![\"CrossCountry](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247006596-2984.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Aberdeen to Penzance train is the longest route in Britain (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tThe Aberdeen to Penzance train is the longest route in Britain (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s nothing quite like settling in for a long train journey<\/a> with a tonne of snacks, books and unlimited window views.<\/a><\/p>\n So, if you\u2019ve got the patience, you\u2019ve probably ticked the UK\u2019s longest train journey<\/a> off your travel bucket list, featuring \u2018breathtaking countryside\u2019 views from Scotland<\/a> right down to the Cornish coast.<\/p>\n Spanning 13 hours and 20 minutes and 36 stops, the Aberdeen to Penzance route covers a whopping 785 miles of terrain \u2013 and, first introduced in 1921, has been running for more than 100 years.<\/p>\n But now, it\u2019s almost the end of the line, as Crosscountry has confirmed that as part of amendments to the timetable, the service is being scrapped.<\/p>\n With just a few weeks left to grab a seat, the last service is scheduled for May 16 \u2013 and the new timetable comes into place on May 18.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/p>\n Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n From then onwards, there\u2019ll be a service from Aberdeen running only as far as Plymouth. Spanning just over 11 hours, the journey is 80 miles shorter than its original sibling.<\/p>\n Tempted to board while you still can? <\/p>\n You\u2019ll want a window seat for this one, as the train zooms past the likes of Edinburgh<\/a> Castle, Bamburgh Castle, the Fife coastline, the Royal Albert Bridge and, eventually, the Dawlish seawall down in Devon<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t Naturally, it ticks off many of the major cities in the north, including Edinburgh, Newcastle,<\/a> Durham, York<\/a>, Leeds<\/a> and Sheffield<\/a>, and as such, spends around two hours in total waiting for passengers to get on and off the train at each stop.<\/p>\n Leaving Aberdeen at 8.20am once a day, the service only runs directly one way \u2013 so if you\u2019re wanting to get back to Aberdeen afterwards, you\u2019ll need to be prepared to either change in London <\/a>for the simplest route, or make a maximum of five stops between the likes of Bristol<\/a>, Newport, Crewe, and Edinburgh.<\/p>\n Because there are so many stops, a single journey can cost as much as \u00a3194 \u2013 but it\u2019s worth it for those gorgeous window views.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t Notably, the Aberdeen-Penzance route pales in comparison to the Trans-Siberian Railway \u2013 the world\u2019s longest direct train journey that connects Moscow to Vladivostok. Spanning over 5,700 miles, it takes around six days to complete and passes through multiple time zones.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the Toronto<\/a> to Vancouver<\/a> route is the second-longest in the world, traversing 2,749 and featuring picturesque views of the Rocky Mountains and the forests of the Canadian Shield.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Things to do in Aberdeen<\/strong><\/p>\n Looking to travel to Aberdeen to make the journey while you still can? You might as well spend a day here while you\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n For starters, the locality is home to some truly outstanding countryside. If you\u2019re up for it, take a hike up mountains like Ben Macdui and Lochnagar, both of which stand at 1,309 and 1,115 metres above sea level.<\/p>\n And, being a coastal city, there\u2019s also Aberdeen Beach \u2013 the perfect spot for the entire family as there\u2019s a fun fair, cinema, retail park and plenty of cafes to enjoy an ice cream or two in the summer.<\/p>\n \t\t Aberdeen is also a city that\u2019s home to plenty of history, documented at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, which houses collections on Aberdeen\u2019s shipbuilding past. <\/p>\n There\u2019s also Provost Skene\u2019s House \u2013 the city\u2019s oldest surviving townhouse \u2013 which tells the stories of more than 100 people born and raised in the city.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t![\"PTPB0F](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_247006599-8f70.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe service is set to wrap up in May (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)<\/p>\n![\"UK,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-200563774-001.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe route passes Bamburgh Castle up in Northumberland (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Edinburgh,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-590865610.jpg\")
\n\t\tEdinburgh Castle is also on the route (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Aberdeen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SEI_235938579-6756.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Aberdeen to Penzance train route spans 785 miles (Picture: Metro)<\/p>\n![\"Oil](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-1461571535.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe train leaves Aberdeen at 8.20am each morning (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n