Address: Queen's Park Rd, Paignton, TQ4 6AF, United Kingdom
Phone: +441803555872
Rating: 4.7
based on 436 reviews.
Experience and Scenery
Pros:
"Always had a passion for steam trains so this is a little biased, but the views outside and feeling of classic rail travel across the countryside is just wonderful."
"Lovely train ride through beautiful countryside between Paignton and Dartmouth."
"The train runs from Paignton to Kingswear with spectacular views of the countryside and the sea along the way."
"There is spectacular views of the beaches and marinas whilst on the train."
"The train ride was very scenic, and we enjoyed the views of the River Dart and the surrounding countryside."
"Took in some absolutely amazing views as the railway runs right next to beautiful beaches and rolling countryside."
"The journey from Paignton to Kingswear was absolutely beautiful."
Cons:
"Boring track with wall and dense tree views peppered with a few brief and beautiful glimpses of the beach and marina but nothing you couldn’t get for free on or from the road."
"Without heating the windows are completely covered in condensation and makes it very difficult to see outside."
"Shame about derelict Goodrington Sands Station which let's the line and company down."
"You do not stop at any of the stations between Paignton and Kingswear so you cannot view the engine sheds, or get off and visit Greenway."
"The light show along the track consisted of 1 to 2 platforms that had lights and a display and that was pretty much it."
"There's nothing to do in Kingswear, so just join the queue to get on the ferry over to Dartmouth."
"In between the transportation there wasn't a lot to do. The town in Dartmouth is quite poor and only had bakeries on offer in the way of food."
Value and Pricing
Pros:
"The value for money was exceptional."
"Stupendously good value and service for an unforgettable experience!"
"The ferry crossing was included in the price, which we thought was very reasonable compared to some steam train journeys."
"Prices pretty good."
"Prices very reasonable for the day."
"A family ticket is good value for money and includes the ferry to Dartmouth."
"It all came to £78 which I think is great value for the 5 of us to enjoy an amazing steam train and steam boat experience!"
Cons:
"Very very disappointed. overpriced."
"It's now becoming a bit too expensive for a family of 4."
"Nice scenic ride but needs to get its act together and is missing out on food offering- at £20 it was not a cheap or family friendly option."
"Although I can understand the price at the time of writing this of £18.90 for an adult return to Paignton from Dartmouth I feel it might a bit expensive for some larger families."
"The train trip (includes ferry from Kingswear to Dartmouth) is fantastic, albeit a little pricey, but well worth it in our opinion."
"So we thought £100 for the experience was expensive."
"Worth a ride but quite expensive for what it is."
Staff and Service
Pros:
"All went very smoothly all good service."
"All the staff here from the lady in the ticket office to the guard and staff on the train were so lovely, friendly and so willing to help in any way possible."
"The staff were great at all stages and I'd highly recommend the trip back in time along this beautiful part of the world."
"Having spoken to the staff and volunteers, they are exceptionally friendly and incredibly knowledgeable."
"The staff at the Dartmouth Steam Railway were very friendly and welcoming."
"Staff were all friendly, including the crew on the ferry."
"Staff are so very helpful and friendly."
Cons:
"Dissapointed start to the experience with a rather rude woman in the ticket office."
"The most annoying part was the lady close the office knowing that there are 30 customers standing outside waiting for a bus."
"The only downside was the rudeness this Sunday of the member of staff when buying the tickets on Dartmouth side."
"Staff were not very polite or helpful either."
"Not giving us information or offering any advice or refreshments."
"When phoning the Paignton station number advertised and not getting answered it asked you to leave your details so they can phone you back, but never did, also very poor."
"Not happy that I missed the train by a few seconds because there was no one at the ticket desk. They could have waited!!!"
Facilities and Accessibility
Pros:
"Nice clean facilities, carriages and cafe."
"Free toilets including disabled/baby changing."
"They have gift shops."
"There's a fully stocked bar on the the paddle steamer great to have a couple of beers while steaming along the river dart enjoying the beautiful scenery."
"You are allocated seating when you purchase the tickets."
"There are spaces on the train for push chairs and wheelchairs."
"Wheel chair and scooter friendly."
Cons:
"Beware there are NO toilet facilities on board."
"Caught the ferry then to Darmouth and it was full everyone crammed on like sardines."
"Nice trip, but expensive coffee and train windows could have done with a clean."
"Only problem in the Paignton station was the steep little area from toilets to station if you're a newbie wheel chair user."
"Dartmouth is not great for wheelchairs and scooters due to very narrow paths and rough cobblestones."
"The carriages have no heating and it was sub-zero."
"The only catch is that they don't have any of their own parking."