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| How Passes Work Plan Your Rail Trip Compare Ticket Costs Using Your Pass Choose and Order |
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Compare Ticket Costs: Map shows point-to-point, one-way, 2nd-class fares in $US by rail (solid line) and bus (dashed line). Add up fares for your itinerary to see whether a railpass will save you money. For 1st class rail fares, add 50%. Based on Off Peak rates, £1 = $1.60. Source:
nationalrail.co.uk.
Best Value: Since Britain is not included on the Eurail Global or Selectpass, and pay-as-you-go train fares are the highest in Europe, BritRail passes can be very useful. Traditional BritRail passes cover the whole island (England, Scotland, and Wales) and pay for themselves quickly if you travel from London to Scotland. Regional variations cover just England, Scotland, or southeast England. The big pass for Britain and Ireland is probably overpriced. On the charts below, read beyond the BritRail brand name to choose the coverage you want and discounts for which you qualify. For those on a budget, standard (second) class is fine and first class is not worth the extra 50%. Many regional trains have only standard-class cars. Seniors get discounts in first class, but can also choose the cheaper adult standard rate. If you're making just a couple of trips and can commit to dates and times in advance, look into Britain's advance purchase discounts on point-to-point tickets (below).
Reservations: Seat reservations are free at stations in Britain, and recommended for weekends, but not required for railpasses or full-fare tickets on daytime trains. On overnight trains, a bunk in a twin sleeper costs about $75. Overnight journeys begun on your BritRail pass's final night can be completed the day after the pass expires — only BritRail allows this trick. See more details about train schedules and train reservations.
Private Trains: Eurostar Passholder Fares (discounted tickets between London and Paris, Calais, Lille, or Brussels) are available for travel at any time during the validated travel period of most BritRail passes, but not Scotland passes. Passes cover service by Britain's 20+ railway operators, but not a few "heritage" narrow-guage lines such as North York Moors, Wales' Ffestiniog, and Isle of Man Railways.
London Airport Shuttles: Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted Express trains are covered by regular BritRail, BritRail England, and BritRail Plus Ireland passes (starts use of a counted travel day on your pass). The London Plus pass includes two separate vouchers to cover airport trains (details below). If you don't use your pass for that trip, you can buy London airport express tickets at the station for about $31 one-way or $60 roundtrip (half price for kids 5 - 15), or take the Tube.
Free Kids: For each adult or senior pass you buy at regular rates, one child (5–15) travels with you free (specify which child with which adult when you order). This "Family Pass" deal is available with regular Britrail and Britrail England passes but not with BritRail Plus Ireland, Scotland, nor London Plus Passes. Additional kids pay half the normal adult rate. Kids under 5 free.
Low Season: BritRail and BritRail England passes are 20% off regular adult prices for travel November - February. These are for sale September - mid-February. You must order through the Low Season section below.
Party Pass: From three to nine adults (and youths) can travel together on a BritRail Party Pass. Two travelers pay the full adult rate for regular Britrail and Britrail England passes, and the third to ninth passengers each pay 50% of the regular adult price, plus up to two free kids can bring the total group to eleven. You must order through the Party Pass section below.
Youths with Eurail Pass: Youths under age 26 who have any Eurail Pass (Global, Select, Regional, Ireland, etc.) can save about 37% versus regular youth prices on BritRail Consecutive or Flexipasses, or England Consecutive or Flexipasses. Show the Eurailpass when validating the discounted BritRail pass in Europe. No discount with France, Swiss, German, European East, Balkan, nor other BritRail Passes). You must order through the Eurail Passholder Youth Discount section below.
