What beaches are there to visit by train?

Lots! But here are our five favourites. They’re spread up and down the country, so you’re sure to find one that’s within reach.

Aberdour – Silver Sands & Black Sands

We’re starting north of the Scottish border for these top beaches to visit by train. You’re able to get to Aberdour from Edinburgh in just 30 minutes! If you take a short walk through the village and down to the Firth of Forth, you’ll reach Black Sands:

This is definitely a good one if you fancy a walk. If you’d prefer some more peaceful surroundings, then you can head to Silver Sands. It’s connected to Black Sands by the Fife Coastal Path, or it’s a 15-minute walk if you’re coming from the station directly:

Silver Sands is one of the great beaches to visit by train if you just want to lie back and take it all in. It faces towards the south east too. This means that you’ll get plenty of sunshine when the weather is right.

Saltburn

Saltburn beach is just a few minutes from the station, so it’s one of the ideal beaches to visit by train. You can reach it by a unique Cliff Lift, too.

Whether you want to relax on this huge stretch of beach, take a walk along the cliffs or feel the breeze along the pier, there’s something for everyone. Of course, it’s home to a classic arcade, too.

This part of the country is full of beautiful beaches. In fact, the beach in Saltburn extends all the way through Marske, up to Redcar and South Gare Lighthouse. Thinking of taking a visit? It’s less than half an hour by train from Middlesbrough, and hourly trains link it to York and Manchester, too.

West Kirby

There are very few places like West Kirby. You can take a stroll around the marine lake and take in the views across the River Dee. That’s Wales in the distance:

If you’re feeling more adventurous, then you can walk across the sand-flats to Hilbre Island. It’s about a two-mile trip and you’ll need to check the tide times before you go. It’s worth the walk, as you could see seals, whales and even dolphins!

West Kirby is a great beach to visit by train, as it’s linked to Liverpool by frequent Merseyrail services. They run up to every 15 minutes, and it’s around a 30-minute ride. Once you get to the station, it’ll take around five minutes to get to the seafront.

Seaford

We’re off to the South Coast of England, now. Seaford is just a stone’s throw from Brighton, and it has plenty to offer. For one, it has this huge stretch of beach:

It’s quite a stony beach, so it’s more suited for a stroll than building sandcastles, but don’t worry. You’ll find a number of sandpits along the promenade if your little ones want to get creative.

Want to get your steps in, instead? Seaford marks the beginning of the Seaford Head Nature Reserve. You can admire some impressive cliff formations along the way:

It’s around a 35-minute trip to Seaford from Brighton. If you’re coming from London, it’s just over an hour and a half. It’ll take you around 10 minutes along flat pavements to walk from the station to the beach.

Carbis Bay

Finally, we’re taking you to the far South West of Cornwall. Welcome to Carbis Bay, which is just a short hop from the more famous St Ives. Driving isn’t ideal around these parts, and the roads can be narrow and congested.

So, if you want to reach the beautiful blue waters and white sands of Carbis Bay, it’s the perfect beach to visit by train. The sub-tropical plants in the area can make you feel like you’re almost in another country entirely!

It’s served by the St Ives Branch Line, which will take you to St Erth. From here, direct trains run to Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter and London. Carbis Bay station itself is a very short walk from the beach.

Is there anything else I should know?

Thinking of taking a trip soon? You can book it all with SmartSplit. We’ll be sure to show you the slower and cheaper options, so you can get the best value fare for your journey.

Looking for more day trip inspiration? We’ve taken trips to Newcastle, Glasgow and Liverpool, so that you can have a smarter adventure.

Changed your mind? Need to travel on a different day? No problem at all. You can change or refund your ticket (if it’s refundable) without any extra fees.

The post Our Top Five Beaches to Visit by Train appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.

What are the best eateries near stations?

Howst (Sheffield)

Kicking off our best eateries near stations list is HowSt in Sheffield. Located at the top of Howard Street, next to Sheffield Hallam University, it’s a short five minute walk or so up (or down!) the hill to/from the station.

