Let Grand Central whisk you away to a world of festive cheer.
Whether you fancy strolling York's historic streets adorned with twinkling lights, ice skating under the stars at the magical Somerset House or soaking up the cosy charm of Halifax and its Piece Hall, or taking a trip to the capital, we've got you covered! Our Christmas train travel offers direct routes to multiple magical destinations - taking the stress out of your journey and allowing you to create unforgettable Christmas memories from the moment you step on board.
Discover some of our most popular routes and get planning your Christmas days out!
Looking for inspiration for things to do at Christmas? Check out our blog highlighting the winter wonders along our route as well as handy seasonal tips and tricks:
- Best Christmas markets to visit
- Best Christmas city breaks
- Christmas gift ideas for Christmas shopping
- Christmas in London
- Christmas & New Year travel
- Winter holiday packing list & packing tips
- The best Christmas light shows
- Things to do in winter: York UK guide
- London New Year's Eve events
- Things to do in Halifax, West Yorkshire this winter & Christmas
Start planning your festive adventure.
The best places to go at Christmas
Are you still stuck on where to go for your festive days out this year? Or perhaps you’re planning a Christmas holiday? Whatever you’ve got in mind, we’ve got you covered! If you’re heading out of the UK this festive season, you can cut the stress and jump on a Grand Central train to many of the UK's major airports! Use our station finder to search for a train station and find out if we run a service to the airport you’re travelling from, and discover the best Christmas destinations below.
The best places to go on holiday at Christmas
City breaks for classic festivities (think sprawling Christmas markets, beautiful twinkling lights and unforgettable decorations):
- Nuremberg, Germany
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Brussels, Belgium
- Gdansk, Poland
- Paris, France
- New York City, USA
For those looking for that much-needed winter sun:
- Canary Islands (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria)
- Malta
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Mexico
- The Caribbean
- Thailand
The best places to go in the UK at Christmas
Cities to visit (known for their amazing Christmas markets and festive feel)
- London
- Edinburgh
- York
- Birmingham
- Manchester
- Bath
- Chester
- Winchester
UK Christmas stay-cations:
- The Cotswolds
- Surrey (one for fans of The Holiday!)
- The Lake District
- Centre Parcs
- North Yorkshire
Christmas trains
Avoid disappointment and get your Christmas train travel sorted early to secure the perfect Christmas days out. This is one of the busiest times of the year, so we recommend booking your tickets in advance to ensure you have plenty of time to spare. As soon as you’ve got your Christmas plans in place, get on our Journey Planner and get your Christmas train travel sorted. This is the best way to ensure you can travel on the days and times that suit you over the upcoming festive period.
Planning on travelling between Christmas and New Year?
If you’re planning to travel by train in the week between Christmas and New Year, we recommend booking your tickets in advance for these journeys too. Many services won’t be operating at full capacity, so there is a higher chance that the days and times you need may become fully booked. See a breakdown below of what days our trains will be operating over Christmas and to what capacity:
- Christmas Eve: Trains running more or less as usual, with an earlier last service
- Christmas Day: No trains will be running at all
- Boxing Day: Extremely limited services - no Grand Central trains will be running.
- 27th-30th December: Trains will be running on the days in between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve; however, they might start later than usual due to engineering work that takes place over Christmas
- New Year's Eve: Trains will be running, but with an earlier finish time
- New Year’s Day: Trains may start later in the morning and finish earlier in the day -
If you’re catching the train between Christmas and New Year, we would always advise checking the train times before heading to the station. Use our Journey Planner to check when the next train is scheduled to arrive at your desired location and book your tickets in advance.
*Published Christmas fares are subject to availability. Advance tickets are sold in limited numbers and asubject to availability. Read National Rail's Advance tickets T&Cs here. Anytime fares are available at higher prices and offer greater flexibility. Read National Rail's Anytime tickets T&Cs here.