Brunch Aboard the Flying Scotsman: The Shakespeare Express from Birmingham

Step back into the golden age of steam aboard the Flying Scotsman on The Shakespeare Express, a mainline brunch run that winds through Warwickshire's gentle countryside. This three-hour round trip leaves from Birmingham Snow Hill and returns the same morning, offering a rare chance to travel behind one of Britain’s most celebrated steam locomotives while you dine in carriage comfort. Expect a mix of preserved railway theatre and unhurried sightseeing that suits both rail enthusiasts and casual visitors. First Class guests sit in original 1960s First Class carriages and enjoy brunch served at their seat, with tea and coffee kept available throughout the journey. Standard tickets secure reserved seats in Mk2 coaching stock and provide access to a small onboard buffet for light refreshments. Timings are approximate: departures are scheduled from Birmingham Snow Hill at 09:30 with a planned return at 12:45, and final times are confirmed about forty eight hours before travel. Passengers should aim to arrive at least twenty minutes early to allow time for boarding and seat allocation. Outside the windows the route reveals Warwickshire’s low cultivated hills: patchwork fields, clipped hedgerows, ancient roadside oaks and small copses that change with the seasons. This is countryside travel rather than wilderness; sights are intimate and shifting, with grazing pasture, trim lanes and river corridors offering steady, camera-friendly scenes. What makes the experience unique is the locomotive itself: running on the mainline, the Flying Scotsman transforms a morning outing into a moving demonstration of steam-era engineering and preservation. Historic fittings in the carriages—polished wood, original upholstery and period detail—pair with modern service like table dining in First Class and on-board servers for drinks. Accessibility is limited; the operator notes constrained wheelchair spaces, no disability friendly toilets in some coaches and restrictions on carriage types for very young children. Children under sixteen must travel with a fare paying adult and those aged five and under are not permitted in First Class, so check age rules before booking. If you intend to dine, advise dietary requests when you book; assistance and support dogs are welcome with prior notice. For travelers based in Birmingham or visiting the West Midlands, this outing pairs neatly with a short riverside walk or an afternoon museum visit, making it an efficient taste of the countryside. Bring a camera, layer up against chilly carriage draughts, and arrive hungry: the combination of moving views and brunch served at your seat makes this a memorably relaxed morning. Whether you come for the locomotive, the period carriages, or simply a quiet, scenic way to spend a morning, The Shakespeare Express offers a rare slice of Britain’s rail heritage close to Birmingham. Book early—seats on Flying Scotsman excursions tend to fill.