Britons can tick off several must-see destinations along the Southwest for just a £20 train ticket, which could be an excellent staycation idea.
The Heart of Wessex Line is one of the UK’s most scenic transport routes, with the 87-mile journey stopping off at some of the country’s most popular sites.
Starting at Bristol’s Temple Mead Station, it’s only a short journey West to Bath, where visitors can bask in Georgian architecture.
The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Roman Baths among the most stunning attractions in the West Country.
Next up is the charming market town of Bradford Upon-Avon where tearooms, cobbled streets and waterways offer a more sedate afternoon.
The route travels South to Yeovil and Dorchester, where book lovers can stop by Thomas Hardy’s thatched cottage in Higher Bockhampton.
Located at Max Gate, visitors can soak in the atmospheric Victorian home designed by the novelist before checking out one of the largest Iron Age hillforts in Europe.
Finally, the journey is completed with a stop in the seaside town of Weymouth with a beautiful beach not too far from the station.
According to Scenic Rail Britain, the journey from Bristol to Weymouth should take around three hours.
Tickets are priced at £20.90 for an Off-Peak Day Return although fees can vary depending on the time and date of travel.
Part of the route between Castle Cray and Weymouth was recently closed with essential repair work going ahead in September.
Network Rail’s engineering team relayed around one mile of 50-year-old railway track between Thornford and Yeovil Pen Mill.
Around 2,000 new sleepers and 3,600 tonnes of ballast were fitted with the route opening back up days later.
The Wessex routes, including the South West mainline service from London Waterloo to Weymouth, are among “one of the busiest” in the UK.
Network Rail claims that passenger numbers across Wessex services have more than doubled in the last 20 years.
It is believed that over half a million people use services every day with 200 million trips every year.