They specialise in a selection of breakfast and brunch foods, as well as your standard hot drinks and even cocktails. You can find the menu here.

It’s quite popular too, and we were lucky to get a table when we visited around midday. It’s really cosy and welcoming though, and the staff give you some true friendly Sheffield hospitality.

For food, we picked the ‘Sroom’, which is poached eggs on toast with mushrooms and a Bloody Mary sauce. It came to £9.50:

We’d definitely recommend paying a visit. Just try to avoid the rush around 12 to 1pm, as it can get very busy! The food here is delicious and the service is brilliant.

Meat:Stack (Leeds)

Okay, so Meat:Stack don’t actually have their origins in Leeds. They’re a Geordie-born business, but their Leeds branch is just around the corner from the station. Just pop out of the main entrance, turn left, then take a sharp right back along Bishopsgate Street.

It’s a pretty basic fast food-esque restaurant, but you wouldn’t come here to kill a lot of time. It’s all about filling yourself up with delicious food!

Think Five Guys burgers, but with some friendly northern service and way more flavour and creativity. If you want to see what’s on offer, click here.

We went for the New Mexico burger and some loaded spicy fries. A meal deal for a burger, fries and a drink starts at around £14:

When you order, you’re given a little buzzer that’ll go off when your food is ready. However, the staff just brought ours straight away as it was fairly quiet.

If you really want a good burger, then Meat:Stack is one of the best eateries near stations that you’ll find.

Partisan (York)

This is the most walking you’ll need to do for one of our best eateries near stations. Partisan is around a 10-minute walk from York Station, located on Micklegate. If you’re after an ‘elevated’ brunch, we’d recommend paying a visit.

It’s really popular, and even when we visited at 2pm on a Wednesday, it was pretty full. Thankfully, there’s a heated and covered outdoor terrace, so we sat there.

You’ll find the menu here. We went for the chorizo on toast (front) and vegan breakfast (rear) which were £14.50 each:

It’s a little expensive for just one dish, but it’s filling and tasty food. The chorizo on toast is very generous with the amount of meat you get, and the caramelised onions are absolutely delicious.

Partisan is one of the best eateries near stations for brunch. If you’re visiting York too, we’d recommend making it part of your itinerary!

The Sitting Room (Saltburn)

The Sitting Room is definitely one of the best eateries near stations if you’re all about location. Simply step off your train and turn left. Take a few steps forward and it’s on your right.

We just popped in for a cup of tea, so don’t have any food pictures to share. But as you can see, it has a cosy little bar and plenty of places to sit and relax with a book or the paper:

They specialise in sandwiches, cakes and hot drinks for the most part. It’s classic café food with friendly service. Once it gets a little later though, you’ll find cocktails and beers to choose from as well.

It seems to have two different ‘vibes’, with it being a cosy little cafe during the day, but it has a more intimate restaurant feel in the evening. We loved it as a spot to come in and enjoy a hot drink, especially on a cold windy day.

Zapatista (Newcastle)

Zapatista is a Mexican taco and burrito restaurant, which started out on Newcastle’s Ridley Place. Nowadays, you’ll find a branch on Grainger Street (just two minutes from the station) as well as one in Durham.

Each restaurant is full of quirky decor and has loads of places to sit and relax. The one by the station isn’t too busy if you want to sit down either, as it’s more popular with delivery apps and takeaway orders.

The menu is available here. You’ll find tacos, burritos and fajitas as well as items like nachos and chilli. As it happens, we went for the chilli and rice, which cost £7.20:

It’s customisable (like most dishes on the menu) so you can put your own twist on it, and it was a really filling bowl of chilli as well. It’s a great lunch spot and one that we’ve visited for a number of years.

Feeling hungry yet? Don’t worry. You can book a trip to all of these eateries with SmartSplit. We don’t charge any fees, including if you change your mind. All of our tickets are either refundable or changeable with no extra charges.

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