The best way to spend a Sunday in Stratford-upon-Avon starts by taking a steam train from Birmingham. The Shakespeare Express runs through the Warwickshire countryside at mainline speed, arriving into Stratford before midday with over four hours to explore the town before the return journey home. Standard tickets from £26.50 per person. Child and family tickets available. What's included in every ticket: A steam-hauled run through the Warwickshire countryside at mainline speed Over four hours in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace Comfortable seating with picture windows and a buffet car on board Upgrade to Pullman Dining from £132.50 per person for a full English breakfast on the way out and afternoon tea on the return, served to your seat in one of our original Pullman Cars. Shakespeare Express tickets are a genuinely different gift for birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions, too. Departing Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham Moor Street, and Tyseley. Sundays: 21 June, 26 July, and 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 August. All prices include a 6% booking fee.

The Shakespeare Express is Vintage Trains' flagship service: a steam-hauled journey between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon, running every Sunday through the summer along one of England's most distinctive routes. Hauled by a restored steam locomotive at mainline speed through the Warwickshire countryside, it connects the West Midlands' biggest city with one of the world's most visited cultural destinations in a way that no other service does. Winner of the Silver Award for Experience of the Year at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2026.

The Shakespeare Express is Vintage Trains' flagship service: a steam-hauled journey between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon, running every Sunday through the summer along one of England's most distinctive routes. Hauled by a restored steam locomotive at mainline speed through the Warwickshire countryside, it connects the West Midlands' biggest city with one of the world's most visited cultural destinations in a way that no other service does. Winner of the Silver Award for Experience of the Year at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2026.