| BritRail Consecutive Pass | |||||||
| Type of Pass | Adult 1st Class | Adult Standard | Senior 1st Class | Youth 1st Class | Youth Standard | ||
| 3 consec. days | $289 | $199 | $249 | $235 | $159 | ||
| 4 consec. days | $365 | $249 | $305 | $289 | $199 | ||
| 8 consec. days | $509 | $359 | $435 | $405 | $285 | ||
| 15 consec. days | $759 | $535 | $649 | $609 | $425 | ||
| 22 consec. days | $965 | $645 | $819 | $769 | $515 | ||
| 1 month consecutive | $1139 | $759 | $965 | $909 | $605 | ||
This pass covers trains in England, Scotland, and Wales (no Ireland). One child 5–15 free with each adult or senior when you order here. Enter one adult and one child into the shopping cart, then follow "continue shopping" if you have another pair to add to the same order. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26. Senior passes are for travelers age 60 and up. Prices subject to change. For Low Season, Party Pass, or Youth Eurail Passholder discounts, you must use separate ordering links further down this page. |
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| BritRail Flexipass | |||||||
| Type of Pass | Adult 1st Class | Adult Standard | Senior 1st Class | Youth 1st Class | Youth Standard | ||
| 3 days in 2 months | $359 | $255 | $305 | $285 | $205 | ||
| 4 days in 2 months | $445 | $315 | $379 | $359 | $249 | ||
| 8 days in 2 months | $649 | $459 | $555 | $519 | $365 | ||
| 15 days in 2 months | $975 | $689 | $829 | $779 | $555 | ||
This pass covers trains in England, Scotland, and Wales (no Ireland). One child 5–15 free with each adult or senior when you order here. Enter one adult and one child into the shopping cart, then follow "continue shopping" if you have another pair to add to the same order. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26. Senior passes are for travelers age 60 and up. Prices subject to change. For Low Season, Party Pass, or Youth Eurail Passholder discounts, you must use separate ordering links further down this page. |
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| BritRail England Consecutive Pass | |||||||
| Type of Pass | Adult 1st Class | Adult Standard | Senior 1st Class | Youth 1st Class | Youth Standard | ||
| 3 consec. days | $229 | $159 | $195 | $189 | $129 | ||
| 4 consec. days | $285 | $199 | $245 | $229 | $159 | ||
| 8 consec. days | $409 | $285 | $349 | $329 | $229 | ||
| 15 consec. days | $615 | $429 | $525 | $489 | $345 | ||
| 22 consec. days | $775 | $519 | $665 | $619 | $415 | ||
| 1 month consecutive | $915 | $609 | $775 | $729 | $489 | ||
BritRail England Passes cover trains in England only, no Scotland, Ireland, or Wales. One child 5–15 free with each adult or senior when you order here. Enter one adult and one child into the shopping cart, then follow "continue shopping" if you have another pair to add to the same order. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26. Senior passes are for travelers age 60 and up. Prices subject to change. For Low Season, Party Pass, or Youth Eurail Passholder discounts, you must use separate ordering links further down this page. |
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| BritRail England Flexipass | |||||||
| Type of Pass | Adult 1st Class | Adult Standard | Senior 1st Class | Youth 1st Class | Youth Standard | ||
| 3 days in 2 months | $289 | $205 | $249 | $235 | $165 | ||
| 4 days in 2 months | $365 | $255 | $305 | $289 | $205 | ||
| 8 days in 2 months | $525 | $369 | $445 | $419 | $295 | ||
| 15 days in 2 months | $779 | $549 | $665 | $625 | $439 | ||
BritRail England Passes cover trains in England only, no Scotland, Ireland, or Wales. One child 5–15 free with each adult or senior when you order here. Enter one adult and one child into the shopping cart, then follow "continue shopping" if you have another pair to add to the same order. Youth passes are for travelers under age 26. Senior passes are for travelers age 60 and up. Prices subject to change. For Low Season, Party Pass, or Youth Eurail Passholder discounts, you must use separate ordering links further down this page. |
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| Eurail Passholder Youth Discount | ||||||
| Youths under age 26 who have any Eurail Pass (Global, Select, Regional, Ireland, etc.) can save about 37% versus regular youth prices on BritRail Consecutive or Flexipasses, or England Consecutive or Flexipasses. You must present the Eurailpass when validating the discounted BritRail pass in Europe. Most passes earn you the discount, except a few non-Eurail independents (no France, Swiss, German, European East, Balkan, nor other BritRail passes). | ||||||
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| Low Season Special | ||||||
