Fodor's Expert Review Severn Valley Railway

Bewdley is the southern terminus of this steam railroad running 16 miles north along the river to Bridgnorth, a lovely market town on a ridge above the River Severn. The train stops at a handful of sleepy stations where time has apparently stood still since the age of steam. With a Freedom of the Line ticket you can get off at any of these stations, picnic by the river, and walk to the next station to get a train back. Dining packages are also available, Perching on a high sandstone ridge on the banks of the Severn, Bridgnorth has two distinct parts, High Town and Low Town, connected by a winding road, flights of steep steps, and–-best of all–-a cliff railroad. Even the tower of the Norman castle seems to suffer from vertigo, leaning at a 15-degree angle, nearly four times that of the Tower of Pisa.