Santa trains start on 28 November at Chinnor and Wallingford from £24 a ticket; Didcot's reindeer hunt runs in December. Dates, times and every price below.

Three heritage railways within half an hour of Henley run Santa trains this Christmas, and all three are already taking bookings. The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway and the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway both start on Saturday 28 November, and Didcot Railway Centre’s Steam Into Christmas runs on four December weekends. The cheapest seat is £24, on the opening weekend at Wallingford.

The quick answer

  • Santa Express, Wallingford: 28 November to 22 December, £24 to £28 a ticket for adults and children alike, under-2s £5.
  • Santa Steam Specials, Chinnor: 28 November to 23 December, £24.50 on the opening weekend, £29.50 in December.
  • Steam Into Christmas, Didcot: 5 to 23 December, adults £20, children £26.50.

The three compared

Cholsey and Wallingford Chinnor and Princes Risborough Didcot Railway Centre
Event Santa Express Santa Steam Specials Steam Into Christmas
Dates 28, 29 Nov; 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 to 22 Dec 28, 29 Nov; 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23 Dec 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23 Dec
Board at Wallingford station, OX10 9GQ Princes Risborough platform 4, HP27 9DN On site at the railway centre
Price £24 (Nov), £26 (5 to 13 Dec), £28 (19 to 22 Dec) £24.50 (Nov), £29.50 (Dec) Adult £20, child £26.50
Under-2s or babies £5 Under-1s free, with a small gift Under-1s free
Trip About an hour, diesel hauled About 1 hour 35 minutes, steam Allow 2 to 3 hours on site
Present Every child Every child aged 1 to 12 Every child, chosen from Santa’s workshop

Santa Express, Cholsey and Wallingford Railway

Santa’s elves travel with you on a round trip of about an hour, Father Christmas visits each carriage and every child gets a present. Before you leave, adults get a festive drink and a mince pie and children a soft drink and a sweet treat. The trains are hauled by diesel locomotives, and everyone booked on the Santa Express has to board at Wallingford (Cholsey and Wallingford Railway, Santa Express).

Dates Departures Adults and children over 2 Under 2
28 and 29 November 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm £24 £5
5 and 6 December 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm £26 £5
12 and 13 December 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm, 6pm £26 £5
19, 20, 21 and 22 December 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm, 6pm £28 £5

Booking in advance is essential. There is some parking at Wallingford station, Hithercroft Road, on a first come, first served basis.

Santa Steam Specials, Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway

The only one of the three that is a proper steam train ride to a grotto. Trains leave Princes Risborough platform 4 at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm and run to “Santa’s Enchanted Workshop and Grotto” at Chinnor, a trip of about 1 hour 35 minutes. Elves hand out activity packs and letters to Santa on the way, and at Chinnor there is face painting for 3 to 11 year olds, a mince pie or biscuit and a hot drink or Fruit Shoot, all included (Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, Santa Steam Specials).

  • Early season, 28 and 29 November: £24.50 per person, £5 off the December price.
  • December weekends and 22 and 23 December: £29.50 per person.
  • The railway is holding its prices at 2025 levels.
  • Adults and children pay the same. Each child ticket, for ages 1 to 12, includes a present; babes in arms under 1 need no ticket and still get a small gift.
  • Buggies cannot go on the train; leave them on platform 4 or in the car.
  • Small dogs on a short lead are welcome on the train but not in the grotto.
  • Parking is Chiltern Railways’ pay and display at Princes Risborough station.

The railway reserves the right to swap in a diesel if a steam engine is unavailable.

After Christmas, Chinnor runs Winter Warmers on 27 and 28 December and 1 and 2 January, steam-hauled by its resident USA S160, with a light walk and a winter model railway at Chinnor station (Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, Winter Warmers).

Steam Into Christmas, Didcot Railway Centre

Less a train ride than a morning out. Santa’s reindeer have escaped, and children carry a passport round the 21-acre site to find them at reindeer stations, collecting a small gift at each one, before choosing a present from Santa in his toy workshop. Every child gets a Christmas stocking on arrival, and the ticket includes unlimited rides on the main demonstration line. Gates open at 9.30am, you book an arrival time, and the centre closes at 4pm. Allow two to three hours (Didcot Railway Centre, Steam Into Christmas).

  • Dates: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22 and 23 December.
  • Adult £20, child aged 1 or over £26.50, under-1s free, before Gift Aid, from the centre’s booking system.
  • Carers now pay a small charge, member discounts do not apply and complimentary tickets are not valid.

Didcot also hosts Gerald Dickens performing A Christmas Carol on the evenings of 9 and 14 December.

Santa in Henley itself

Henley’s Santa’s grotto comes with the Christmas Festival on Friday 27 November, when the town centre closes to traffic from 5pm to 9pm. The grotto times for 2026 are not published yet; what is known is on our Henley Christmas lights switch-on page.

For Christmas days out without Santa, Greys Court’s childhood-stories Christmas runs from 21 November: see Greys Court at Christmas. The Kenton’s pantomime, Dick Whittington, is on from 5 December: Henley pantomime.

Getting there

Check Henley roadworks and travel before you set off. The main line through Didcot is affected by engineering works after Christmas: see Henley Christmas trains and travel.

Still to be confirmed

Nothing on the three railways, which have published full dates and prices. What is still to come is Henley’s own grotto times for the Christmas Festival. This page will be checked again in early November for sold-out dates, added trains and the Henley grotto.

Dates, times and prices checked against each railway’s own booking pages on 25 September 2026.