Day Trip: Champagne Afternoon Tea on the Northern Belle

The Northern Belle departs from various cities in the Midlands and the North. Usually departing at approximately 12pm and returning the same day at 6pm. Confirmed timings will be supplied with your travel documents.

Departures throughout the year, dates in 2025 for this luxury trip are as follows:

Wednesday 12th March – Departing from Coventry & Birmingham.

Sunday 30th March – Departing from Crewe, Warrington and Liverpool.

Friday 18th April – Departing from Manchester, Rochdale, Hebden Bridge & Brighouse.

Friday 9th May – Departing from Darlington, Durham and Newcastle.

Friday 16th May – Departing from Crewe, Warrington and Liverpool.

Friday 23rd May – Departing from York, Leeds and Wakefield.

Friday 30th May – Departing from Bristol, Newport and Cardiff.

Wednesday 4th June – Departing from Lincoln, Gainsborough and Doncaster.

Sunday 8th June – Departing from Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Sunday 20th June – Departing from Crewe, Chester and Liverpool.

Saturday 28th June – Departing from Oxford, Reading and Maidenhead.

Sunday 29th June – Departing from Norwich and Ipswich.

Thursday 3rd July – Departing from Bristol, Newport and Cardiff.

Friday 11th July – Departing from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Saturday 12th July – Darlington, Durham and Newcastle.

Sunday 27th July – Departing from Derby, Nottingham and Grantham.

Saturday 9th August – Departing from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Friday 15th August – Departing from York, Leeds and Wakefield.

Friday 5th September – Departing from Norwich and Ipswich.

Sunday 26th October – Departing from Manchester, Gatley, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge & Crewe.

Your Journey

Pristine white linen and sparkling glassware adorn your table in one of our individually decorated 1930s Pullman-style carriages, which have been lovingly restored by some of the country’s top craftspeople, including marquetry experts, muralists and mosaic artists. Within minutes, one of our liveried Stewards will carefully pop your bottle of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV Champagne as you study celebrated Head Chef Matthew Green’s Afternoon Tea menu.

Ahead lies a journey back to the Golden Days of rail travel, a time when nothing was too good for the pampered passengers. As the date of your journey draws near our Executive Head Chef and his team will be hard at work in the kitchen carriage preparing your traditional afternoon tea. Each course boasts the finest seasonal ingredients from the British Isles, classic and innovative dishes are crafted in our recently refurbished kitchen carriage.

Indulge in delicate sandwiches, delicious cakes, home-baked scones with clotted cream and jam, mouth-watering pastries and of course, a pot of freshly-brewed Fortnum & Mason tea. Throughout your journey we whisk you back to a more gracious age with entertainment from strolling musicians and our own conjuror will stroll from table to table to baffle everybody with some of his mind-bending tricks.

Please note: The musicians and magician will visit each table at least once throughout the journey. You do not disembark during this journey. Exact routings are subject to change without notice.

What to wear

Elegant evening attire is appropriate; black tie for the gentlemen. Please do not wear jeans or trainers.

The Northern Belle

The Northern Belle embodies the distinctive opulence and craftsmanship associated with the classic ‘Belle’ trains of the 1930s. Expertly and exquisitely detailed, each carriage bears the name of a stately home and is furnished with specially commissioned designs, fabrics and beautiful marquetry.

Exquisitely laid tables with starched table cloths, along with uniquely branded silverware, emphasize the level of sumptuosity; the artistic adornment and luxurious furnishings complete the elegant and comfortable carriages. Breathe deep, and embrace the intimate ‘country house’ atmosphere of each unique carriage.

The Northern Belle train entered service in 2000 as a sister to the highly successful British Pullman train of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Ever since George Mortimer Pullman’s first luxury train was conceived in 1864, people have been captivated by the elegance and sense of occasion that surrounds such decadent travel.

Whilst the Pullman Palace Car Company brought the romance of luxury rail travel to Britain, Georges Nagelmackers founded the luxury sleeping car service which was destined to become legendary, spanning the rail networks across Europe.

The Northern Belle is synonymous with sophistication and splendid comfort. Restoration of the carriages by celebrated interior designers such as Rene Laliqué ensures that the decadence of the experience is unsurpassed. It’s re-launch in 1982 marked the re-emergence of a new age in elegant rail travel.

Introduced to provide the ultimate in stylish and enjoyable day excursions and short breaks throughout the North of Britain, the Northern Belle combines classic craftsmanship and contemporary engineering and is a reflection of the affluent ‘Belle’ trains of the 1930′s. Each of the six dining carriages is named after a great British castle or stately home.