THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

One of England's great long-distance railway lines, the Great Western Railway runs along the full distance of the Great West Way – from London's Paddington station to Bristol Temple Meads. It's chief engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel and you'll travel the course he plotted back in the 1830s, including his Box Tunnel, infamously said to be impossible to build. Before he built it.

In one go, the journey takes just 1 hour 40 minutes, but stopping en route to explore the Great West Way is far more fun. First stop is Reading, for a cruise on the River Thames, a stroll through Caversham Court Gardens and the chance to watch a professional football match at Reading FC's Majedski Stadium. Next stop is Swindon, →