Tips for travelling at Christmas 2026

Christmas is such a busy time and space is limited onboard. So only bring what you can carry.

Our luggage limits makes sure there’s room for everyone and helps us keep your train on time. You’ll need to carry your own luggage, so think about how heavy or large your bags are. To make the most of the space onboard, we can tell you how and where to store your bags.

Want to travel light? You can send your bags ahead, thanks to Luggage Buddy, our trusted luggage courier service. Christmas is such a busy time and space is limited onboard. So only bring what you can carry.

If your ticket doesn’t have a seat reservation, like an Off-Peak or Flexible return, you can easily reserve one and it won’t cost a penny. Even if you didn’t book your ticket with us. It’s great to make sure you’re not stuck on your feet all the way there.

Christmas is one of the busiest times to travel. If you’re heading away with little ones keep a close eye on them in stations and onboard our trains. For a more comfy, stress-free journey try our Family Lounges at London King’s Cross, York or our brand new lounge in Edinburgh.

You can relax, they can play and everyone’s happy. It’s a great way to start the festive season.

Need help at the station or to board our trains? No problem. We’re here to help. Book Passenger Assist up to two hours before you travel using our live Web Chat between 09:00 and 17:00, or by calling 0800 0223720 outside of these hours.

A smooth journey makes all the difference when travelling with pets, so plan ahead. Trains are busy, and it’s really important to keep your pet secure and comfy. Whether in a carrier or on a lead, make sure they’re safe and calm, especially in crowds.

Please consider other passengers and help create a stress-free journey for everyone, including your best buddy.

Whether you’re travelling in First Class or Standard, you can enjoy delicious festive foods delivered straight to your seat. Check out our Christmas menu for December.

Great news! We don’t have any major engineering work planned this Christmas.

But…

There will be a few changes to our timetable. Some services will finish earlier than usual on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It’s worth checking your full journey before you travel. Including connections with other operators.

Join LNER Perks and import your LNER ticket (no matter where you booked it) and earn 2% credit, plus get £5 credit just for joining. Think of it as a stocking filler to yourself!

Find out information personalised to your journey, direct to your phone with LNER Assistant.

Do you want to know which platform your train departs from? If there are delays due to weather conditions? A reminder of your seat reservation before you depart? This is where LNER Assistant can help. Get from A to B stress-free with live journey updates every step of the way.

While our route is open as normal this Christmas, major work is taking place at various locations on the West Coast Mainline between Saturday 27 December and Thursday 15 January. This will disrupt journeys between London Euston and the North West/Scotland, and make LNER services busier than usual in the post-Christmas travel period.

Services between Leeds and York from Saturday 27 December to Friday 2 January will also be amended, due to ongoing Transpennine Route Upgrade improvements.

Please check the NRE website for full details of engineering works taking place over the festive period.

Packed full of unmissable shopping, tempting restaurants and the delightful Christmas market, York is a perfect day out.

Remember, if you’re travelling through York on a Saturday evening after a day exploring, the station has a no alcohol policy from 18:00 until 1:00.

There’s nothing better than settling down to a favourite festive film to warm up that Christmas spirit. Download the top searched Christmas movies before you hop onboard and you can jingle all the way home.