Steam Dreams Rail Co Reviews 32

Given the high cost, expectations were rather high and we were a little disappointed with the experience which didn't quite match the description on the website. It didn't feel as luxurious as expected in First Class and the service was quite poor, although the staff were working very hard.
On the plus side we were provided with two generous snack boxes, one in the morning and one in the evening so we didn't really need the extra food we'd brought with us.
I would suggest investing in the Christmas decorations and add some fairy lights etc for the Christmas shopping trips.

We were looking forward to this journey as a special birthday treat and paid a premium price for what we anticipated would be a unique and memorable experience. Unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations on multiple fronts.

First and foremost, we were informed that due to the heat, the steam engine would not be in operation. While we understand that safety must come first, the substitution completely changed the nature of the experience. Instead of traveling by steam train, we found ourselves stuck on an old, stuffy train with no air conditioning on a sweltering summer day. It was extremely uncomfortable throughout the long afternoon.

Service on board was also significantly lacking. There appeared to be only one elderly gentleman trying his best to serve passengers, and we had to find him ourselves for assistance. Used crockery, mugs, and other items were left on our table for most of the trip, which was not only unpleasant but unacceptable given the price we paid. I have photographs to support this.

Additionally, the advertised scenic journey through the Chiltern Hills never materialised. Instead, we traveled past car parks and industrial areas, and our stop at Princes Risborough car park — felt uninspired and poorly planned. It was certainly not the picturesque ride we were expecting.

To make matters worse, the train’s air conditioning was inexplicably turned off despite the heat, making the environment even more unbearable. The entire journey felt like something we simply had to endure rather than enjoy, and we could tell the rest of the passengers in our carriage shared the same sentiment.

There was a clear lack of staff presence and no one seemed to be hosting or guiding the experience. In all honesty, the trip was so underwhelming that I would have been far more comfortable—and substantially less out of pocket—booking a standard train to Oxford.

Our steam train journey from London Victoria to Kingswear was on Saturday 21st June. We boarded at Basingstoke as the departure from Victoria was too early for us, (when we bought the voucher, the estimated departure was 8am, but then it was around 7am), and we paid for a hotel stay the night before to make this possible.

As soon as we got on the train, we noticed the carriage was quite warm. After about two hours, the temperature kept rising, and we asked the staff what was happening. We were told that the air conditioning wasn’t working and couldn’t be fixed there and then, but they'd try to fix it when we stop in Devon (4hours later).

We then spent over four hours in the heat, with no option to move to another carriage and no apology from the train manager at that time. When we arrived in Kingswear at around 1:45pm (later than expected), the temperature was 28°C.
Everyone else in the other carriages left much before us, as our carriage didnt have space on the platform and no one came to tell us.

The train was then left in the sun until 4:45pm with no air conditioning.
Even the toilet water was hot (and only in our carriage, as I was going around to other carriages to see if the condition was the same, which it wasnt) and we couldn't even have cold water to wash our hands.

When we boarded again at 4:15pm for the return journey, no staff came to check on us or offer help. We were left waiting under the sun seated in the carriage, with no air condition for 30 minutes, and no one coming to give us explanation or any sort of refreshment!

I found a bucket of ice and started handing it out to passengers myself, as no one else was helping. The train was still not moving, and many people in the carriage were elderly or had health conditions like low blood pressure — which made the heat especially dangerous.

During the return journey, the train manager did come to apologise around 6pm (so basically 1h after the left Kingwear!) and said they would try to make things more comfortable, which then was quite difficult at that point!

While I appreciated the apology, the overall experience was very poor — especially as this trip was meant to be a birthday present from my partner!

We then arrived at Basingstoke, the train manager came around to say thay we could drop off there, and get a normal train, pay ourselves and try to get a refund afterward (but not guranteed).
Probably the karma helped us there as someone on the train felt unwell and we got stuck there for a very long time.

Then we were told that an ambulance was called and we had to leave the train as we didnt have an estimation of when we were going to be able to move. (At least the southern railways service was cooler and the train staff waited for all of us to get on the public train and arrived to London with no issue).

