🌎 Countries crossed

France, United Kingdom, Scotland

🕔 Travel time

7 days

💼 Journey type

Country side, Culture, Party

Ultimate UK tour to explore the world of Harry Potter by train

Introducing the ultimate itinerary for exploring the world of Harry Potter by train!

This legendary loop through the United Kingdom will immerse you in the real-life settings of the film without ever leaving the rails.

The stops on this tour are: Paris-London-Oxford-Edinburgh-Glasgow-Fort William-London-Paris.

Duration of the trip: you can complete this trip in 7 days if you have a week to spare, but to really enjoy it, we recommend allowing around ten days!

Paris,
France
London,
United Kingdom

High speed train

High speed train

(≈ 2h21)

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London,
United Kingdom
Oxford,
United Kingdom

Regional train

Regional train

(≈ 00h52)

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Oxford,
United Kingdom
Wolverhampton,
United Kingdom

Regional train

Regional train

(≈ 1h37)

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Wolverhampton,
United Kingdom
London,
United Kingdom

Regional train

Regional train

(≈ 3h49)

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Edinburgh,
Scotland
Glasgow,
Scotland

Regional train

Regional train

(≈ 1h00)

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Glasgow,
Scotland
Fort William,
Scotland

Regional train

Regional train

(≈ 4h00)

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Fort William,
Scotland
London,
United Kingdom

Night train

Night train

(≈ 10h40)

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London,
United Kingdom
Paris,
France

High speed train

High speed train

(≈ 2h18)

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Map

Detailed itinerary


The route in detail :

1️⃣ To get started, to London by Eurostar. It's the perfect place to visit Warner Bros. Studios, and of course, don't miss King's Cross Station! By the way, if you're a Club HOURRAIL! You can save 25% on your Eurostar journeys!

2️⃣ Then take a regional train to Oxford in less than an hour ! This is where you'll find the Bodleian Library, the Hogwarts Infirmary and, of course, Christ Church College.

3️⃣ Then back up to Edinburgh (via a Wolverhampton connection), where it all began. You can stroll through the cobbled streets that inspired the Chemin de Traverse and warm up in the cafés where J.K. Rowling wrote the saga.

4️⃣ Next step : Glasgow ! To discover the Gothic architecture of its university, which gives the impression of being in the corridors of the school!

5️⃣ Then head for Fort William The West Highland Line, with its breathtaking views of moors and lochs, is one of the most beautiful routes in the world.

6️⃣ And now it's time for the most magical moment of the trip! Climb aboard the Jacobite Steam Train, the real Hogwarts Express. You'll cross the famous Glenfinnan viaduct and discover the film's wild settings, including Quidditch matches and Hagrid's cabin.

7️⃣ Once you're back in Fort William, all you have to do is hop on a exceptional night train: the Caledonian Sleeper to wake up in London the next morning, before taking the Eurostar back to France.

And if you want to extend your immersion in Scotland in the footsteps of our favorite heroes, we've written a complete article on iconic locations from our cult films and TV series to visit by train in Scotland (Indiana Jones, Disney, Outlander...)!

The trip lasts 7 days and includes 8 steps, with a minimum budget of 25 euros.
High speed train

Paris - London

You probably already know this, but as of today, Eurostar is the only train company connecting France and Belgium to the United Kingdom via the Channel Tunnel.

As for fares, I recommend booking at least a month and a half in advance if you want to find a round-trip ticket for under €100.

Another important point: since the United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen area, passport and security checks can take quite a bit of time. It’s recommended to arrive at least an hour before departure.

And the good news is that if you're a member of Club HOURRAIL!, you can enjoy an exclusive discount on your Eurostar tickets (25% off)!

The step from Paris to London lasts 2h21. You'll travel in a Eurostar.
On board, you'll have access to: Wi-Fi.
Regional train

London - Oxford

The step from London to Oxford lasts 00h52. You'll travel in a regional train.
Regional train

Oxford - Wolverhampton

The step from Oxford to Wolverhampton lasts 1h37. You'll travel in a regional train.
Regional train

Wolverhampton - London

The step from Wolverhampton to London lasts 3h49. You'll travel in a regional train.
Regional train

Edinburgh - Glasgow

The step from Edinburgh to Glasgow lasts 1h00. You'll travel in a train operated by ScotRail.
Regional train

Glasgow - Fort William

To get to Fort William from Glasgow, there are direct services from Glasgow Queen Street station.

  • Frequency and timetables: please note that there seem to be only 4 trains a day: 5.28am, 8.21am, 12.22pm and 6.23pm.
  • How much do tickets cost? Tickets range from £21 to £65.

What if you wanted to take the famous Jacobite Steam Train (Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express)?

Yes, you can also make this journey via the famous Jacobite. But be warned: the Jacobite runs from April to October, and tickets are sold on a round-trip basis only.

If you can't reserve a seat on the Jacobite Steam Train, don't panic! You can take a regular ScotRail company. It uses exactly the same railway line, passes over the famous Glenfinnan viaduct, and costs even less!

The step from Glasgow to Fort William lasts 4h00. You'll travel in a regional train.
You can find tickets from 25 euros.
Night train

Fort William - London

To find out more about the Caledonian Sleeper (comfort on board, cost, frequency, timetables...), don't hesitate to read our dedicated article : The Caledonian Sleeper: the night train between Scotland and London.

The step from Fort William to London lasts 10h40. You'll travel in a Caledonian Sleeper.
High speed train

London - Paris

Our tips for the road :

  • We recommend that you book at least one and a half months in advance if you want to find a return ticket for less than €100.
  • Another important point is that, as the UK is not part of the Schengen area, the passport and security checks can take a long time. We recommend that you arrive at least one hour before departure.

And the good news is that if you're part of the Club HOURRAIL! you can take advantage of an exclusive discount on your Eurostar tickets (25% off)!

The step from London to Paris lasts 2h18. You'll travel in a Eurostar.

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