Hampshire highlights: five joyful journeys by rail

Let the fun begin as soon as you leave home and make your journey part of your day out in Hampshire. Hop aboard a train, sit back, and enjoy the view by exploring the county on a railway journey – here are five of our faves.

The Watercress Line

Hampshire’s nostalgic Watercress Line is a joy to experience, transporting its passengers through glorious Hampshire countryside and back to a golden era of steam train travel.

At the mainline Alton Station, hop aboard a Watercress Line train to the market town of Alresford to explore the boutique shops and restaurants housed in its pretty pastel Georgian high street.  

The Watercress Line’s fares give you all day unlimited travel to explore each of the period heritage stations (Alresford, Ropley, Medstead & Four Marks and Alton), investigate the Watercress Line's impressive engineering sheds and see preservation in action, as well as discovering the nearby beautiful towns all on one ticket.

Look out for the Watercress Line’s special events throughout the year including the festive Steam Illuminations, Wizard Week, and Days Out With Thomas.

Find out more about The Watercress Line

Hills to Harbour – South Downs National Park and Portsmouth

Explore the South Downs National Park by rail with the Hills to Harbour line travelling from Liphook to Portsmouth Harbour.

The line travels through the rolling hills of the South Downs, stopping at South Downs villages and towns including Liss, Petersfield, and Rowlands Castle. Travellers can use the line to connect to the stunning walks and bike rides of the South Downs National Park or visit attractions like Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Butser Ancient Farm, Staunton Country Park, and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.   

Find out more about the South Downs

Three Rivers – Avon, Itchen, and Test

The Three Rivers rail routes run alongside the Avon, Itchen and Test rivers.

Head out through the Test Valley from Southampton towards Salisbury via the market town of Romsey and the pretty villages of Mottisfont (where you can visit Mottisfont Abbey), Dunwood, and Dean.

Travel east along the Southampton water to Netley (for a visit to Royal Victoria Country Park via the Hamble Rail Trail), Hamble, and Bursledon for a riverside walk or lunch beside the River Hamble.

Or head north from Southampton Central towards Winchester along the River Itchen, taking in Shawford and accessing the Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail.

Find out more about the Three Rivers rail routes

New Forest National Park

The New Forest National Park is easily accessible by rail with direct rains into the main station at Brockenhurst from London, Southampton and Bournemouth.

Within the New Forest there are eight train stations making it easy to explore the National Park by rail. Head to Beaulieu Road Station for a quintessential New Forest village experience with free roaming ponies sharing the station and the streets. Alight at Ashurst for nearby attractions including Longdown Activity Farm and the New Forest Wildlife Park. Or visit the historic coastal town of Lymington for a wander through its pretty streets and bustling marina.

Find out more about the New Forest

Waterside Wanderer

For a fun day out combining a railway journey with a bus and ferry, the Waterside Wanderer’s day ranger ticket enables you to explore the Southampton area using different modes of transport.

Catch the train to Southampton Central station, hop on the Bluestar bus to Hythe, take the Hythe Pier Railway train to catch the Hythe Ferry back to Town Quay and explore the city before returning to Southampton Central station via the Quayconnect shuttle bus.

From Hythe, you can also catch the bus to Calshot to try some sports at Calshot Activity Centre or to spend the day at the beach.

More car-free days out in Hampshire

Find out more about getting around Hampshire

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