A quarter-century on from the first Harry Potter film, the wizarding world is still very much findable on a map. To mark the 25th anniversary, Rail Europe has picked out five filming locations — all reachable on regular trains, no Hogwarts Express required.
Start where every fan does: London King's Cross, where a recreated Platform 9¾ complete with a trolley vanishing into the wall waits for photo opportunities. From there, the trail fans out across England and Scotland.
First up is the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Hertfordshire, where the "Hogwarts in the Snow" event runs from 14 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, dressing the original film sets in festive decorations and fake snow. Trains from London Euston to Watford Junction connect with a shuttle bus; tickets for the studios are sold separately.
Then it's north to Scotland, where the curved stone arches of the Glenfinnan Viaduct — the bridge Harry's train crosses in the films — sit amid classic Highland scenery. You can ride over it on ordinary ScotRail services between Fort William and Mallaig, or on the seasonal Jacobite steam train if you want the full period experience.
Back down south, Oxford is only about 45 minutes from London and packs in several iconic sets. The Bodleian Library's Divinity School played the Hogwarts hospital wing, while Duke Humfrey's Library and the staircase at Christ Church doubled for other scenes. Between filming spots there are cobbled lanes, secondhand bookshops and plenty of tea stops.
Durham, roughly three hours from London by direct train, contributed its Norman cathedral to the first film — the stone cloisters staged the scene where Harry releases Hedwig, and the Chapter House became Professor McGonagall's classroom. The cathedral aside, the city rewards a slow wander through medieval streets and along the river.
Last is Goathland station in North Yorkshire, which stood in for Hogsmeade station. It sits on the heritage North Yorkshire Moors Railway, reached via Whitby or Grosmont — possibly with an extra connection. Services run seasonally, so check timetables before committing.
For fans, the appeal is obvious: these aren't replicas or themed attractions but real places where the films were shot, most of them stitched together by ordinary rail routes. It's a low-effort, high-reward themed trip — a festive studio visit near London, a Highland rail crossing, and a couple of historic cathedral cities — that works as a long weekend or a week-long loop. Book studio tickets and heritage trains early, though: the seasonal services and the snow exhibition have limited windows.
