Save £20 per person on adventures by steam train from London
Terms & conditions: Offer open to The Standard readers and up to three guests. Promotion closes 30 June 2025. Offer is valid for London daytrip departures on or before 31 December 2025. Offer is subject to availability, does not apply to tickets already purchased and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Offer is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. Code TSW must be quoted at the time of booking. The Railway Touring Company's Standard Conditions of Booking and Travel apply – see website for details. Usual promotion rules apply, see standard.co.uk/rules. For further information, please write to Customer Care, The Standard, Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1AH. Promoter: The Railway Touring Company
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Metro
31-05-2025
- Metro
Could London be the next city to introduce a tourist tax?
In many European cities, paying a tourist tax is nothing new. If anything, it's expected. From Paris to Barcelona to Amsterdam, the majority of our favourite hotspots come with an extra fee, whether we pay it at our accommodation or the airport. Its purpose is simple: to provide the city with money for things like general upkeep, sustainability initiatives, and an increased demand on public services. And as many places grapple with the effects of overtourism, taxes are increasing, and new ones are being introduced. For example, Venice doubled its tax for daytrippers earlier this year, while the Azores implemented one on January 1. Recently, there's been talk of London joining the club. Last month, the Centre for London released a report called Arts for All, urging the Greater London Authority to 'explore the implementation of a tourist tax' to help invest in the capital's arts and cultural scene. Last year, Mayor Sadiq Khan voiced his potential support, too. In October, he told The Standard he'd be 'happy to look into' whether a tax for overnight stays would be feasible. But, while the arts do need funding – the report says that physical engagement with arts and culture in London sits below or close to the national average – what would a potential tourist tax mean for the wider community, including daytrippers from the UK? 'Tourists are going to be more accepting of the tax if they can understand where it is being spent,' explains travel expert, Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon Adventures, a London-based travel and tourism company, to find out. Essentially, if the money tourists pay goes towards upgrading infrastructure and transportation, as well as financing and upgrading major attractions, we might all get on board with it. There's no denying London feels the effects of overtourism. Visitor numbers to the UK are on the up: VisitBritain estimates that there were 41.2 million visits to the UK for the full year 202, 1% up on 2019, with most of them heading to the capital. London has also been described as the 'Wild West' of Airbnbs. In Westminster in particular, councillors said more than 10,500 homes were used as holiday lets, and residents claim that one mansion block close to Hyde Park hosts more guests per night than The Ritz. With rent prices in the capital already eye-wateringly high, short-term lets only serve to make living in the city even more expensive. London also has the most congested roads in Europe, with analysis by analytics company Inrix finding drivers in the capital spent 101 hours sitting in traffic in 2024. Though there is some merit to the idea, Shukla adds that a tourist tax is 'not without its problems.' He says that the success of a tax depends on various factors, with the volume of tourism being a big consideration. Currently, around 30 million tourists flock to London every year. Should the same number still come with a tourist tax, it will ensure a steady flow of income. However, if the tax deters tourists, it could lead to fewer visits and less income than expected. Another concern is London's competitiveness compared to other global locations. Currently, Spanish cities like Madrid and Valencia (which boast better weather than the UK) don't have a tourist tax. Neither do up-and-coming European city break destinations like Helsinki or Tallinn. 'If an additional expense like tourist tax is imposed, travellers may opt to visit places that do not have these costs, impacting London's tourism sector,' states Shulka. Similarly, Mayor Sadiq Khan noted that the money raised would need to be strictly monitored. If it were spent elsewhere, with people not seeing the benefits locally or regionally, it wouldn't be fair. He said: 'It's really important to give that reassurance to the [tourism] sector, because they've had a tough few years, particularly post-pandemic. 'If we can reassure the [tourism] sector that we can work on a scheme that benefits inward tourism, it benefits more tourists to come, I think they'd be supportive of it as well.' Officials estimate that a levy could raise significant amounts of cash for local services and the tourism industry. For example, should the UK follow in the footsteps of Paris, which charges visitors up to €16 per night in premium hotels, or Barcelona, which adds up to €4 a night plus a regional fee, an extra £240 million could be generated annually. This is on the basis of adding a 5% tax to overnight stays, according to Euro Weekly. In short, no. English local authorities can't introduce their own tourist taxes,it needs to go through Parliament instead. Legislation to Parliament would have to be introduced for this to happen. However, some UK local authority areas, including Manchester and Liverpool, have established Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) which cover tourism-related businesses. These are legal loopholes, and are operated by local organisations, meaning they can collect levies in their areas. 'If London were to impose a tourist tax, it would probably be similar to the charge on overnight stays currently implemented in places like Manchester,' says Shulka. So even though an overnight fee could be charged, day visitors are unlikely to be affected. Like we mentioned earlier, to prevent overtourism, cities like Venice have imposed fees for day visitors. But in London's case, Shulka says the main motivation would likely be different, specifically generating funds to improve tourism infrastructure upgrades and city services. Shulka adds: 'I think one of the reasons why day-trippers don't typically pay a tourist tax is that they spend only a few hours in the city and therefore use fewer public resources compared to overnight visitors.' Since they don't stay in paid accommodation, they aren't charged through the usual channels. Finally, for day-trippers to be affected, Shulka states that policies targeting them would need to be implemented. This includes things like tourist passes, access fees or visitor registrations. Over on Reddit, there's a huge discussion about the idea of a tourist tax, and as you would expect, the reviews are mixed. More Trending Many Londoners are for a tax, making the point that they have to pay it in other European cities, so why not here? 