All Line Rover: must-see destinations?

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

As this is my final year with a young person's railcard, I'm planning on a ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) trip later this year to take advantage of the huge discount available on this ticket and burn some of my largely unused annual leave allowance.

I will start my week at either Cambridge or Cosham and don't need to return home at anytime if I'm doing 7 days.  If I end up going for 14 days, then I'll probably head home two or three times during the validity period.

Does anyone have any must-see destinations (both on and off the railway)?

On my list at the moment:
- Invesness to Thurso/Wick
- Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh
- Settle to Carlisle
- Ffestiniog Railway
- Possibly Cornwall again if I have a spare day or two (did most of the branches last year, but really liked St Ives)

[John R]

The far north line isn't actually that interesting, other than to tick it off the list.  I'd be more inclined to see whether you can get from Kyle to Mallaig or Fort William by other means and do the West Highland Line instead.

A trip down to Cornwall is recommended, and I'd also suggest you try and do the line from Edinburgh to Newcastle, making sure you sit on the coast side of the line. Finally, the Heart of Wales line is excellent, so a round trip including that and the Welsh Marches line from Newport to Shrewsbury is a good day out.

I did most of those when I did a Railrover in my final year of Uni.  I seem to recall it cost me ^80!

[Merthyr Imp]

Don't miss Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth then up the Cambrian Coast line to Pwllheli (although it was better in the days of the old-style dmus when you could look over the driver's shoulder).

[LiskeardRich]

I'd recommending avoiding st Ives in school holidays. Same for Newquay.
They both get overrun with tourists and you can't enjoy the natural beauty of the areas as they are all heavily crowded.

[JayMac]

Across the Pennines from Manchester to Huddersfield. Through the longest wholly level tunnel on the network at Standege. A line that runs up hill and down dale through mill towns that were drivers of the industrial revolution.

And your plans to go to Scotland. Take the Caledonian Sleeper in one direction at least. Excessing to 1st Class for a solo berth and Sleeper lounge car access. And if you grab a Single Malt  as a nightcap, have it how you like. With Dry Ginger and ice just to wind up CfN!

Oh and the Cumbrian Coast (not to be confused with Cambrian). Varied scenery. Coast, mountain and nuclear facilities.

And do let us know a rough itinerary, or update while travelling. I regularly have a regional rover in my ticket wallet. Paths might cross.

[Chris from Nailsea]

And if you grab a Single Malt as a nightcap, have it how you like. With Dry Ginger and ice just to wind up CfN!

I heard that!! 

[bobm]

I have used a 14 day ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) the last two summers.

These accounts* might give you some ideas

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14256.0

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15842.0

*These accounts are in our Frequent Posters section which is only available to those who have posted a certain number of posts.

And if you grab a Single Malt as a nightcap, have it how you like. With Dry Ginger and ice just to wind up CfN!

I heard that!! 

Oh I am all for that!  You can pacify him by bringing back a sample though.   

[JayMac]

Oh I am all for that!  You can pacify him by bringing back a sample though.   

Indeed. A can of Canada Dry will only set you back a quid! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

May I thank bobm here for his very kind gesture in gifting me samples of 'Highland Park aged 12 years' and 'Tomintoul Speyside Glenlivet'.

They are both unopened, in my dining room, awaiting a suitably special occasion. They are not to be glugged down with ginger ale! 

[eightf48544]

Why not try some rarer routes. Grand Central 12.24 Doncaster Bradford You wind around what's left of the vast South Yorkshire Coal network. Then there's the Power station line from Knottingly to Selby via Eggborough and Drax.

Loco hauled on the Cumbrian Coast and drop off at Ravenglass for the Narrow (miniature) gauge

 As well as the Ffestiniog you could also look at the Welsh Highland (in my opinion more scenic than the Ffestiniog),  although you'd probably have to use a  bus one way as it's difficult to fit in a return journey in a day. So maybe a stay at Caernarfon Porthmadog or Ffestiniog. If only one way recommend Porthmadog to Caernarfon direction with the climb from Beddgelert to Ryhd Ddu.

Does it cover the Overground? If so why not the Outer Circle? North, East, South and West London Lines. Then there's the GOB. Gospal Oak - Barking. Fascinating glimpses  into London Life!

Then there's the Stockport Stalybridge FO One way "Ghost Train" as featured last night in Paul Merton's Request Stops.

For a fuller Choice look at "Passenger Train Services over Unusual Lines"

 http://www.psul4all.free-online.co.uk/intro.htm

I'm not a track basher! (Honest)

[ChrisB]

Invest a little more & fly up to Inverness on a cheapie....saves a day on the rover getting there/back

[paul7575]

Does it cover the Overground?

Definitely.   Despite what some LO staff seem to think, LO is a 100% normal TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) for national ticketing rules.

Paul

[grahame]

Ah ... threads such as this remind me of my youth ... I think these days I would take an all line rover as an opportunity to see at first hand what's going on across the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail network, selecting destinations of rail interest and seeing the more regular network elements between.

Some selections to take in.  Corby and north from there. Lowestoft. North Berwick. Leeds to Lancaster. Stranraer. Whitby. Cambridge to Ipswich.   Wolverhampton to Walsall (looks like it's diverted via Soho now?). Some Welsh Valleys - perhaps Ebbw Vale and Maesteg?  And some I've not done such as Cleethorpes.   I HAVE been on a train that called at Shippea Hill, but not got off or on there ... and at the other extreme I expect might end up at Waterloo at some point.

[Timmer]

West Highland Line is an absolute must. The route from Edinburgh up to Aberdeen virtually along the coast is well worth it too IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

[chrisr_75]

West Highland Line is an absolute must. The route from Edinburgh up to Aberdeen virtually along the coast is well worth it too IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

I'd second that about the Edinburgh to Aberdeen route, much more scenic than you might imagine. It also crosses the Forth Bridge which is a bit of an event if you've not done it before and you can continue up to Inverness from Aberdeen as I recall.

Also some very good deals on hotels in Aberdeen at the current time if you needed an overnight stop, although going by anecdotal evidence from colleagues, the place is a bit subdued these days...

You might also want to have a look at the Heart of Wales route too. You could do a nice (approximate) figure of 8 through Wales/the Marches - SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line) to Swansea > Shrewsbury via Heart of Wales > Llandudno Junction > Blaenau Ffestiniog (or to Bangor & bus to Caernarfon for Welsh Highland) > Porthmadog > Shrewsbury > Newport via Hereford or to Crewe or Birmingham depending on subsequent destinations.