With the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the super fans at GoEuro, the platform for comparing and booking trains, buses and flights across Europe, have put together an eight stop UK route planner for fans of the series to visit the backdrops from key moments which have taken place across each film.
Taking shape as a weekend break, scenes filmed in the UK include Scarif, Naboo Forest, Yavin IV, The Resistance Base and Takodana. Utilising a combination of train and buses, the weekend planner includes five sites from the series, as well as a little R&R in Oxford and Newport.
Do it yourself with GoEuro
Scarif (London)
Starting in London at Canary Wharf tube station, the steel and concrete Sir Norman Foster design of the platform, escalators and glass safety doors serve perfectly as the imperial security complex on Scarif from Rogue One.
Naboo Forest (Whippendell Woods) – 19 minute train journey
Just 19 minutes away from London towards Watford, Whippendell Woods serves as the backdrop of Naboo Forest from The Phantom Menace. Here, fans can spend the morning wandering the forest where viewers were first introduced to the clumsy, yet lovable, Jar Jar Binks after Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi saved him from being run over by a spaceship in the woods.
Yavin IV (RAF Cardingan, Bedford) – 2 hour train journey
The Royal Air Force base at Cardingan in Bedford serves as the backdrop for the exterior of the Rebel Base Hanger at Yavin IV. Just a two hour train will land visitors in the heart of the base which was used in Episode IV and Rogue One.
Pit Stop: Bedford to Oxford – 2 hours and 15 minutes by bus
Splitting the four hour journey to the next location is an overnight stop in Oxford. The fastest way to get between the two is by bus and the historic city is packed with restaurants and a wicked weekend nightlife.
The Resistance Base (Newbury) – 1 hour and 10 minutes by bus
Further south by bus in Newbury is the home of the Resistance Base which was filmed at RAF Greenham Common. Here the missile silos of the abandoned RAF base create the backdrop to the Resistance Base in The Force Awakens where pilots prepared to head out on their mission to Starkiller Base.
Takodana (Forest of Dean) – 4 hours and 38 minutes by bus
Finally catch a bus across the country into Wales for a quick sleep and to visit the final set location from the Star Wars series. The trek to the Forest of Dean is totally worth the journey as not only is it perfect for hiking through, but travellers will be rewarded with the backdrop of Takodana where Rey was captured by Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens.
Pit Stop: Forest of Dean to Newport – 59 minutes by bus
The worst part of any journey home is, quite frankly, the journey home. However, Newport is a great pit stop on the journey back to London to grab lunch and a pint and enjoy the afternoon.
Back to London – 1 hour and 54 minutes by train
Finally, the journey back to London is the perfect time to catch up on one of the films from the franchise or take a well-deserved nap. For budget conscious travellers, who want to catch up on more than one film, the bus between Newport and London is much more affordable and takes three hours and 15 minutes.
To discover the weekend route with GoEuro, click here.
