A steam locomotive stands in snow at Quorn and Woodhouse station during a Great Central Railway winter gala, steam and snowfall merging in the cold air.
Photo: simon tunstall · CC BY 3.0
57 festive trains priced · updated 2026-11-08

Santa train prices 2026: cheapest to dearest

From adults £2.50 at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to £130+ at North Weald Station, Epping Ongar Railway. The national picture nobody publishes, parsed from organiser pricing and re-checked weekly.

The from-price below is the lowest advertised per-person price on the organiser’s own site, ignoring child-only and concession rates, as parsed on the weekly verification pass. The median festive train costs about £24.25 a head this season. Family totals vary: most festive rides charge every seat, so a family of four pays four fares. Where a railway is missing, it has either not published 2026 pricing yet or prices in a format we will not guess at; it appears the week the organiser publishes.

#EventCountyFromStatus
1 Christmas Daytimes at Beamish Museum County Durham Adults £2.50 Tickets available
2 Santa Steam Trains at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway West Lothian From £3 Tickets available
3 Santa Specials at Moors Valley Railway Dorset From £3.75 Tickets available
4 Santa Trains on the Welsh Highland Railway Gwynedd From £4.95 Tickets available
5 THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride – Wensleydale Railway North Yorkshire Adults £5 Tickets available
6 THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride – London Euston Greater London From £5 Tickets available
7 Festive Express Railway Experience at Exbury Gardens Hampshire From £9 Tickets available
8 Santa Specials at Peak Rail Derbyshire From £9 Tickets available
9 Santa Specials at the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway Lincolnshire Adults £10 Tickets available
10 Father Christmas at Perrygrove Railway Gloucestershire From £11 Selling fast
11 The Polar Express at the Brecon Mountain Railway Merthyr Tydfil From £12 Tickets available
12 Santa Specials at the Dean Forest Railway Gloucestershire From £12.50 Tickets available
13 Santa Specials at the Bala Lake Railway Gwynedd Adults £13.50 Tickets available
14 The Polar Express Train Ride at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway North Yorkshire Adults £15
15 Santa Special at the Gwili Railway Carmarthenshire From £15 Tickets available
16 Talyllyn Railway Santa Special Gwynedd Adults £15 Tickets available
17 All Aboard for Christmas at Whitehead Railway Museum County Antrim Adults £16.50 Tickets available
18 Santa Specials at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway Wiltshire Adults £17 Tickets available
19 Santa Steam Specials at the Avon Valley Railway Gloucestershire From £18 Tickets available
20 Christmas Night Train at Exbury Gardens Hampshire From £19 Tickets available
21 Steam Into Christmas at Didcot Railway Centre Oxfordshire Adults £20 Tickets available
22 Santa Express at the West Somerset Railway Somerset From £20.50 Tickets available
23 Glad Tidings - Christmas Evenings at BCLM West Midlands Adults £20.95 Tickets available
24 The Lapland Express at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway County Down Adults £21 Tickets available
25 Father Christmas Express on the Watercress Line Hampshire Adults £22.50 Selling fast
26 Christmas Special at Audley End Enchanted Railway Essex Adults £23.50 Tickets available
27 Santa Specials at the South Tynedale Railway Cumbria From £24 Tickets available
28 Santa Specials at the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway Powys Adults £24 Tickets available
29 Santa Specials at the North Norfolk Railway Norfolk From £24.25 Tickets available
30 Santa Steam Specials at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Buckinghamshire From £24.50 Tickets available
31 Santa Specials at the East Lancashire Railway Greater Manchester Adults £25 Tickets available
32 Visit Santa by Train at Colne Valley Railway Essex Adults £25 Tickets available
33 The Santa Express at Whistlestop Valley West Yorkshire Adults £25.95 Tickets available
34 The Elf Explorer at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway West Yorkshire From £26 Tickets available
35 Festive Express at the Bure Valley Railway Norfolk From £26 Tickets available
36 The Great Central Santa Express at the Great Central Railway Leicestershire From £27.50 Tickets available
37 The Polar Express Train Ride at the Churnet Valley Railway Staffordshire From £28.95 Tickets available
38 Santa Express at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway North Yorkshire From £29.50 Tickets available
39 THE POLAR EXPRESS Tram Ride, Seaton Tramway Devon From £29.95 Tickets available
40 Father Christmas Yuletide Express at the Swanage Railway Dorset From £29.95 Selling fast
41 Santa Specials at Nene Valley Railway Cambridgeshire Adults £30 Tickets available
42 Tinsel Trains at Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway Cumbria From £30 Tickets available
43 Santa Specials at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway Isle of Wight Adults £30 Tickets available
44 The Polar Express Train Ride at the Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Angus From £30.95
45 Christmas Train of Lights at the Dartmouth Steam Railway Devon From £31.50 Tickets available
46 Santa Express at Weardale Railway County Durham From £33 Tickets available
47 THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride – Telford Steam Railway Shropshire From £33.99 Tickets available
48 Santa Specials at the Bluebell Railway East Sussex Adults £35 Tickets available
49 The Polar Express Train Ride at the South Devon Railway Devon From £35.95 Tickets available
50 Day Out With Thomas Festive Celebration at Statfold Country Park Staffordshire Adults £38.50 Not yet on sale
51 The Polar Express Train Ride at the Spa Valley Railway Kent From £39.95 Tickets available
52 Santa's Enchanted Journey at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Derbyshire From £50 Tickets available
53 North Pole Express at the Foxfield Railway Staffordshire From £51 Tickets available
54 THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride – Birmingham Moor Street West Midlands From £56 Tickets available
55 Santa's Steam Specials at the Severn Valley Railway Worcestershire From £67 Tickets available
56 Santa Specials at the Kent & East Sussex Railway Kent From £100 Selling fast
57 Santa's Special Trains at the Epping Ongar Railway Essex From £130 Tickets available

Santa train prices: quick answers

Why do santa train prices vary so much?

You are paying for very different things. A short miniature-railway ride with a present is a few pounds; a two-hour theatrical production with hot chocolate service, performers in every carriage and a per-seat licence fee is a £40-plus product. Journey length, catering, the size of the operation and whether it is a licensed show like the Polar Express all move the price.

Is the cheapest santa train worth it?

Often, yes. Small railways and canal trusts run short, well-done santa trips where a family of four gets change from £60. They sell on charm rather than production values, and younger children rarely notice the difference.

Do adults pay on santa trains?

Almost always. Most festive rides price per seat regardless of age, and some charge more for adults. The from-price shown here is the lowest advertised per-person price after stripping child-only and concession rates.

Prices tracked weekly

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