The Polar Express tickets are now for sale.

[everydayaschoolday]

Some weekend dates are already sold out for Premium Seating.

www.ukpolarexpressride.com

[Rosvita]

Thanks - looks good.Has any

[Rosvita]

Sorry posted too soon!has anyone been to this before?looks good -just over 2 hours away from us and wondering if it's worth it?also concerned about if the roads are bad come the day.

[everydayaschoolday]

I've not been before Rosvita, so watching with interest for reviews :)

We're 3 - 3.5 hours away. We're just risking the weather thing - doesn't the severe snow usually happen in Feb ?

[HedgehogHairbrush]

My neighbour went last year and was very disappointed. The tickets are very expensive!

[Trapper]

They aren't even running real steam trains: "Both UK Polar Express trains are powered by vintage diesel locomotive engines".

"Images are for illustration purposes" presumably means "it will look nothing like this in real life"

[everydayaschoolday]

Yes it's a shame it's not powered by steam. But my kids will know no different. They'll probably just be blown away by the hot choc and singing lol.

[mmmmmchocolate]

I know someone who went to the dartmoor one after I showed her it. She said it was very badly organised. It was very expensive (tickets, 3 hour travel and a hotel for the night) and the conductor was rude to her. She did complain but received a letter back saying that there was no refund available for this tour.

It's a shame because I'd love to take my dc's to it but if it's anything less than perfect id be disappointed.

[westcountrywoman]

I've heard not great things about the Dartmoor one. Poor organisation, miserable staff, shabby trains and NOTHING like the magical experience portrayed on the website. No personal experience though.

If you want a fab Santa experience in the area (ish), we were blown away by the Eden Project last year. Real reindeer, a hunt for "reindeer food ingredients" in the biomes, a fab story, awesome massive grotto with wood fire and elf bedrooms, visit the kitchen to watch them make the reindeer food, and a lovely gift, no tacky plastic tat in sight! And not too pricey either.

[MrsPresley]

We went a couple of years ago, might have been 3.

Everyone enjoyed it, didn't have the premium seats as there were too many of us and couldn't justify the cost.

We hired a minibus and went from Edinburgh to Weardale, had a great time, kids and adults all had new pyjamas and dressing gowns

It was the last year my DD believed and we still have the bell. Personally I loved it.

I do wish it had been a bit closer to home, hiring the bus made it very expensive, but for the kids it was worth every penny.

On the way home we stopped at Alnwick and went to a chippy/cafe where I had the best spam fritter and chips I've ever had

[Hobbes8]

If you want a steam train, the national rail museum in York does a Santa experience. It's not very long, and probably not worth travelling far for, but it was quite fun. A ride on a decorated train, searching for Santa in the sky and then he appears, meets all the children individually and then they come back to the station for hot chocolate and a biscuit.

[UniS]

Dartmoor polar express is poor value for money. Not worth a long journey. Posters are misleading about steam trains and the polar village set last year was shonkey.

If you want trains at Christmas in Devon, go for the lynton and barnstable ( l&b) Santa special's are pretty good. Steam train, decent present, well organised, not too pricey. You give children's age when you book and gifts are aimed at that age. Last year 7/8 year olds had those animal hats with a scarf bit.

[Thecircle]

We went to durham last year, although it is local to us.

The premium carriages are painted like the polar express but the others are basically an old inter city train.

We did enjoy it, was well organised I thought.

You get hot chocolate and cookies and the chefs dance up and down the aisles, then Santa arrives.

My ds was only just 3 and he loved it

[everydayaschoolday]

We're going on the Weardale/Durham one, so I'm thankful that some good reviews are coming through for that one. Cheers guys. Sorry for those disappointed in the Dartmoor one :(