Uncomfortable and potentially unsafe conditions, the lack of communication, and poor service. The voucher offered is definitely not enough, and I told them I was going to add this on social media and trustpilot. No intention to try this again, I'm sorry.
Especially as I gathered from other experiences shared by people on the same train and here, this doesn't get better.

I booked this trip because my husband has been diagnosed with the onset of Alzheimer's, and I thought this would be a treat for him to enjoy while he can. We didn't see the Steam Train at all because it broke down in Peterborough and was replaced with a diesel engine. At York Station, I was informed that this happens quite frequently. The train was delayed by over an hour, cutting our time in York. The food was mediocre, and a first-class return ticket to York would have been a much better option, with more time there and much better dining.

Booked to travel on the Sunset Steam Express. Only a few hours before departure we were informed that due to a fire risk, network rail had placed a ban on the steam engine and that it would be replaced with a diesel locomotive. While I can understand that change to be necessary the steam engine is the main selling point of the experience and company as a whole so it was very frustrating when after getting in touch with them they told me no compensation or voucher to rebook on a future trip would be offered. After spending near to £800 for a partial experience it is a real shame.

Company changed the engine last minute and would not let us reschedule, we did not receive the menus despite dietary concerns, customer service was poor and communication was dreadful, company will not offer compensation this has happened multiple times

We went to Chester for the day.

Wonderful day out enhanced by the excellent service we received- Special thanks to Dorotha, Kevin and Ava who really made the day special

We picked the Brittania steam train from Leigh on sea to Cardiff on the 16th April this year having the pulman experience was absolutely marvellous. The whole experience from start to finish especially the service and food was absolutely wonderful. What a great experience we would definitely recommend to friends and family.

It's difficult to find appropriate words to express our fabulous Steam Dreams experience which more than surpassed our expectations. The train was superb complemented with staff that provided service second to none!! The food - where do you begin - just amazingly delicious together with drinks and pleasant in-between surprises which just kept coming.
Our City of Southend on Sea trip to the City of Cardiff will always be a beautiful and most memorable experience and hope it won't be our last!

All we can finally say is that The Steam Dreams Rail company are a credit to the service industry and other companies would do well to follow their exemplary model.

Best Wishes, John and Ilka Allerton

Steam Dreams - a journey through the beautiful countryside on a vintage train. A pampering experience.

Upon boarding, we were warmly greeted by friendly staff members who were genuinely excited to welcome everyone aboard. Their enthusiasm was infectious!

Imagine you're going to Hogwarts if you're that way inclined or in an Agatha Christie plot. (Bit disappointed there wasn't a blood-curdling scream and a thud when we went through a tunnel!)

But the crowning glory was the service. It was Sam's stewards who made the journey for me. They worked tirelessly to ensure we were all happy. Nothing was too much trouble.
Big shout out to caring Chloe who made me laugh so much, (I'm pretty sure I snorted at one point!) The forever smiling Jasmin, Andy with his train tales and Kirsty with her Steam Dream partner who made the day so very memorable with her attention to detail, thoughtful deeds, and pure kindness

I wholeheartedly recommend this beautiful day out. Relax, unwind, and prepare to be pampered. It's not just the journey; it's the memories you make on the way.

I paid £550 for a private carriage for 4 adults and two children age 3 and 10 on board the Santa Express from London Victoria. The first disappointment was that there was no festive atmosphere on the platform , I kind of expected some Christmas music from perhaps a trio of brass instruments or some carol singers to set the scene as we waited for the train , even a bit of fake snow would have helped but all we got was two ladies dressed as elves who tried to entertain all the queueing children .
Our private carriage was "decorated" with stickers on the window and a bit of foliage on the luggage racks , some fairy lights would have been nice .
The adults were served mulled wine in big plastic cups the type you get in fast food restaurants and we were told we could take them home as a souvenir , bizarrely the children didn't get a cup to take home . The information email said that the children would be given an activity pack but it was just a piece of paper with dot to dot and word search and just a pencil no crayons .They had a small cracker each which did not contain a gift .
Another complaint of mine is that the adults were served food , 4 small brown rolls with salmon some mince pies and cake but the children wasn't offered any food ? they just had a cookie and a bottle of water , so we gave our food to the children , surely the children should have at least been offered a sandwich , this event was for children after all and i feel they missed out on not having anything proper to eat .
Santa and Mrs christmas arrived which was okay , the children received a small wooden gift each . The only other entertainment was the elves came round and tried to engage us in singing jingle bells which we did as the journey was getting a bit boring now and the children had had enough.
Overall it was a poor lack lustre overpriced experience. To make matters worse The Polar express Train passed us and that looked like a much better set up , with several Santas dotted along the train , cheeerful festive lights and some dancing performers.
I would not recommend this experience,unless it was half the price I paid .

