Plymouth Southampton Train

Plymouth is a city in the county of Devon in the south west of England. The city is roughly 190 miles from London and lies on the mouth of the rivers Plym and Tamar, where they join Plymouth Sound. Plymouth grew into a major commercial shipping port during the Industrial Revolution handling imports and passengers from the Americas while nearby Devonport grew as an important Royal Naval shipbuilding and dockyard town.

During the summer guided tours are available to the Royal Citadel which was built in 1666 to defend the port from naval attacks, to suppress Plymothian Parliamentary leanings and to train the armed forces. There is also Smeaton's Tower, built in 1759, and also there are 20 war memorials of which nine are on The Hoe including Plymouth Naval Memorial. A mile upstream and on the opposite side of the River Plym is the Saltram estate which has a Jacobean and Georgian mansion.

Plymouth is often used as a base by visitors to nearby Dartmoor, the Tamar Valley and the beaches of south-east Cornwall. Kingsand, Cawsand and Whitsand Bay are popular. Plymouth is also an important centre for watersports, especially scuba diving and sailing. The Port of Plymouth Regatta is one of the oldest regattas in the world, and has been held regularly since 1823. In September 2011, Plymouth hosted the America's Cup World Series for nine days.

The port and university city of Southampton is located on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. Known as the cruise capital of Europe, Southampton plays host to over four million visitors a year and boasts an impressive cultural offering, from museums, music venues and art galleries, to award winning parks and the general hustle and bustle of a diverse city with fantastic shopping facilities. There are many attractions in the city to enjoy including the Southampton City Art Gallery. The internationally renowned gallery has a permanent collection spanning eight centuries which tells the story of western art from the Renaissance to the present day. The core of the collection is 20th century and contemporary British art. The gallery also offers high quality exhibitions ranging from painting, sculpture and drawing, to photography and film, as well as displays that change regularly to ensure new experiences with each visit. Located a few miles from Southampton is Beaulieu where you will find the world famous National Motor Museum including BOND IN MOTION, the world's largest official collection of James Bond Vehicles. There is also the World of Top Gear featuring vehicles from the popular TV programme, On Screen Cars to see the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter, and Palace House.