The scenic way to and from St.Ives in Cornwall

Book a Holiday Cottage at The End of The Line

Fancy somewhere different? Be a little spontaneous! Discover whole new corners of the UK when you book a weekend or midweek break in a holiday cottage somewhere that really is at the end of the line.

Juliet Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon - the end of the line for Shakespeare? View cottage

There must be hundreds of excuses to book a weekend break, from the desire to get away from it all in a rural retreat to a couple of nights being lulled asleep to the sounds of waves crashing on a nearby beach in a seaside cottage.

But how about a voyage of discovery to a less-travelled corner of the UK?

For travellers with a sense of adventure, here’s the perfect idea for a little weekend or midweek getaway. Find and book a holiday cottage at the end of the line. Leave your car at home (or the station car park) and book tickets to a station at the end of a line. For those not sure where ‘the end of the line is’, there’s a long list of thirty-one termini stations below. Each link towns to a page of cottages within taxi distance of the station to catch your fancy.

Top Tip: The earlier in advance you book your train tickets and cheaper they will be.

Save money or pamper yourselves with affordable First Class tickets. For train times and prices go to Trainline.

Loch Duich - The View from. Tigh An Aullt 15-minutes from The Kyle of Lochalsh. View Cottage

As well as being an environmentally friendly way to travel, there’s the joy of the journey itself as you race or trundle through magnificent scenery (the sea wall at Dawlish en-route to Cornwall in Devon or Highland views on the way to The Kyle of Lochalsh. When not window gazing, you can eat, read, snooze and even surf the internet.

The Monsal Trail. Stay at Derwent House, Matlock. View Cottage

If you are planning a cycling weekend, most trains will accept bikes, but you may need to reserve a space for them in advance, so check before you leave home. Check the website of the train company you’ll be using for their bicycle policy. For cycling holidays, try The Tarka Trail from Barnstaple or The Monsal Trail reached via Buxton in the Peak District.

You can take pets on holiday by train too, and you’ll find plenty of pet-friendly holiday cottages to tempt you. They can travel free of charge, usually a maximum of two pets per passenger, and must be on a lead at all times.

The view from Sea Haze Cottage in Pembroke Dock, South Wales. View Cottage Info

Discover the everyday delights of small market towns or seaside resorts from St. Ives in Cornwall to the Kyle of Lochalsh on the West Coast of Scotland – and enjoy the journey through the Great British countryside.

The UK bristles with little destinations not known as visitor hotspots but which are perfect for walking weekends such as moorland walks in Matlock and Blaenau Ffestiniog, or beach-comber walks in Falmouth an Exmouth.

Turn the everyday into a little adventure, discover the delights of local produce markets (what self-catering holidays were designed for), or visiting art galleries such as The Tate in St. Ives. Make it a culinary weekend and discover superb delicatessens and restaurants from Llandudno to Whitby.

The My Favourite Holiday Cottages Railway Terminus List

Here is our list of thirty-one UK station termini where you’ll find cottages advertised on this site. We’ve selected those stations where the only way out is back the way you came in

Here you can find large, small, grand and cosy holiday cottages to rent for a short break or more extended holiday. Click on the link to view the cottages advertised in each location. You will find a description of the town and suggestions of things to go-see-do on each page.

1. Kyle of Lochalsh

2. Oban

3. Windermere

4. Skegness

5. Scarborough

6. Whitby

7. Saltburn

8. Ilkley

9. Buxton

10. Matlock

11. Stratford-upon-Avon

12. Llandudno