2stay Liverpool, on Seel St. And it just so happened that this street was conveniently located on the same street as some of Liverpool’s best restaurants, bars and clubs. We found a Spanish tapas restaurant for a festive dinner, amongst some lively groups and then walked down Seel St. where we saw a few bands unloading for the night and heard great live music emanating from Heebie-jeebies so we popped in for a bit. Last stop – Alma de Cuba, very popular among locals and visitors alike, it has been awarded Best Bar, Best Restaurant and UK’s Best Venue – set in an old church, with great music and Cuban dancers.

Note: a Yorkshire Pass allows entry into 75 of the county’s main attractions. Entry into the National Railway Museum is free and there is a small fee to ride the road train, where a Yorkshire Pass is valid. There is a fee to enter the cathedral, where a Yorkshire Pass is valid, and there is an additional fee to climb the cathedral’s tower. There is a fee to enter Jorvik, where a Yorkshire Pass is valid. Other popular places to visit which are included with the pass are: York Dungeon, York Maze, Castle Howard, Fountains Abbey, The Deep aquarium, among many others.

For more information on planning your trip to York: Yorkshire

For more information on planning your trip to Liverpool: Visit Liverpool

Stay tuned for day 8, where we take in the city of Liverpool and journey to Wales…

Jen’s highlight of the day: Listening to the organ recital in York Minster. It was hauntingly beautiful and gave her goosebumps.

Angela’s highlight of the day: People watching in Liverpool: beautiful men and women. The women were dressed to the nines with big hair, 70’s pantsuits, 6 inch heels and retro makeup…and I don’t mean just a few, I mean they were all dressed up sporting the latest fashions!

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane

Day 6 – A First Class Experience: TransPennine Express & Castle Stay at Swinton Park

Angela — Sat, 21 May 2011 18:48:25 +0000

May 19, after a night pub hopping in Edinburgh we woke up and headed out for a morning tour aboard City Sightseeing Edinburgh, which once again highlighted interesting historical buildings and attractions en route, where we hopped off at Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.

With an exciting evening ahead of us, we opted to hop on the train at Edinburgh Waverly to continue our journey to Northallerton station, in the Yorkshire Dales of England. The TransPennine Express train has a nice first class carriage, complete with at-table menu service and hot meal options that can be ordered and enjoyed en route. This first class experience was just beginning as next it was onto Swinton Park Castle Hotel! After a picturesque 25 minute taxi ride through farmland and quaint towns we arrived at our castle for the night. First impressions:

Wow! Driving through the gates, you make your way up a large circular driveway and step through the tower entrance.
Reception welcomes you with a warm smile and takes you around the castle hotel to point out the different rooms, including a drawing room, library, bar, dining room, spa and path to the gardens.
People are enjoying the surroundings, with a few groups sitting on the terrace having drinks, others making their way to the adjacent golf course and strolling through the gardens.
When you enter your suite, the views are breathtaking, the furniture is antique rich, and the bathroom is beautifully lit, complete with Molton Brown products and plush bath robes.

After taking in all the splendor of our suite, we made our way to the gardens, where rhododendron trees are bursting with bright fuchsia flowers, lily pad lakes are spotted throughout the trail and nature is perfectly present – where birds, ducks, bees, rabbits, deer and sheep roam around freely.

Next it was time to freshen up and present ourselves for drinks and dinner. Where to begin…the ingredients are so fresh and grown in the castle’s very own gardens. The service is unbelievably efficient, informative and friendly. The plates arrive in beautiful displays of textures and colours and, most importantly, they taste absolutely delicious. We enjoyed tuna tartar, smoked duck, roast lamb and grilled bass. Feeling utterly content, we retired to the drawing room to relax and read before calling it a night – a fairytale night in our very own castle!

Note: Castle stays are offered throughout England and are quite a unique experience to compliment any visit. After flying in from abroad, touring the countryside and cities, it’s nice to have a special night planned to treat yourself to something you most likely don’t have the opportunity to do at home. Swinton Castle Park is a leading choice for your castle stay as it is not only stunningly beautiful but it has also won numerous awards including, Family Hotel of the Year, Hotel of the Year, Sustainable Tourism Award, Green Business Award, among many others. Another great way to travel green!

For more information on planning your trip: Visit England.

Stay tuned for day 7 where we conquer the city of York…

Jen’s highlight of the day: our evening in the castle’s drawing room, where the atmosphere was cozy, the furnishing lavish and the mood tranquil.

Angela’s highlight of the day: walking through the gardens on the castle’s 200 acres of landscaped parkland, peaking through all the gates so as not to miss one nook or cranny.

By: Angela Guezen

Photos by: Jen Crane