'Some visitors are surprised when they find out they don't owe tourist tax,' one person adds. 'Yes please. And then ring fence that money to go back into benefiting the local economy. Some new trains for the Bakerloo Line would be nice! Or some new cycle lanes,' another says. A Barcelona resident was also positive about a London tax: 'As a tourist, I wouldn't mind that extra fee.' They continued, saying that their Spanish city has it, and 'regardless of the real use of the money that it generates, it's not a barrier for tourists.' Another tourist agrees: 'I would pay it gladly every time I visit London (and I try to do it a couple of times a year at least). Others were a little more sceptical, saying they would support it if they could guarantee that the money would benefit Londoners. However, some were straight up against it, citing that hotels are 'already overpriced', so 'the answer isn't to drive them further away.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Man unleashes smoke grenades and sledgehammer in raid on Mayfair hotel MORE: Heaven nightclub bouncer cleared of rape charge MORE: British flight attendant 'in tears' in court accused of smuggling 46kg of drugs
The Sun
25-05-2025
- The Sun
Iconic steam train to make a comeback this summer – and it will be travelling through 7 UK counties
AN ICONIC steam train is set to return this summer, travelling through seven UK counties. Steam train fans will be eager to catch a glimpse of the 60163 Tornado, which departs from London Waterloo on August 16 before heading towards Woking and Basingstoke. 3 3 The LNER Peppercorn Class A1 locomotive had been kept off the tracks for several years due to a major overhaul. It will follow the classic route of the old "ACE" trains, which travelled along the South West coast before reaching the historic city of Exeter. The iconic steam train will then head back, passing through Bristol and Bath before returning to London. Kelly Osborne, managing director of The Railway Touring Company, said: "We are delighted to be working with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to provide opportunities for people from Woking and Basingstoke to travel with Tornado and for many more to see the locomotive in action. "It is very exciting that Tornado will be back on the national rail network." The locomotive can reach speeds of a whopping 100mph, making it one of the fastest steam trains to run since the 1960s. The 60163 Tornado made headlines when it was launched in 2008 as the first mainline steam locomotive built in the UK since 1960. Since its debut, the iconic train has appeared on the big screen in Paddington 2 and on TV shows like Top Gear. Steam train lovers will have to fork out £130 for a standard adult ticket. For those wanting a more luxurious experience, premier class tickets will cost £335 and include a full English breakfast and a four-course dinner, served with silver service on board. It comes after train enthusiasts went steam mad after a 93-year-old heritage locomotive was secretly sold to Japan to become a Harry Potter exhibit. Originally green, Dumbleton Hall was painted bright red to look like the Hogwarts Express in the wizarding film franchise. It was hidden under tarpaulin, transported on a low-loader to Southampton Dock and shipped to Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter, which opened last year. Dumbleton Hall was built in 1929 before being withdrawn from service in 1965. Its sister locomotive, Olton Hall, was the train featured in the movies and is now at the Harry Potter Experience near Watford. Dumbleton Hall was rescued from a scrapyard in the 1970s for £4,400 by Dumbleton Hall Locomotive Trust, eventually moving to the South Devon Railway Trust (SDRT). But last year, West Coast Railways bought it for £300,000. They reportedly sold it to Warner Bros for £1million. David Long, of Dumbleton Hall Locomotive Trust, said: 'We didn't work hard to create a saleable asset that will now be denied to all of us. "This should be a wake-up call to all volunteers.' SDRT's Ernest Elsworth-Wilson said: 'We thought it would be operating here but they sold it on. "We didn't have any clue it was going to Japan.' But Richard Elliot, ex-general manager of SDRT, said: 'It's probably better off in Japan where it's being looked after instead of gathering moss.'
BBC News
04-05-2025
- BBC News
Steam train makes special stop for Northallerton rail volunteer
A heritage steam train has made a special stop to thank a volunteer who has been working on the railway for 16 Dunn, from Northallerton, has been in hospital for five weeks as he underwent chemotherapy for cancer of the Dunn said he felt emotional when he found out the Railway Touring Company's locomotive would be making the unscheduled stop at Northallerton said: "This has kept me going for the last few weeks because it's very special. No steam engine would ever be able to stop there normally. It's quite emotional, to say the least." The Railway Touring Company offers trips around the UK on five locomotives called The Great service stopped in Northallerton at about 10:40 BST on Dunn said it was especially exciting because the locomotive making the journey was a Tornado, an A1 class that was built in Darlington."It's on its last part going back down to London via Norwich," he said."The total mileage will be just over 2,000 miles, with 200 passengers."It is unique. It's a five-minute stop and everybody can wave their whistles from the train." Mr Dunn said his passion for trains began as a young boy, and having been born and bred in Northallerton, he was excited to see the service stop in his home town."It's a passion that comes from childhood, but people don't realise how passionate people across the country are, not just rail enthusiasts."The Great Britain started 17 years ago."It normally starts in London at Victoria or King's Cross and from there it goes to various points within our Great Britain."Mr Dunn's niece, Laura McManners, said the nurses at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where Mr Dunn was treated, had made special arrangements to allow him to get to Northallerton on Saturday said Mr Dunn had waved to all the passengers from the platform and been able to say thank you to train service began at London Victoria on 26 April before making its way to Northallerton stop was made on the train's journey back to London, where it will terminate on Monday. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
