A Dylan Thomas Rail Tour
Holiday Highlights
- 2 nights’ stay in Dylan Thomas’s House
- Visit to Laugharne
- Visit to the Dylan Thomas Centre
- Ride on the Heart of Wales + Cambrian Lines
- Return journey on the Vale of Rheidol railway
- Free time in Aberystwyth
We have created a 5-day break that pays homage to the work and life of Wales’ great poet Dylan Thomas. Visit Swansea, the town of his birth and the famous boathouse in Laugharne where he spent the last years of his life. As rail experts we have also included wonderful scenic rail journeys during this break that take you through the heart of Wales, known aptly as the ‘land of poets’.
Itinerary
Day 1 – To Swansea
Travel to Swansea by train (we can arrange your travel at additional cost) for a 2-night stay in the self-catering house where Dylan Thomas was born. Imagine staying in arguably the most famous home in Welsh literature - the house where one of the most celebrated poets and writers of the 20th Century was born. Dylan Thomas spent the first 23 years of his life here and where he first put pen to paper. There will also be time to visit the Dylan Thomas Centre, which houses a large, permanent exhibition about his life and work.
Day 2 – Laugharne Boathouse
Take a return rail and bus journey via Camarthen to Laugharne to visit the famous boathouse where Dylan lived during the last four years of his life and where he wrote many of his poems. The boathouse is now a museum and is currently closed due to COVID, but the outside tea room area is open. The museum contains lots of memorabilia and much of the original furniture. Close to the main house is a cliff-top garage that became his writing shed, which is furnished with his desk and writing materials. You can also visit his regular drinking hole, Browns Hotel which has now been restored to a five-star boutique hotel and oozes a subtle 1940s/50s glamour.
Day 3 – Heart Of Wales and Cambrian Line
Catch the morning train to Shrewsbury. The Heart of Wales Line is a spectacular rural railway between Swansea and Shrewsbury and the route is described as taking you through the ‘land of poets’. You will have a two hour wait in Shrewsbury to enjoy lunch, before boarding the scenic Cambrian Line to the ancient seaside town of Aberystwyth.
Day 4 – Vale of Rheidol Railway
A chance to ride one of the ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’, the Vale of Rheidol Railway, which is the finest way to explore the stunning Rheidol Valley. The powerful narrow gauge steam locomotive climbs 700ft (200m) over 11¾ miles from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge. Later, spend a leisurely afternoon exploring Aberystwyth and perhaps ride the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway, a 778ft long funicular railway which delivers wonderful, panoramic views of town and coastline.
Day 5 – Return Home
We can arrange your train journey home (at additional cost).
Selected Hotels
The Dylan Thomas Birthplace (self-catered house), Swansea
Gwesty'r Marine Hotel & Spa, Aberystwyth
Please note - hotels can be subject to change
Price Includes
- 4 nights’ hotel accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis
- Return rail tickets to Carmarthen- Standard Class
- Rail tickets from Swansea to Aberystwyth – Standard Class
- Return tickets for the Vale of Rheidol
Price per person
From £660 per person
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