| Save about 20% on BritRail Consecutive or Flexi and England Consecutive or Flexi passes issued in fall and winter for travel November - February. Regular, two-month validity period applies (or shorter for consecutive passes) , starting when you have the pass validated in Britain, but with travel starting no earlier than November 1 and completed no later than February 28. Cannot be combined with Party Pass, Senior, or Youth discounts. For groups of 4 or more adults and youths traveling together, the Party Pass is cheaper. For sale September 1 through February 15. All prices subject to change. | ||||||
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| BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | Standard Class | ||
| 4 days (out of 8) | $235 | ||
| 8 days (out of 15) | $315 | ||
| For Scotland only, standard class only. Not valid on trains that depart before 9:15 a.m., Monday - Friday. Covers Caledonian MacBrayne and Strathclyde ferry service to popular islands. Discounts on some P&O ferries, some Citylink buses & more. Kids 5–15 half fare; under 5 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| BritRail Central Scotland Pass | |||
| Type of Pass | Standard Class | ||
| 3 days out of 7 | $79 | ||
| Passes are prevalidated at the time of purchase for a specific, 7-day travel window and cannot be refunded after that planned travel date! Covers frequent service between Edinburgh and Glasgow's Queen St Station (not Glasgow Central), some nearby side-trips (see Central Scotland Coverage Map, below), and the Glasgow Underground (on your three travel days). Standard class only. No highlands or islands. Not valid on trains that depart before 9:15 a.m. Monday - Friday, Glasgow Airport Coach Links, excursion trains, nor private railways. The 7 p.m. rule for night trains does not apply. No child discount; under 5 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| BritRail London Plus Pass | ||||
| Type of Pass | Adult 1st Class | Adult Standard | ||
| 2 out of 8 days | $199 | $139 | ||
| 4 out of 8 days | $275 | $225 | ||
| 7 out of 15 days | $355 | $269 | ||
| Covers much of SE England (see London Plus Coverage Map, above). Includes vouchers to cover two trips on the Heathrow, Stansted, or Gatwick Express, separate from your counted travel days, which can be used up to 6 months from the date you validate the pass in Britain (but not before pass is validated for the 8- or 15-day travel window). Many trains are standard class only. The 7 p.m. rule for night trains does not apply. Kids 5–15 half price; under 5 free. Prices subject to change. | ||||
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London Plus includes two separate vouchers to use between London and one of three major airports, with a higher price to cover those. You may not need these if you're flying only one-way to/from London, using Luton airport, traveling between the airport and a different city, or taking the tube between London and Heathrow.
| BritRail Pass + Ireland | ||||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class | Standard Class | ||
| 5 days out of 1 month | $665 | $469 | ||
| 10 days out of 1 month | $1185 | $839 | ||
| This pass covers the entire British Isles (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland). Does not cover ferries. Kids 5-15 pay half fare; under 5 free. No Family Pass, Party Pass, Eurail Discount, nor Off-Peak Special. Prices subject to change. Before buying the 10-day pass, consider the cost of separate BritRail and Ireland passes. | ||||
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| Tube and Bus Passes to Buy in London | ||||
| Adult prices | Zones 1-2 Off Peak | Zones 1-2 All Day | Zones 1-6 Off Peak | Zones 1-6 All Day |
| 1 consecutive days | £5.60 | £7.20 | £7.50 | £14.80 |
| 7 consecutive days | NA | £25.80 | NA | £47.60 |
| Passes cover Tube and bus in London and are easy to buy at most Tube stations. For info visit www.tfl.gov.uk or call 011-44-20-7222-1234. £1.00 = about $1.65. | ||||
Railpasses don't cover local Tube and bus travel. Since the cash ticket price for a single ride is now £4 per journey, any style of Tube pass is likely to save some money in London. "Off-Peak" cards are valid after 9:30 a.m. Monday – Friday, and any time on weekends and holidays. Most sights and many hotels are in Zones 1–2. Zone 1 covers downtown (everything within and slightly beyond the Circle line). Zone 2 extends to many outlying neighborhoods. Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6. More zone combinations and monthly passes are also available. 1- and 7-day cards are old-style paper cards. Oyster cards are rechargeable, never expire, and work by just touching the card to a card reader as you go in and out of stations or buses. You pre-pay cash (e.g., £10) that is debited at the best available rate (cheaper than real cash and never more than a daily pass) instead of a set weekly or monthly pass period. Kids under 11 free on Tube with an adult; under 16 free on bus and tram.
