Mental Floss

Take a Literary Vacation With Rail Europe

By Shaunacy Ferro

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Go ahead and plan your next vacation around your favorite book. The site VisitBritain has named 2017 the Year of Literary Heroes, celebrating the anniversaries of literary events like the death of Lord Tennyson, the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the debut of the first collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. Rail Europe, in turn, has come up with some UK itineraries to help you celebrate, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

With the help of the rail company, you can see Jane Austen’s home, visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street, or hang out at the Edinburgh cafes where J.K. Rowling wrote her first books.

From March to December, the town of Chawton will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the death of its most famous resident, Jane Austen. About an hour and a half outside of London by train, Chawton is home to Jane Austen’s House Museum, where she spent the last years of her life. The annual Jane Austen Regency Week in Chawton and nearby Alton takes place from June 17 to June 25, featuring events and exhibitions dedicated to the author.

In May, you can head to Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, London to see a screening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone accompanied by a live orchestra. The show runs from May 11 to May 14. You can also take the long journey to Scotland, journeying to Edinburgh to have a cup of tea at the Spoon and the Elephant House, the cafes where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. We won’t judge if you pretend you’re on the Hogwarts Express.

In October 2017, Rail Europe suggests you take a trip to London for the 125th anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. You can head to Baker Street, go to the Sherlock Holmes Pub, or take a tour of the BBC show’s filming locations.

Previously, the railway came up with a literary itinerary for Paris and a Game of Thrones-themed trip guide, so you can go ahead and add those to your biblio-themed travel list, too.

[h/t Condé Nast Traveler]