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The UK’s best Valentine’s Day train stations

If your loved one likes trains, they’ll love this Valentine’s idea.

This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday, which has to be the perfect excuse to take a day off work, spend some time together…

And visit a romantic train station.

Okay the word ‘romantic’ is a bit tongue in cheek. Here in the UK it’s tricky to view glaciers from your train seat or take a February trip to sun-drenched beaches but our railway lines are packed with romantic destination possibility.

Don’t believe me?

Oh you of little faith!

My top suggestions for romantic Valentine’s Day train stations

And let’s not forget, I do write the UK’s most popular train adventure website (at least I hope I do!)

Ribblehead station, Fi Darby

Sadly we don’t have a St Valentine’s train station here in the UK but if you’re hungry, there’s always Valentine’s Coffee Shop at Cwmbran station.

Burgers a specialty.

It might be hard to believe but train travel in the UK has a history of romance. Close your eyes and imagine a steam train, a crowded platform and two lovers meeting.

It must have happened all the time.

And it could happen for you too. Here are a few ideas for romantic train station meetups, on platforms that have surely seen plenty of stolen kisses.

How about a royal romance?

Ballater train station

If you love someone, you buy them a castle. Right?

Well that’s what Prince Albert did for Queen Victoria who didn’t have to think about how to get to Balmoral Castle because she had her very own train (s).

Ballater railway station was once the nearest train station to Balmoral Castle and was used frequently by the royal couple. It was lost to the infamous Beeching cuts in 1966 but is now a tourist attraction known as Old Royal Station and home to a replica of one of Queen Victoria’s railway carriages.

Catch the 201 bus from Aberdeen’s Union Square to either Balmoral Castle or Ballater.

Or a Brief Encounter?

Carnforth train station

  • Alec: Could you really say goodbye? Never see me again?
  • Laura: Yes, if you’d help me.

If you can’t travel on Valentine’s Day, might I recommend a night in watching Brief Encounter? Once you’ve indulged in this classic strangers-on-a-train ‘weepie’, you’re bound to want to visit Carnforth station, where the movie was filmed.

Carnforth is a working station now and was a working station then but you can still get a taste of the atmosphere at the Carnforth Station Heritage Centre and its lovingly recreated 1940s cinema.

Only one film plays here, what could be more romantic?

Maybe opt for travel romance?

The Meeting Place, St Pancras, Fi Darby

St Pancras train station

With its Eurostar platforms tempting us towards romantic Parisian nights, London’s St Pancras  station already has an air of indecent excitement about it but the most romantic location at St Pancras isn’t at the impressive trackside St Pancras Bar, but the 9-metre tall ‘The Meeting Place‘ sculpture colloquially known as ‘The Lovers Statue’.

Who knew bronze could be so sexy!

Looking for that ‘just the two of us’ feeling?

Corrour station, Fi Darby

Corrour train station

I haven’t visited Corrour station in February but I have been through on a snowy day in December and I can tell you that, if it’s romantic seclusion you’re looking for, you’ll find it at the UK’s highest mainline train station in February.

Corrour train station has a super romantic setting in the middle of lonely Rannoch Moor but unless you’ve booked a night at Hostelling Scotland’s Loch Ossian Hostel or packed a tent and a very warm sleeping bag, you’ll soon wish you were back on the train.

Winter on Scotland’s West Highland Line

Check with staff if you want to get off at Corrour.

Train stations with romantic names

There are a few UK train stations with romantic names but I had to dig quite deep to find a connection.

For a start, how about The Hawthorns station in Smethwick. Not for West Bromwich Albion, or the surrounding scenery but because hawthorn trees have long been associated with fertility and love.

Or how about Aber-lovey-dovey in Gwynedd for a cuddle?

Or Liphook in Hampshire for a kiss?

Or even Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham for a proposal?

But might I suggest you avoid Uckfield and Pokesdown on a first date?

Did you know that all UK train stations have an abbreviation code? If you’re a bit nerdy like me, you’ll enjoy learning a few to use when you book online.

Showing off to an app can be fun!

As well as looking at station names for your perfect Valentine’s Day destination, you could check out their abbreviations as well but be warned…

You only have 2,579 stations to choose from!

Here are my favourites:

  • VAL = Valentine but also Valley station on Anglesey
  • LUX = Luxury but also Luxulyan station in Cornwall

One thing to remember if you’re looking for that romantic couples selfie; station abbreviations don’t usually appear on station signs.

Possibly best to explain in advance.

You might get away with taking your loved one to the train station with their name in the station title or abbreviation.

  • AMY = Amberley in West Sussex
  • BEE – Beeston in Nottingham
  • DSY = Daisy Hill near Manchester
  • HRO = Harold Wood in Havering
  • MIA = Manchester Airport
  • NOA = Newton-on-Ayr in Ayrshire
  • OLY = Ockley in Surrey
  • PAT = Patricroft near Manchester
  • SAL = Salisbury in Wiltshire
  • TED = Teddington in Richmond

And if you can’t find your special person’s name in the UK train stations list, this one should cover you.