My friend and I booked in the summer to go to the Southend Central-Bath Christmas market today, 6th Dec. Unfortunately, my friend tested positive for covid two days ago, and we phoned the company to explain and ask if we could swap our seats for another trip. We weren't asking for a refund. It was a blanket 'no'. I find this deplorable. We could have still gone, as the covid regs now advise staying at home five days after a positive test, but it's not mandatory. But steam dreams did not help. They advised me that I could have taken someone else, telling me they don't charge for changing the name on a booking! (Good of them considering how expensive the tickets are.) They fail to appreciate that not everyone is retired and can't just drop everything at a moment's notice.
So we lost approximately £500.
I will NEVER use this company again. Zero customer support. Disgraceful.

My friend and I took the York trip on Thursday. The train left over 45mins late and kings cross stn was freezing with no seats to rest on the platform and toilet facilities far away from platform.
The food was good and staff very pleasant, luckily the weather was crisp but sunny.
However, the heat coming from beneath the seat was almost scalding our legs.
The train took 5 hrs to reach York which had a disappointing market...I've visted better locally.
On the way back it took 7 hrs to reach London, not arriving to 22.50. The day was far too long and if we had realised such, we would never have booked. It was supposed to leave Kings Cross at 7 18am.
We have been on the Kent daytrip in the summer and although we will book again, it will be only a 10 to 4 excursion. Exhausted the following day!

The idea is very romantic, as is the marketing blurb. I went on their trip to York Christmas markets yesterday, Nov 24. It was about 5 hours outward, leaving very early morning.. so you're probably going to be tired already. Food 'snacks' not detailed at all beforehand, and are disappointing processed blister backed last-forever stuff, inconsistent with First Class event. Carriages hotter than an old folks home. Very unpleasant (there are sparse coarse controls, which I would recommend the staff to take the initiative over). Markets were wholly disappointing; seen better at my local farmers market. Mainly just food stalls. York of course is lovely, But you have about 3 hours.. which could go either way, depending on the weather. Trip back took FOREVER. Over 6 hours. Staff lovely.. which helped.. but bottom line, it's a very long train trip to York and back for a lot of money. I'd look for trips of 3-4 hours max each way.

I booked the Garden of England Lunchtime Tour.
The description of the tour online is very poetic but in reality it was not a "picturesque journey". The journey took nearly 6 hours and in that time we had about 15 minutes maximum of anything picturesque. I was told it was a coastal train, past orchards which implies that you would see a lot of the coast and orchards but all we saw was one orchard and a brief view of the coast by the White Cliffs .
The rest of the time we travelled past lines of trees, housing and gravel by the train tracks. No views at all. It was a lot of money to spend for an 89th birthday present and very disappointing.
We were in Carriage J. There was no air conditioning so it was boiling hot. The only cool carriage was the bar.
The trip would have been much better if we had had a stop at the White Cliff to appreciate them.
The staff were great and being on a steam train was also great but our day was made wonderful by the four of us having a good time together but if you want a train journey with views - this is not it.

Went on the garden of England lunchtime, Pullman dining, tour on 23rd from Victoria with wife (early birthday 24th and anniversary 25th present), uncle and Aunt. From the moment we arrived till we left we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Service was excellent from everyone and in particular from Katie and Eva at our table. It was a bucket list treat so the cost was irrelevant but may be considered a bit dear. Service was attentive but not intrusive. We’re lucky to have a nice couple on the table to 2 beside us. Glass partitions behind the seats minimise noise from tables behind but we had no issues that day as I’ve read about.

