Tips for travelling at Christmas 2025

As Christmas is a busy period, please only bring what you can carry as there is limited space onboard.

Sticking to our luggage limits ensures there is space for everyone and helps us to keep the train running on time. You must be able to carry your own luggage, so consider how heavy or large your bags are. We’ll also tell you how and where to store your bags, to make the most of the space onboard.

You can also send your bags ahead Luggage Buddy, our trusted luggage courier service.

If your ticket doesn't have a seat reservation (like an Off-Peak or flexible return), you can make one for free, even if you didn't book your ticket with LNER. Avoid being stuck on your feet whilst you’re travelling!

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for travel, so please take extra care when journeying with your children. Keep a close eye on them while in stations and onboard trains. For a more comfortable and stress-free experience, why not visit our Family Lounges at London King's Cross and York or our brand-new Family Lounge at Edinburgh? We’re here to make your travels a little easier this festive season!

If you need assistance at the station and help boarding our trains, our colleagues are 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.

It’s important to plan ahead to ensure a smooth journey when travelling with your pet. With the festive season being one of the busiest times of the year, it’s essential to keep your pet secure and comfortable. Whether in a carrier or on a lead, ensure they are safe and calm, especially in crowded stations or on busy trains. Please be considerate of other passengers and help your pet stay relaxed amid the holiday bustle. A little extra care can make all the difference in creating a stress-free journey for both of you!

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.

LNER does not have any major engineering work planned this Christmas. However, there will be some changes to our usual timetable over the festive period, including services finishing earlier than usual on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Please check 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.

Boasting unbeatable shopping, restaurants and of course the Christmas market, York makes for the perfect day trip.

Please note that if you’re travelling through York on a Saturday evening after a day exploring the city, the station has a no alcohol policy from 18:00 until 01:00.

Discover the top searched Christmas films to download before you travel, perfect for setting the festive mood as you take the train home for Christmas!