Tickets are now on sale for the immersive Christmas experience, which will run from November 27 to December 23.

Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s beloved children’s book and the 2004 animated film, The Polar Express Train Ride invites passengers to step into the story aboard a steam train bound for the North Pole.

Travellers are encouraged to wear pyjamas to fully immerse themselves in the experience, with many families choosing matching outfits to add to the festive fun.

The hour-long journey features appearances by the hobo, the conductor punching golden tickets, and a visit from Santa who, with the help of his elf, gifts each passenger a silver sleigh bell as the “first gift of Christmas.”

The Polar Express Train Ride is part of a global experience spanning 54 locations and welcoming more than 1.5 million riders each year.

All guests receive a keepsake golden ticket and a sleigh bell as part of the experience.

Ticket prices range from £35.95 to £57.95 depending on the date and time of travel, and early booking is advised as popular dates typically sell out quickly.

Tickets can be booked at yorkshiredalesthepolarexpressride.com.

It’s been more than a week since Iran launched revenge attacks on the Middle East

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New travel advice has been released for Brits stuck in the Middle East as the war in Iran rages on.

On February 28, US-Israeli missiles rained down on Tehran as part of ‘Operation Epic Fury’, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran hit back, firing missiles across Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain in a bid to target US air bases.

Thousands of Brits have since been stranded in the Middle East as flights were ground to a halt amid the brewing conflict.

Now, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued an update in the escalating situation, revealing dozens of flights are due to start bringing people home.

In a post shared on X today (March 9), the FCDO said dozens of flights are due to depart from the region to bring back Brits who have remained stranded since the beginning of the US and Israeli joint operation.

The post reads: “On Sunday, 30 flights departed from across the region carrying more than 7,000 British nationals – the highest number of Brits arriving in the UK in a single day since the beginning of the crisis. More than 40 flights are scheduled to depart from the region today.”

The FCDO added that “more than 37,000 British nationals have returned to the UK since March 1”.

“Three charter flights have now left Oman and landed in the UK. The third flight landed in the UK earlier this morning (Monday),” the post continued.

“The UK government has chartered a flight out of Dubai which, subject to the situation on the ground, will leave later today.

“More than 40 flights are scheduled to depart from the region today (Monday). British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE should ‘Register Your Presence’ with the FCDO.

“British nationals should continue to follow FCDO Travel Advice and local instructions, as the situation is volatile and could escalate.”

Some 172,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the region. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Foreign Secretary will continue to speak to airlines, travel companies and regional governments to find safe routes home.”

Meanwhile, thousands of UK families face disruption to Easter holiday plans because of the conflict, reports The Express. Dozens of flights to Cyprus were cancelled last week, amid airlines’ concerns about its proximity to the region and the presence of a UK air base, which was hit by a drone.

On Monday, 16 out of the 18 scheduled flights from the UK to Qatar were cancelled because of continued airspace closures, aviation analytics company Cirium said. Eleven out of 33 flights from the UK to the UAE, which includes both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, were also axed.

About half a million passengers per day normally use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. It is expected to take weeks to clear the backlog of stranded passengers caused by the conflict, which started on February 28.

Airspace closures are not just affecting holidaymakers who plan to visit the Middle East, as its airports are a vital hub for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.

There has been a surge in demand for non-stop flights between the UK and Asia which avoid stopovers in the Middle East.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, told the Press Association: “The situation across the Middle East continues to evolve rapidly, and our travel agent partners have been working around the clock this weekend to ensure customers receive the most up-to-date advice and guidance.

“For holidays booked to Cyprus, it is very much business as usual.

“The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is not currently advising against travel to Cyprus and as such, if you choose to cancel your holiday at this stage, standard cancellation charges will apply.

“For holidays or trips booked to the Middle East, or to Asia with a routing through the Middle East, standard cancellation terms will apply unless your airline has proactively rerouted or cancelled your flight.

“If you have booked a package holiday and your trip is cancelled by the provider as a direct result of the situation, you are entitled to a full refund or the option to amend your booking.”