Santa Specials in the UK

Mostly between June and September, with a few lines opening as early as spring. The popular dates, weekend afternoons and Christmas Eve, are usually gone by October, so booking in September is sensible and booking in November is optimistic.

Typically £15 to £35 per seat including a present for each child, with adults often paying the same as children. Private compartments for a family group run higher, roughly £70 to £150 depending on the line.

Usually yes, though most lines sell a cheap or free under-2 ticket without a seat or present. Check the listing, because a few railways include a small gift for babies and charge accordingly.

The train does a steady round trip of 45 minutes to an hour and a half while Santa moves through the coaches with helpers, giving every child a present and a chat. Refreshments come round too, and stations are usually dressed with lights and sometimes a grotto.

Look midweek, look at early December, and look one line further away. Returns do appear, so it is worth checking again in late November, and our weekly re-checks catch released seats.

Often but not always, and a heritage diesel can substitute in bad weather or during maintenance. If steam matters to you, check the listing notes, though at 4pm in December the lights and the hot chocolate matter more to most children.

Use the postcode search to sort every Santa special on this page by distance, so the nearest line to you comes first. This list runs from Cornwall to the Highlands and is checked weekly through the autumn, so a newly announced train near you will show up here too.

No, they are two separate things at the same Saffron Walden site. The Christmas Special is the 10.25-inch miniature railway's own Santa train, run by Audley End Enchanted Railway through the woods. Audley End House and Gardens, run separately by English Heritage, has its own Father Christmas and festive house events. Check which one you have booked, since the tickets and entrances are different.