Celebrations Aboard the Northern Belle

The opulence and style of the Northern Belle carriages make the perfect backdrop for an occasion worth remembering, and nobody forgets a day spent aboard this train.

Royalty, film stars and heads of state travelled in this kind of luxury on the great Belle trains of the 1920s and 1930s, and that golden age has been recreated in every detail. Stepping aboard is like stepping back in time, to an age when the journey mattered as much as the destination. It is a setting no restaurant or hotel can match, and it turns an anniversary or a milestone birthday into something people talk about for years afterwards.

The Christmas Lunch is the journey the Northern Belle is best known for, and the one that sells out first each year. The carriages are dressed for the season, a glass of Champagne meets you on the platform, and a seven-course festive feast is served with the sommelier's wines as the train makes a long circular tour through the winter countryside. Strolling musicians work their way between the carriages and a table magician moves from table to table. Nobody disembarks, which makes it an unusually easy day out for a family party or a group of friends.

Any Northern Belle journey can be turned into a celebration. Tell us the occasion when you book and the on-board team will do the rest, whether that is a bottle waiting at the table, a quiet word with the musicians, or simply making sure the moment happens at the right point in the afternoon. Champagne upgrades are available on most journeys, including a Moët & Chandon reception or a bottle of KRUG Grande Cuvée per couple with seating in one of the storied carriages.

Gift vouchers are available for any amount and can be redeemed against any journey, which makes them a fine present for someone who is difficult to buy for. There is no more elegant way to give a day to remember.

Journeys and Departure Dates

15 departures are still to come in this collection, 8 in 2026 and 7 in 2027. Every date shown is open for booking; dates that have already run have been removed.

All timings are for guidance only. Confirmed timings are supplied with your travel documents, which are sent five to seven days before departure once Network Rail releases the final path. Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability.

Christmas Lunch

Celebrations
From£445

The Christmas Lunch is the Northern Belle's most loved journey of the year, and the one that books first. The carriages are dressed for the season, garlands along the luggage racks and candlelight on the white linen, and the train sets off on a circular tour through the winter countryside with no need to leave your seat all day.

A glass of Champagne greets you on the platform. Then comes a seven-course festive feast with all the trimmings, prepared on board and served with the sommelier's choice of wine, followed by the award-winning British cheeseboard with port, and Fortnum & Mason tea with petits fours. Strolling musicians move between the carriages and a table magician works the room. It is the sort of afternoon people talk about for years.

Passengers do not disembark on this journey, which makes it a particularly easy day out for a family group or a party of friends.

Your day includes:

  • A Champagne reception on boarding
  • A seven-course festive lunch with all the trimmings
  • The sommelier's choice of wine and a glass of port with the cheeseboard
  • Strolling musicians and a table magician
  • Fortnum & Mason tea and petits fours

Smart day wear is appropriate on lunch journeys. Please avoid jeans and trainers.

A Northern Belle carriage dressed for Christmas
Dressed for Christmas

At a Glance

From
£445 pp
Table for 2
+£105 pp
Style
Day excursion
Departures
15
Years
2026 & 2027

Destination

Circular, no disembarking

Departure Dates and Timings

Date Boarding Station Depart Return Price
28 November 2026 Glasgow Central 11:30 17:30 £445
Edinburgh Waverley 13:10 19:20
4 December 2026 Crewe 11:30 16:00 £445
Chester 12:10 16:40
Liverpool Lime Street 13:00 17:10
11 December 2026 Norwich 12:15 16:35 £445
Ipswich 13:25 17:40
12 December 2026 London Paddington 11:20 18:25 £445
13 December 2026 Coventry 12:10 17:50 £445
Birmingham International 12:25 18:25
17 December 2026 Darlington 11:40 16:30 £445
Durham 12:10 17:00
Newcastle 13:05 17:30
18 December 2026 Glasgow Central 11:30 17:30 £445
Edinburgh Waverley 13:10 19:20
19 December 2026 Leeds 11:30 16:15 £445
Wakefield Kirkgate 12:15 17:00
Huddersfield 13:00 17:45
Manchester Victoria 13:45 18:30
27 November 2027 Glasgow Central 11:30 17:30 £495
Edinburgh Waverley 13:10 19:20
3 December 2027 Crewe 11:30 16:00 £495
Chester 12:10 16:40
Liverpool Lime Street 13:00 17:10
10 December 2027 Norwich 12:15 16:35 £495
Ipswich 13:25 17:40
11 December 2027 Coventry 12:10 17:50 £495
Birmingham International 12:25 18:25
16 December 2027 Darlington 11:40 16:30 £495
Durham 12:10 17:00
Newcastle 13:05 17:30
17 December 2027 Glasgow Central 11:30 17:30 £495
Edinburgh Waverley 13:10 19:20
18 December 2027 Leeds 11:30 16:15 £495
Wakefield Kirkgate 12:15 17:00
Huddersfield 13:00 17:45
Manchester Victoria 13:45 18:30

Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability. Send an enquiry or call 0333 405 0192 to book.

Christmas dates sell out months in advance and tables for two are limited. Call us to secure your carriage and your station.

Send an Enquiry