  • BAY = Bayford in Hertfordshire

Valentines days out by train

So many train stations, so much choice. This blog post has taken me ages to write because I wanted to research and visit all the stations I read about.

If you fancy extending your romantic commitment to train travel beyond the station platform, check out my romantic ideas for a Valentine’s day out by train.

Three new European rail holidays for 2025

‘Overland is better than flying for so many reasons.’

Whether you prefer ferries or the Eurostar, European train holidays from London and other stations in the UK are going to boom in 2025.

I’m keen to book a budget-friendly train trip to Europe for myself and Mr D. but am currently at the research stage.

I love train travel research but in case you don’t, I thought I’d share my initial ideas with you.

Continue reading “Three new European rail holidays for 2025”

Travel writing tips – how to take effective notes

No. I don’t usually carry my laptop around.

Taking notes for writing while you’re travelling is an important skill for any travel writer but taking handwritten notes, while you’re on the go can be tricky. Especially if you’re a travel writer AND an outdoor writer (like me).

Rain and paper are seldom good friends.

How to take effective notes while travelling

Continue reading “Travel writing tips – how to take effective notes”

Hygge? Mysa? Scandi? Can you get to IKEA by train?

Mysa (I hope) is the Swedish equivalent of the cosy concept of hygge.

In July 2024 I travelled back from Sweden to the UK by train after a wonderful holiday in Stockholm. I love all things Scandinavia and sometimes visit IKEA here in the UK to get my Scandi fix (apologies to any actual Scandinavians here, I know IKEA isn’t Sweden). And not your usual travel writer destination.

But I did recently demonstrate that you can get to IKEA by train.

Continue reading “Hygge? Mysa? Scandi? Can you get to IKEA by train?”

Overcrowding? Environmental damage? Is geotagging all bad?

What do Dartmoor’s Wistman’s Wood, New Zealand’s Cathedral Cove (Te Whanganui-a-Hei) and Arizona’s Horseshoe Bend have in common?

Are they all beautiful natural places that have suffered overcrowding and damage at the hands of social media location sharing?

Or are they places that have brought joy to greater numbers of people because they have become easier to find?

Continue reading “Overcrowding? Environmental damage? Is geotagging all bad?”

What does an outdoor influencer look like?

What is an influencer?

That’s a big question. Here’s one definition.

An influencer is someone who exchanges goods or services promotion on social media or web channels for monetary or other reward.

Ten years ago when I was in charge of the careers curriculum at my local secondary school, the term ‘influencer’ was new, frowned upon, and not an acceptable career goal.

But young people were already aspiring to become influencers.

At the same time, I found myself an accidental influencer through the blog Two Blondes Walking and our associated social media channels. People, it turned out, wanted to hear about the exploits of two women who took their outdoor activities very seriously but knew how to laugh at themselves.

We were outdoor women in a male world and we were rocking it.

I was that (then) rare thing, a female outdoor influencer. At the time I didn’t anticipate how big the outdoor influencer world was going to get. We were slightly bewildered by the attention we were receiving. Things have changed since then. Brands, including outdoor brands, now rely on influencer marketing for sales. Here in the UK, an astounding spend of £1bn on influencer marketing campaigns was expected by the end of 2024.

But despite the funding available, earning money as an influencer is still something for the elite few. Especially in the outdoor world. This is partly because there are far more outdoor influencers now, and it is much harder to gain a large social media following than it used to be. In reality, most of us swap advertising and endorsements for outdoor gear or experiences.

And we usually see influencer work as a side hustle.

Are online influencers always looking for sales?

Influencers can do a lot of good. Get Outside Champion 2016

Mostly. Or at least the brands that support them are. Creating quality online content takes time and effort. Two things that neither influencers nor brands want to expend without seeing some return. The Advertising Standards Agency requires both parties to be open about goods and services received in return for published influencer content, and Instagram’s SEO Adam Mosseri has recently reassured us that Instagram will not downrank branded content.

So it should be easy to spot sales-oriented influencer recommendations.

But not all influencer campaigns are about sales. Charities use influencer marketing to raise awareness of issues. Politicians use it to gain voters and influencers can also have a huge impact on the promotion of values and lifestyles.

But as with everything in life, sometimes the lines get blurred.

So what do outdoor adventure influencers look like in 2025?

Ordnance Survey Champion 2024, Fi Darby

Beautiful? Super fit? All the gear? Young?

Quite possibly outdoor influencers do not look like the crazy-haired middle-aged woman at the top of this post.

Even in 2015, I didn’t look like what I would call the archetypal influencer. I was already in my forties, scared of heights, and desperately trying to find plus-size outdoor gear. I didn’t make any money with my blogging and social media work but was sent enough walking boots and waterproof jackets to stock our outdoor education cupboard.

