While London has excellent rail links, it’s not the only city from which you can launch a great car-free escape. These six UK destinations are also brilliantly accessible from other major hubs like Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Leeds, proving that stress-free train travel is for everyone.
For travellers from Glasgow, the Lake District is just under two hours away by train to Oxenholme. A quick connection to Windermere, and you can be checking into your stylish, affordable hotel. It’s an incredibly quick and easy way to access one of the UK’s most stunning national parks from central Scotland.
The Brucefield Estate in Scotland is, naturally, very easy to reach from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. A direct train to Alloa from Glasgow takes less than an hour, while the journey from Edinburgh (with a change at Stirling) is only slightly longer. It makes these secluded woodland bothies a perfect weekend escape for Scots looking for a taste of the wild.
From northern English cities like Manchester and Leeds, the Lake District and the Northumberland coast are both fantastic options. Oxenholme is just over an hour from Manchester, while the journey to Alnmouth from Leeds takes around two hours. This puts dramatic coastlines and epic fells within easy reach for a weekend break.
The Cornish coast is also more accessible than you might think. Direct trains run to Penzance from Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, and even as far as Edinburgh, making the seaside hideout a viable destination for travellers from across the country. The Berkshire spa hotel is also easily reached from the west via the main line from Bristol.