I paid £65 each for myself and a 4yr old on the Santa Express. Mulled wine was served but I waited for tea or coffee which never came even though I asked twice. The only entertainment was two Christmas songs sung by staff and clashing with the piped music played in carriages. The children had activity sheets but no crayons just a pencil. Carriages were labelled incorrectly so we got on the wrong one. Our standard carriage was not restored well and was quite tatty. The journey took a lot longer than stated and as entertainment was minimal, I had to do my best to make it fun for a slightly bored grandchild. Disappointing and very overpriced.

Unfortunately this was a massive let down and a complete waste of money. 6 friends went first class to York market for the day, costing circa £1200. We were promised luxury, Buck’s Fizz on our arrival and a sparking wine on our return. Where do I start?? The cabin was not like the other first class ones, like it had been added on, it was basic and the seats very uncomfortable. A bottle of Buck’s Fizz was plonked on the table as the staff walked through the cabin. It was not very palatable so wasn’t drunk. On the way home, a can of wine was dumped on our table for each person. The staff weren’t particularly friendly or helpful. The toilets broke and were unserviced throughout the trip. Tea and coffee were served, this went all over the table cloth. When we rejoined the train to return the filthy cloth was still on. No rubbish was collected and nobody cared to check on us. We have reached out to steam dreams to catalogue the many things that went wrong or were just plain irritating, this included the poor service. Broken toilets, reduced time in York. Lateness of trains return.
Etc.
We received a note informing us we could have a 25% reduction on our next booking.
We politely informed SD we would never, ever use their company again!!
A very very uncomfortable and expensive day. Such a let down. 😫

We paid over £1200 for myself and five friends to visit York Christmas market with a “first class experience”. Things to beware of are , the carriage was not as good as the ones that people dined in , we were certainly not treated as true first class passengers , the staff did not care , Buck’s Fizz and sparkling wine promised is not served to you it is chucked at you in bottles and cans , the toilets don’t necessarily work and rubbish is not collected . Steam dreams reserve the right to change times until just before you travel depending on network rail so in our case having booked a trip to York Christmas market for 4.5 hours there we ended up with less than two hours for a ten hour trip sat in their seats . The company do not seem to care about the distress caused by either the awful experience on the train or the fact that they shortened it so much hence my review . Please reconsider and use a different train company .

My husband and I paid £350 each for the steam train pullman dining experience from Shoeburyness to York on 23rd September 2023. The staff gave us a warm and friendly welcome on board and we were delighted with the table setting and general look and feel of our carriage. In fact our whole day was awesome in terms of the journey and our time in York. The problems came with the food offering. When booking were asked whether we were vegetarian, pescatarian etc. Great, as I don't eat meat but my husband does. This was confirm by our waiter almost immediately. The menu on our table did not include the vegetarian option for breakfast and neither the vegetarian or fish option for main course. I guess we non meat eaters still don't really count as real diners. I opted for the secret veggie full English which I only knew about because I overheard another diner order it. When our breakfast arrived it was very cold, the mushroom was actually chilled. They went back. Came back a little warmer but not warm enough. My husband ate his but I didn't want mine so changed it for the smoked salmon, poached egg on toast. Cold egg, I mean stone cold, cold toast...at this point I gave in and said I'd just leave it. Hannah the lead steward came to the rescue and made me a fresh full English served piping hot. Sadly the whole process was repeated for the evening meal on return journey. The meat eaters had beef served with a jus and two condiments. The fish eaters had a dry piece of steamed? cod with floppy grey skin, no sauce, no condiments all served with cold dry veg. Hannah again came to rescue and produced the cod dish with a lovely butter,cream and white sauce. I didn't eat any veg as this was stone cold by then. If you cater for non meat eaters, include them in the menu, if you offer hot food, serve it hot. If you can't do this because of the logistics of catering on a train, don't offer it!! I made a big fuss but at the price we paid I expect things to be excellent. Hannah and all the team were superb and we did receive some free drinks as compensation....shame about the food. Would not do this again.