This section is dedicated to Great Days Out, including theme parks that can be embarked upon from Chester-le-Street Railway Station. Prices are correct as of September 2003 and are subject to change.

Hexham

Writing for tourists visiting and inhabitants of the British Isles, Bill Bryson waxed lyrical about Durham City. What, you've never been to Durham? Here, he said, take my car. We at Chester-le-Track feel much the same about Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Here, take our train!

Saltburn is a little town built on a heritage of off-the-beach fishing and smuggling contraband, but developed once the railway arrived in 1861 as a chic resort with a glorious hotel in the form of the Zetland Hotel, now private apartments, which once had its own arrival platform for the well-heeled to arrive for their holidays by train. The town lies to the east of Redcar, where the uplands of the Cleveland Hills finally meet the sea, and has a host of attractions to delight the day visitor, from the Victorian period Italianate Gardens, open year round, with its adjacent woodland centre to the pier with its amusement arcade and surfers fighting the breakers below the pier. The once highly fashionable spa resort is easily walkable, with the all the attractions accessible from the railway station in the centre of the little town. The cliff top above the beach is reached in five minutes stroll from the station, and you can get down by road or footpath, and the water-balanced cliff lift opened in 1884 provides an easy alternative as long as you remember to avoid travel between 1pm and 2pm when the staff have their lunch break. The cliff lift is a real Victorian remnant, powered by the weight of the water in the reservoir below the descending car, which, with the weight of the people travelling down, helps pull up the counter-balanced ascending car.

The pier was once 1400 feet long but had to be shortened to a still respectable 600 feet after freak tides in 1974 caused damage, because it's the only pier remaining on this stretch of the east coast.

Along to the east of the pier (because there's nothing west apart from several miles of glorious sand on the way to Marske and Redcar) you'll find the children's amusements, and the terminus of the miniature railway. This runs at just above sea level from the beach up the valley towards the Italianate Gardens and woodland centre throughout the school holidays, and at weekends the rest of the year, hauled by a green locomotive named Prince Charles. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, open 1300 to 1700 hours weather permitting, but even when it's not running you can follow the track bed for a nice walk up to the east cliff side of the town where some of the Victorians who made their money in industrial Teesside built fine town houses and became the town's first commuters.

Continuing past the miniature railway station, you'll pass the boats beached on the shingle before arriving at the Ship Inn, a beach side pub which does fine ales and has a wide-ranging meals menu. Next to this is a little museum dedicated to Saltburn's illustrious past as a smuggler's haven with tales of illicit spirits, tobacco and other contraband, set in original fishermen's cottages next to the pub which can provide an interesting half-hour's entertainment and has a nice little gift shop and helpful staff who can help you make the best of your day in Saltburn.

The town has a mixture of small shops and a fine auction house which holds general sales of art and household effects every Tuesday. If you bid, remember you'll have to carry things home on the train or head back the next day with a van like the stationmaster had to last time he called by the auction. Tourist information is available from the TIC inside the old station building (the station was moved westwards from the old building to a new terminus some 200 yards short when the town centre was redeveloped to provide a proper supermarket for the residents of the town a few years ago), and a local walks leaflet is available for those who wish to strike out further from the town centre.

Overall, a perfect little resort just 85 minutes away from Chester-le-Street with plenty of direct trains (it's at the end of our line from Newcastle, heading down the east coast main line and turning sharp left at Darlington). It's also an interesting journey including stretches of the world's first original 1825 Stockton to Darlington Railway, glimpses of aircraft movements at Teesside Airport, and a fascinating train ride through the centre of the steelworks and chemical plants where you can not only see but often taste and smell the still vibrant heartland of the region's industrial heritage. And on the way back, you can always break your journey at Redcar, Middlesborough, Thornaby (for Stockton) or Darlington to round off your day.