British point-to-point tickets come in three main categories: Advance, Off-Peak, and Anytime. Generally, the earlier you book through a British agent, the better deal you'll get. Advance tickets get snapped up fast in summer, can be booked from one day to eight weeks ahead, have limited seat availability, are non-refundable, and have exchange restrictions. Off-Peak rates apply after 9:30 a.m. and roundtrip prices may be the same as one-way in this category. Both Off-Peak and Anytime fares can be purchased up until the departure of the train. For a London–Edinburgh one-way, the Anytime (full) fare is £136 ($225); the Off-Peak fare is £108 ($178); and Advance fares range from £54 to £24 ($89 or $40), with the lowest rate selling out first. You can find more ticket prices and buy online at www.nationalrail.co.uk or call to Britain at 011-44-8457-484-950 for 24-hour information (they'll give you another number to purchase tickets). For credit card approval online, it may help to enter a British hotel address or postal code (not for delivery). Pick up reserved tickets at the station.
For £26 ($43), the Railcard for Youths ages 16–25, full-time students 26+ with ISIC, or for Seniors age 60+, get you a third off most point-to-point tickets for a year. The Family Railcard for £26 ($43) allows adults to travel 33% cheaper while their kids age 5–15 get 60% off for most trips. Not valid on the Heathrow Express, Eurostar, or some busy weekday morning commuter trains. See www.railcard.co.uk.
BritRail
or Britbus...| Brit Xplorer Bus Pass | |
| 7 consecutive days | £79 ($130) |
| 14 consecutive days | £139 ($230) |
| 28 consecutive days | £219 ($360) |
| Allows unlimited bus travel in England, Scotland and Wales on the extensive National Express bus service. Buy the passes in Great Britain. Youth passes (£10) save 30% for those under 26 who pay as they go. Seniors (60+) save up to 50% without a card on regular coach fares. Visit www.nationalexpress.com. | |
While many small towns and rural areas of Britain are not served by trains, travelers can go anywhere just about any time by coach. ("Coach" is British for any long distance bus. "Bus" means city bus.) Coach travel is the cheap way to explore Britain. While some argue you get a closer look at Great Britain through a bus rather than a train window, I'd bus Britain only to save money and to fill gaps in the train system.
There are a couple of super cheap hop-on-and-hop-off bus circuits that take mostly hostelers around the country. For instance, Backpacker Tours offers one- to 15-day tours of England, Scotland, or Wales (from £65/1day, £90/3 days, £139/5 days, tel. 0870-745-1046, www.backpackertours.co.uk.
| Comparing Train and Coach Travel in Britain | |||
| From London to: | miles | by Train | by Coach |
| Bath | 107 | 30 per day/1.5 hr/$55 | 20 per day/3-4 hr/$40 |
| Cambridge | 56 | every 30 minutes /1 hr/$35 | 34 per day/2-3 hr/$25 |
| Cardiff, Wales | 145 | 30 per day/2 hr/$85 | 10 per day/3.25 hr/$45 |
| Edinburgh | 390 | 22 per day/4 h /$210 | 4 per day/9 hr/$75 |
| Oxford | 60 | 35 per day/1 hr/$35 | every 15 - 20 minutes /1.75 hr/$25 |
| Stratford | 110 | 11 per day/2.5 hr/$55 | 5 per day/3hr/$30 |
| York | 188 | 30 per day/2 hr/$150 | 13 per day/5-6 hr/$45 |
