From Douglas, you can travel to Castletown on the Manx Steam Railway. It’s a cute and comfortable ride, with nice views along the way. Also, at Castletown, the trains pass each other in opposite directions on the tracks. Additionally, it is the point at which they oil and fuel the steam trains, which is fun to watch.
The town itself is quaint and small enough to walk around in a couple of hours. The main highlight is Castle Rushen, and the structure itself is impressive. There are a few exhibits inside, and you can really feel how damp and dark life inside would have been. We loved walking around the towers above for the great views in every direction. Luckily, the drizzle gave way to some sunshine and blue skies.
Highlights
- Castle Rushen
- Taking the steam train and watching the changeover and maintenance
- The Nautical Museum
- Old Grammar School
- The Old House of Keys, former seat of Parliament
- Castletown Harbour
- Castletown Lighthouse
- Castletown Beach
Before you go
- At the Castle, you can use your National Trust card for entry, though the lady didn’t seem to happy about that
- Weather is changeable so prepare for all seasons
- Museums, shops and cafes close early so check times
- Trains run less often on Sundays so check schedules. We had to take the bus to Port Erin to have time to look around there
Transport
- Luckily, the Go Card covers all of the Isle of Man railways including the steam railway towards Port Erin via Castletown. Check the link to get the most up to date schedules
- Also, there are buses that go to Port Erin so that’s an alternate to trains
- The Ronaldsway airport is closer to Castletown than to Douglas, just north of the town
Accommodation
- We were able to travel to Castletown and back from Douglas on the same day, so we did not stay over
- As usual I recommend checking reviews on Booking.com or using AirBnB
Food
We only had a small snack and coffees at the local Costa Coffee to stay out of the drizzle. It was also the only place that was open later in the afternoon!
FAQs
Q: Do I need a tour guide?
A: No, it is easy to find places of interest and get around by public transport
Q: Do people speak English?
A: Yes, everyone speaks English
Q: Is it a walkable city?
A: Yes, it is easy to walk to the places of interest from the rail station and around the town
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