REMEMBER this and all other Monday to Saturdays days out are even better value when travelling with a railcard (young persons, senior or family) which can save at least one-third on the normal fare, and 81% for children travelling in a group. Railcards can be purchased at Chester-le-Street station, and only the young-persons one requires a photograph. With a family railcard, the party travelling (minimum one adult with one child, up to four adults with four children) do not have to be related to each other as long as at least one of the named adults on the card travels.

Suggested times: ex-Chester-le-Street 1021 arrive Saltburn by direct train 1141.

Return at 1630 from Saltburn, changing at Darlington to Trans Pennine Express, arriving Chester-le-Street 1755. (nearly five hours in Saltburn) If you want to come back later, this is possible.

£9.30 adult cheap day return, with reductions for children, holders of railcards, and Durham County Council concessionary travel tickets.

All trains north from Chester-le-Street stop at Newcastle, regional capital, and home of the Centre for Life, within easy walking distance of Central Station. Also handy for the new bar in the Centurion rooms, newly refurbished and opened by Her Majesty the Queen.

Cheap day return fare is £3.10 valid on 0951, 1038, 1247, 1454 and later trains. It's £3.40 on peak trains at 0653, 0751, 0805 and 0842. Return on any train at these fares.

We have direct trains at 0951 and 1038 every morning direct to the MetroCentre, the region's premier shopping destination, with direct trains returning every afternoon. The cheap day return on the 0952 and 1038 is £4.50, and you can return on any train, either direct or changing at Newcastle.

Check with us for best fares.

for Royal Yacht Britannia

There's a regular bus service from both Guide Friday and Lothian Buses to Britannia from Waverley Station, down to Leith where the Britannia is now berthed, close to the new Scottish Office building. Leith is an upcoming area of Edinburgh, with new shops, bars and restaurants appearing, and is a good destination in itself if you already know Edinburgh well.

for Dynamic Earth

Down the bottom of the Royal Mile, close to Holyroodhouse, is an excellent Millennium attraction, Dynamic Earth. It's the story of our planet, and is a superb piece of education and entertainment rolled into one. You can walk from Waverley Station in 15-20 minutes, or take a bus or short cab ride. Cabs in Edinburgh are much better than in London (or indeed Newcastle) because they are relatively cheap.

Travel information: Use the GNER Apex advertised above, currently £18 (no railcard or child discounts)

for Edinburgh itself

You don't have to go to Edinburgh for anything in particular to have a great day out: it's a city of surprises with plenty of free attractions to appeal to the budget conscious traveller. There's the Georgian new town on the north side of Waverley Station, and the Royal Mile running from the Castle at the top to Holyroodhouse at the bottom, which is where the Scottish Parliament building is also situated. Even outside of Festival time, there's plenty to do, such as the weaving centre at the top of the Royal Mile, near the Camera Obscura (another one of those in Dumfries, another day out possibility), and the Scotch Whisky Centre. Several other free museums can be found throughout the City, or take a walk down Leith Walk to the port town of Leith.

Standard return fares only are available from Chester-le-Street for £18.10, but that does mean you can start your day out early on the 0751 train and connect on to a fast GNER service from Newcastle.

FOR EARTH CENTRE

Now reopen, change at Doncaster

Cheap day return fare on direct trains from 1021 onwards (0825 Saturdays) is £8.90, otherwise £9.30 on the 0820 Mon-Fri, all valid for return on any train..

Cradle of the railways (a title shared with Shildon, a few miles away), this is where the Stockton and Darlington railway came to life in 1825. North Road is a separate station now on the Bishop Auckland branch line which is a museum, and home of the Ken Hoole Study Centre. The stationmaster will be giving a talk here on. It's a short walk out of town or a short bus ride if there is no train due to Bishop Auckland. There's a £5.60 cheap day return to Darlington with Northern Spirit on the 1021 and later trains, also available on the 0825 Saturdays.

Why not combine with a visit to Shildon and the Timothy Hackworth Museum which is walkable from Shildon station?