Saphos Trains Reviews 54

I have to provide some balance to the poor reviews of this company.

I went on the Xmas trip to Bath. It was an amazing experience from start to finish. The carriage was luxurious with some really nice small touches. The staff were amazing; friendly, attentive and extremely caring. They didn’t stop once and it was clear that everything they did was because they wanted to ensure that travellers had the best and safest experience possible. I was so impressed and very appreciative of everything they did to make the day so special.

Things happen on trips; trains break etc but I don’t believe the negative reviews on here are a fair reflection of the staff or the experience you’ll get if you book a trip with this company.

Previously been on the Midland which was very good.
TheSaphos Whitr Rose to York was ,unfortunately, disappointing. Considering the cost was £950 this didn’t reflect value for money.
We could have stayed in a top class hotel with a visit to the York train museum for half the price
The food was below par, the drink allocation with the meal was miserly. The train broke down for over two hours and there was no regular update neither were we offered water despite a number of vulnerable passengers onboard. When asked if they had a risk assessment this was met with a
nil response. I’ve written to the company and been completely ignored. My advice don’t book. There are better steam train experiences. They obviously don’t respond to their reviews which further illustrates the
lack of customer care.

We went on the White Rose trip to York this month. It was faultless from start to finish apart from a steam engine problem. The staff were superb and helpful throughout and the food and drink excellent. The steam engine gave problems on the return journey so had to be swapped with a diesel which took time to carry out. We returned 2 hours late but during the delay staff continued to provide drink and food. I would thoroughly recommend the experience and Saphos

November 2025 journey to York.
We had 2.45 hours delay on way home.

Train stopped outside Peterborough.

We were not told anything at all.
Nobody knew what was going on.
STRESS Levels were so high.

Many passengers missed connection and were facing not getting home that night.

Saphos have offered no redund at all, they have ignored my email complaints after blaming network rail.

It's obvious that Saphos have our money and they could not care one bit about the customer.

The way they ignored us ne.

Absolutely awful. No way will I ever use them again.

Disgusting the delay and the attitude in the days sine.

Utterly awful.

Horrendous

Although it is a very long day the time passes quickly due to the attention of the staff with excellent food and drink. Not cheap but worth every penny. It is worth paying the extra to have just two seats on a table of four as it is pure luxury to be able to stretch out.

A fantastic trip from start to finish. Very comfortable journey with excellent food and plenteous supply of tea and coffee. The staff were amazing, very helpful,polite and friendly. Special thanks to Train Manager Sandra, Chef Nick and Mark carriage steward and his team. Looking forward to another trip in the future.

We had a very good experience when we went on the Riveria Express to Dartmouth on the 12th July. Although reading other reviews it seems that it is very much 'luck of the draw' with this company. I have given one star less because we had looked forward to it being a steam train experience, but due to the very high temperatures and the risk of fire this was changed to a diesel (though we did seem to change engines a few times!) The food was excellent as was the service despite the extreme heat and little ventilation. Our stewards worked valiantly all day to make our experience a special one and I would just like to say thank you to them.

English Riviera Express 12 July
Overall, an excellent day. No steam but that can’t be helped. Lisa, Ben and Jenny, the staff in my Pullman carriage, worked tirelessly all day, bearing in mind their duty period probably stretched to some 20 hours.
The glass of champagne leaving Dartmouth and a £21 drinks credit were appreciated.
As has been stated, the heat on the return journey was oppressive, but given the age of the carriages, was probably unavoidable. The 6 hours going was okay, but the 7 hours return was pretty stifling. Take a fan! Smart collared shirts and shorts should have been permitted and there was plenty of warning that it was going to be hot.
The food was well presented and tasty.
You need to take some reading material, unless you enjoy looking out of the window at fields for most the journey, other than the last hour to Dartmouth, for which the views are fabulous.

English Riviera Express. 12th July 2025. Train arrived on time but, due to the dry weather no steam. That didn’t bother us as we are not great train enthusiasts and people seemed happy with a vintage diesel train. Pullman dining food and service were first class and we were supplied with free bottles of water all day. Staff were great and worked very hard in dreadful heat. My only criticism is the heat in the carriage was dreadful. Windows opened but, it was stifling inside the train. I would have appreciated contact from Saphos to change the dress code as we were overdressed for the weather and information said we would not be allowed on the train if not properly dressed for Pullman Dining. I think the lovely waiters and waitresses should have a hot weather uniform and not be forced to wear a tweed waistcoat on top of their shirts. All in all we had a lovely day out but, I wouldn’t do it in the summer again.

I wouldn't waste your money, just book a first class ticket on a normal train.
Staff are great but our train (Braunton) had to stop 4 times for water which takes 45 minutes, you're left just waiting!
It broke down on way back and we were only told 40 minutes later, then we were told it would be an hour for another diesel to come and tow it back to Taunton, then another 45 minutes to disconnect loco, swap over and carry on journey to Newton Abbot.
It's now 9pm in Bristol and would not have got into Newton until the following day so like most we abandoned and got a normal train back home.
I did contact customer service but was fobbed off in a disgraceful manner.
Real shame and would not use again.

