Avon Valley Railway Buffet

What it’s like

Bitton Station's buffet serves proper meals and cakes to eat before or after a ride behind a steam or diesel locomotive.

This one's really about the buffet at Bitton Station, which is open every day of the year bar Christmas Day and Boxing Day, whether or not a train's running that day. Breakfast, lunch, light bites, cakes and ice creams are all on offer, so it works as a destination in its own right if you just fancy a cheap, easy morning out with free parking and no entry fee.

The bigger draw for kids is when the trains are actually running, which the site says is about 120 days a year, mostly weekends. A round trip is three miles each way and takes about fifty minutes, which is a decent stretch for a small child to sit still, so plan the buffet stop either side of it rather than trying to squeeze both into a rushed hour. Under-5s travel free, and it's worth knowing you don't have to book for an ordinary steam or diesel day, though school holidays and busier periods are a different story.

Wheelchair users get ramped access into a converted carriage with a wheelchair space, and there's a disabled toilet in the buffet itself. Dogs are welcome on the station and on the trains most days, though not on the dining trains, so leave the dog at home if you've booked one of those.

Opening hours shift a bit through the year, running 9am to 3pm on winter weekdays and stretching to 5pm at weekends and on running days, with last entry an hour before closing. If you're going specifically for a ride rather than just the buffet, check which category your visit falls into before you set off.

Facilities

Need to know

Last entry

2pm Mon-Fri, 3pm weekends and running days

Parking

Free on site car parking

Food

Station buffet serves breakfast, main meals, light bites, cakes and snacks

Wheelchairs

Ramped access into converted carriage with wheelchair space, disabled toilet in buffet

Dogs

Welcome on station and trains most days, except dining trains

• Trains only run about 120 days a year, mostly weekends, so check which kind of day you're booking for
• Opening hours shorten to 9am-3pm on weekdays outside the busy season
• Ice creams are sold in both the buffet and the gift shop
• Last entry is an hour before closing, 2pm weekdays and 3pm at weekends

Plan your visit

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