The Fry’S Chocolate Steam Train & Bristol Harbour Cruise

Itinerary

What’s Included?

• Return coach travel
• 2 nights at a selected 2 or 3-star hotel with dinner & breakfast
• Heritage train journey on the Avon Valley Railway*
• Exclusive brake van ride hauled by the Fry’s Chocolate Train (with one Fry’s Chocolate goodie bag per person)
• Avon River Cruise
• Included visit to Bath
  
  *Please note: whilst a steam locomotive is scheduled to operate the main passenger service, if for any reason it is not able to operate, a diesel service will be used as a substitute.

The Fry’s Chocolate Steam Train

The Fry’s Chocolate Steam Train

Built in 1928, the Fry’s ‘Chocolate Train’ worked at the Somerdale Chocolate Factory in Keynsham until 1956 where it was scrapped, forgotten and eventually lost. After decades, it was finally tracked down to a garden shed in Essex and brought back to its rightful home by railway volunteers in 2009.

After ten years of restoration efforts by dedicated volunteers, this little locomotive from a bygone era returned to the tracks on the Avon Valley Railway for the first time in 60 years in April 2019!

Now you can be a part of this workhorse engine’s legacy with this break on offer from National Holidays! Our tour to the area offers you the chance to enjoy a brake van ride hauled by the Fry’s Chocolate Steam Train (with a Fry’s Chocolate goodie bag included) so you can get the full experience of this iconic train up close and personal.

Avon Valley Railway

Avon Valley Railway

All aboard for a scenic journey from another time as National Holidays invites you to travel by heritage steam* train from the charming Bitton Station through the stunning South West countryside on the Avon Valley Railway.

Opened in 1869, the railway was designed as a through-route between Birmingham and the South Coast allowing easy travel from the heart of England to the seaside. The Avon Valley Railway has been carefully restored and developed by dedicated volunteers for decades who have turned it into a major tourist attraction for families and locomotive enthusiasts alike, receiving around 80,000 visitors a year. Developments have seen the likes of the Fry’s Sentinel (or Fry’s ‘Chocolate Train’ as it is also known), return to the rails, 60 years after it was retired!

The beautiful heritage steam trains allow passengers to explore the hidden depths of the Avon Valley and the scenic beauty all around.

*Please note: whilst a steam locomotive is scheduled to operate the main passenger service, if for any reason it is not able to operate, a diesel service will be used as a substitute.

River Avon Cruise

River Avon Cruise

Take a lovely sightseeing cruise along the River Avon departing from charming Stratford-upon-Avon with live commentary from an expert guide.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the views from the comfort of your cruise boat as you pass through Stratford’s two historic bridges, Clopton and Tramway, wend your way past the Royal Shakespeare Theatres down to Holy Trinity church where William Shakespeare is buried and then return upstream into the glorious Warwickshire countryside. Admire lovely riverside gardens and look out for the resident wildlife including herons, buzzards and the famous Stratford swans while learning fascinating facts about Shakespeare and his hometown from your tour guide.

This is a fantastic river cruise experience not to be missed!

Bath

Bath

The delightful city of Bath offers a unique experience and is a great place to visit on a UK coach holiday. It is the only city in the UK to be named a World Heritage Site.

Rich in diversity, its most famous attraction is of course its natural hot springs at the Roman Baths, a magnificent temple and bathing complex.

Fry's Chocolate Train

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Accommodation

Selected hotel (2 or 3-star rating) Selected hotel (2 or 3-star rating)

Hotel Features: Bedrooms with en-suite facilities ● Restaurant (buffet style meals) ● Bar

Hotel accessibility information

Your hotel will be confirmed approximately 3 weeks before departure, therefore we cannot guarantee that the hotel will have a lift and/or ground floor rooms and may be unsuitable for those with limited mobility.

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