Don’t book unless you are prepared to potentially lose all your money in the event you can’t go for some reason, or check your insurance. I’d booked months in advance and paid over £700. This is blunt but my mother was unexpectedly dying when the trip date came round. Phoned company and as others have said the rude patronising man in office talks to you like you’re stupid or something. No compassion just said give tickets to someone else!!!! Insurance wouldn’t pay as it was a day trip essentially, needed 2 nights accommodation booked to claim. So beware it’s a lot of money to lose.

Booked to take my wife, son and daughter-in-law on The English Riviera Express.
The train was due at 0730 but we received a SMS message informing us that the train was running 65 minutes late. Not a great start.
When we finally boarded, our table was beautifully set and the food was good, portion sizes were
ok for me but I do have a small appetite so others might find them on the small size.
The train managed to make up 45 minutes outbound.
The onboard hotel staff really, really do work very hard whilst keeping smiling at all times. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Credit to the company
One constructive suggestion. It appears that Saphos has a business connection with the Dartmouth Riverboat Cruises, however there doesn't appear to be any coordination between the two, re timing and ticketing. When I rang up prior to our trip, Saphos staff were unable to offer any advice or help.
We managed to get on the riverboat which appeared to be waiting for us (???) and paid onboard, however perhaps the train manager or someone could sell River Cruise tickets en route to Kingswear and give out some information as to the logistics and timings.

Fantastic day out, great experience and now off my bucket list. Went from Norwich to Canterbury on 14/05/2025 Great service especially from Philip and Ed but they were all great. Really helped to make the day special. Well done everyone and thank you. John and Rasa

We went on the Canterbury West trip, May 2025 as First Class passengers. The staff were excellent and worked very hard all day. Our seats were at the very end of the train, where unfortunately, all of the air vents had to remain open as there were no opening windows causing it to be very hot further along the carriage. However, this meant it was cold where we were sitting!
Plenty of tea and coffee throughout the day, however, again because of where our seats were, we were always the last to receive our tea which meant it was cool and stewed!

On 3 December 2024 we went on the Christmas Day trip to Edinburgh Pullman Dining at a cost of £890 for two. Staff were very pleasant and efficient but we were very cold as floor level vent was pumping out cold air. Also a door from the carriage and toilet area which was feet away from us wouldn’t automatically close and therefore allowed cold air to flow through. We made numerous complaints to staff who wrapped us in blankets but it is impossible to enjoy a trip or eat when your hands are so cold it was difficult to hold cutlery. I have sent three emails - no response. One letter with copies of emails to senior management - no response. Just about to send copies to Director, Mr J Hosking. Wonder if I will hear anything.
Bill and Dee Buss

We had a wonderful trip from Brighton to Bath on the 9/12 on the the Pullman train and Philip and his colleagues were excellent. Great comfort,company, food and drinks. We will go again

I bought this trip for my husbands Xmas/Birthday present as he’s a keen Steam Locomotive fan,and it certainly did not disappoint.
On board service in First Class can only be described as that,Zac worked extremely hard ,tea and coffee always available,snacks supplied and the afternoon tea I ordered for our return journey was superb.Thankyou Saphos .

We booked the Bath Christmas market express with Pullman dining as our birthday and anniversary gifts this year. The service, dining and general ambience were first class. The staff could not have been more attentive and made the whole experience a delight. Network rail delayed the journey both at the start and en route home by an hour with a closed line and points failure, but we were so well catered for by the staff we really didn't feel put out.

We travelled on The Christmas White Rose Pulled by 'Blue Peter' from Crewe to York and return. Home station to Crewe and return was diesel driven. As a birthday treat we travelled Pullman class. The weather was very cold but clear. A beautiful winter day.
The staff were brilliant, particularly the 'no name tag' Scotsman on his first day in the job. He was attentive particularly to my wife who is not as mobile as she once was.
The food was excellent throughout the journey and the tea/coffee and water was readily available.
The scenery in the Peak District was amazing and Blue Peter attracted attention throughout the journey. It was her first journey after 20 years of restoration. The supplied information booklet was very useful.
The Pullman carriages are very comfortable that said as the windows are single glazed they are prone to condensation in the cold weather, as we had. A small window clearer would have been a useful travel accessory.
Travellers with mobility issues should be aware York Station has, currently, a lot of steps and no lifts. The station is in progress of having a massive upgrade as is The Railway Museum. There are lots of roads and pavements blocked. Google maps are not much use at the moment.
My wife coped and we had a very long but enjoyable day culminating in a beautifully presented 5 course meal. The portions were such that no 'doggie' bags were needed.
The day was not cheap but we felt it was good value for money. So I have now spent the extra 25p a week I am receiving on my state pension for my advanced years

It was a long and tiring day, but one that I totally enjoyed. The train was fantastic, scrupulously clean and comfortable seating. The attendants/stewards were equally good, friendly, courteous and helpful from the moment I got on the train to the time I got off. I have read some negative reviews here but I didn’t experience anything negative. The admin staff and the train crews were nothing short of professional and friendly, nothing was too much trouble. The locomotive was also impressive. First saw service in 1937 but ran faultlessly and was gleamingly presented, sparklingly clean, a real credit to the engineers who maintain and presented it. I would certainly have no hesitation in taking another of their excursions next year.