And I got to share my values. As one of the original Ordnance Survey Get Outside Champions (now Ordnance Survey Champions), I had (and still have) plenty of opportunites to encourage other people to enjoy the benefits of an outdoor lifestyle.

Apart from my age, things haven’t changed much.

Except that these days I feel as though the influencer world might be leaving me behind. I can no longer meet social media follower number requirements, my physical body sometimes lets me down, and I lack the competitive drive that took me so far in my younger days.

I often feel I can’t keep up.

With my recent interest in all things sustainable, I’m not sure this is a bad thing, consumerism has its issues and isn’t necessarily something I want to chase. But I keep going because I don’t want to lose my ‘voice’ on topics about which I feel strongly.

  • Women outdoors
  • Sustainable adventures
  • Access for all

Am I likely to change? Well, of course. I turn 57 at the end of January, and I am changing all the time. But I can’t see a future that includes thousands of Instagram followers and me bounding up cliffs on ropes.

Perhaps I am a different type of influencer.

What are the different types of social media influencers?

My quest for plus-size women’s walking trousers, Fi Darby

The group we would call online influencers is now huge and could be broken down in any number of ways. When it comes to choosing who to work with, numbers such as follower numbers or website visitors are usually a big deciding factor for brands but other things such as personality and engagement also still matter.

If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing what I do.

Here are six often-used terms that describe influencers. All of them can be used to describe outdoor influencers and some influencers fit more than one description.

  1. Bloggers (me). Loyal following, lots of engagement, perceived as experts.
  2. Vloggers (not me). Video-centric, larger following, often activity-based.
  3. Social Media influencers (me). Personal connections, ‘fellow consumers’.
  4. Nano influencers (me). Fewer but more loyal followers, lots of engagement.
  5. Micro-influencers (not me). 2K+ followers, seen as experts.
  6. Celebrity influencers (not me). 10K+ followers, admired from a distance.

Why is influencer marketing so effective?

Influencer marketing, Fi Darby

Influencer marketing works best when we see someone who looks like us or is doing things we like to do. We often follow the lead of influencers whom we find aspirational. If we think, ‘I’d like to be like her’ or ‘he looks a bit like me’, we’re more likely to take note of what they say.

  • ‘These walking boots keep my feet dry.’
  • ‘Running is good for you.’
  • ‘The menopause doesn’t have to stop you.’
  • ‘A lightweight tent will help me.’

All of which means that different audiences are drawn to different influencers. Indeed on any list of ‘top’ outdoor influencers, you’ll see a much more inclusive range of people than you once would have.

But they will all have one thing in common.

They will all have really large social media follower numbers.

I don’t.

Which is probably the main reason I sometimes feel a bit left behind.

But that’s a topic for another conversation.

 

 

 

 

Outdoor and travel writing trends for 2025

I started off my writing career as an outdoor writer but over the last couple of years, I’ve realised something important.

Outdoor and travel writing are inextricably linked.

As we approach 2025, I believe these two are set to become even more intertwined as adventure travel and car-free holidays gain popularity with a wider range of people.

Continue reading “Outdoor and travel writing trends for 2025”

How to claim a refund on UK train tickets

What to do if your UK train is delayed and you need a refund

If your train has just been cancelled, it might help your annoyance levels to remember that delays and cancellations are an inevitable part of any travel network.

Plan your own adventure by train

It can be difficult to work out what to do when you get that train cancellation email or even when you arrive at the station to find no train, but there is some good news.

In the UK you can get train ticket refunds.

Continue reading “How to claim a refund on UK train tickets”

REVIEW – Montane Women’s Spirit Waterproof Jacket

I’ll start this blog post with a huge ‘thank you’ to Ordnance Survey and Montane who recently sent me Montane’s Women’s Spirit waterproof jacket as part of my role as Ordnance Survey Champion.

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!

If like me, you love getting outdoors in all weathers but prefer not to carry too much weight, the Spirit could be the waterproof for you. I’ve already discovered its versatility. This jacket is great for walking, hiking, catching the bus, even going to the loo (camping only, we have an indoor loo at home).

There’s plenty to like. And all of it fits easily into a small rucksack.

And all of it will keep you dry.

Continue reading “REVIEW – Montane Women’s Spirit Waterproof Jacket”

How about a campervan Christmas… In Cornwall?

Where to camp at Christmas

A UK campervan Christmas isn’t for everybody but if you fancy swapping the family noise for a bit of peace and quiet, there are campervan sites open all year and finding campsites at Christmas isn’t as tricky as you might think.

Two years ago we decided to turn our backs on the traditional family gathering and try a campervan Christmas instead. Despite living in Devon, we didn’t opt for Christmas by the beach but set off instead to one of the UK’s best campsites at Christmas.

Continue reading “How about a campervan Christmas… In Cornwall?”