BritRail?
 

Does buying two Youth BritRail (passes not including Ireland) month consecutive passes make sense for going all over the UK?

I want to stay for about 7-9 days checking out areaa near London and then move onto Wales and Scotland and Ireland for the next 2 - 3 weeks.

$1210 for both tickets. Is this worth it? Would other modes of transportation be cheaper? Not as convenient?

I want to check out a lot of the country and most stations are probably located in city centers. What would I do to then get to country sights? Taxi? Bus?

Well of course depends on how much you will really be traveling on trains - and instead of a one-month straight you may look at the flexi passes that give you a certain number of unlimited train days in an overall two-month period.

You use the pass to cover long distances and then stay put or use buses or cheap short train trips the other days.

The advantage of a pass in Britain is that you can hop on any train anytime except the Chunnel trains to Paris or Bruseels- but any other train in Britain - and such fully flexible tickets often cost a ton on money - a few trips could make the pass pay off.

But if you want to go to www.nationalrail.co.uk you can naab, if you act weeks in advance and peg yourself into a certain time specific train that cannot be changed nor refunded then that may be the most cost-effective way (but not the easiest way as just showing up at the station and hopping any of the often twice hourly trains going everywheree is the most convenient IMO)

And some will say buses are the cheapest and they are but buses are often much slower than trains and more claustrophobic - not being able to easily get up and walk around, etc.

I would if i were a youth keep my schedule flexible - when i was your age traveling around Britain i met others my age in hostels and changed my travel plans - thus the BritRail Pass is the ideal tool for sponteneity as tickets bought at the station can be really really expensive.

Anyway some super good sites for British rail and railpass info - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com - BritRail Passes are not sold at British stations since Brits cannot use them (with the exception of the free companion pass that Brits can get to match the pass foreign friends buy)

So about $600 each? It's entirely possible, with a month or more, that it might be worth it *if* you change locations frequently. However, you also have to put a price on flexibility, and only you can do that.

I think you need to draft an itinerary and see how many train tickets you'll need if you were to buy point to point, then compare with the price of the BritRail and your desire to be very flexible. For example, in Scotland, do you plan to stay in Edinburgh? Or also travel to Inverness or further, changing cities a few times? Those are the questions you need to know the answers to before you can decide if the pass is worth it. If your itinerary is London for a week, somewhere in Wales for 4-5 days, Edinburgh and that area 4-5 days and then off to Ireland for the rest, it probably wouldn't make sense to buy the pass.

(Do keep in mind that the BritRail pass is not valid in Ireland, so if you plan to travel there using public transport, you'll have to pay separately for that anyway.)

Okay, here are some sights that I want to see outside London.
Not sure how to get to these, could you tell me the best way? And if the BritRail passes would be worth it.

Keep in mind these are just some so more travel would be involved than listed.

Avebury or Stonehenge
Bath
Dover
Peak District
Canterbury
Cotswolds
Stratford-upon-Avon
Hastings
Leeds Castle
Warwick Castle
Hadrian's Wall
York
Cork
Edinburgh
Ring of Kerry
Giant's Causeway
Hever Castle
...

Well, Cork, the Ring of Kerry and Giant's Causeway are in Ireland, so those would definitely not be covered. Towns like Bath, York and Edinburgh are very easy to get to by train. I think most of these would be covered by the train system, but don't have the time to check for sure (and haven't done them all myself) - check nationalrail.co.uk to see. It's a very useful site. The castles and Stonehenge should have directions on their web sites as well.

For areas like the Peak District or the Cotswolds, it's a little trickier since you're not aiming for one town in particular.

There's a recent thread about doing Hadrian's Wall by public transport - do a quick search and you should be able to find it (I think it was spelled wrong in the title, though - try "Hadrain", maybe?). It was just a couple of days ago and might give you some good input on that one.

Found it.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rains-wall.cfm

Student Universe allows rental of cars at age 21.
Is it easier to rent a car and take that from London up to Scotland and then take a train to Holyhead and ferry to Dublin?

What about BritRail London Plus pass?

Sorry for all the questions! Since I've never been over there before I just don't know what would be most practical.

"<i>So about $600 each? It's entirely possible, with a month or more, that it might be worth it . . .</i>"

I <i>think</i> the OP means both passes would be for her. From other threads I think she is traveling solo. So I don't think there is any way 2 consecutive passes make sense.

lalalacheesejah: A flexipass of some sort would probably make sense, but you'll have to check out how many trains journeys you are really going to take.

It looks like you are talking about 3 weeks or less for everything outside of London. Travel in Ireland especially is pretty slow and the trains don't cover as much of the scenic areas as they do in England or Scotland. You'll mainly be taking buses in Ireland and they can be sloooooow in the rural/scenic bits.

So maybe cut back on your plans a wee bit - maybe stuck to the UK this trip and hit Ireland next time.

lalalacheesejah: I didn't see you latest post. Driving probably isn't a good option for you. I always rent cars in the UK -- but there are often expensive surcharges for under-25's.

Plus London to Scotland is a loooong way. If you can find a car w/o age penalties, then you could take a train up to Scotland and pick up a car there. But you will not want (or be able to) take the car to Ireland and leave it there.

You would be awfully rushed to try to squeeze in London, parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in 3 or 4 weeks.

I st

OOps -- ignore the >> I st << bit :)

Oh, janisj, you're right. I was thinking about the boyfriend/brother lala mentioned on another thread. In that case, lala, listen to janis. :)

Can I ask why you are interested in the ferry? You've gotten this advice on other threads, but just to emphasize, it's really a lot more hassle than flying from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Ireland. You don't want to drive in Dublin anyway, and you may not even be allowed to take a rental car from one country to the other.

I'd take a train from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow or other towns in Scotland. If you want to go in the Highlands, a car might make sense there, and I think it would make a lot of sense if you get to Ireland (outside Dublin). I definitely recommend reading through some other posts on Ireland while thinking about your itinerary - a LOT of people try to pack way more into a week in Ireland than is really practical, so reading other threads might help you get a sense of what's realistic.

I think you can see parts of all the areas you talked about in a month, but you'll have to be realistic and realize you won't see *all* of Ireland, for example. Just prioritize.

I'm planning for my boyfriend also. So 2 train passes needed for that..

I'm asking about ferry because I am concerned with cost. Ferry seems cheaper than flying to Ireland. I would not be allowed to pick up a rental car in Britain and return in Ireland, no.

Maybe I should just stick with Southern England and Ireland then? Or just British continent?

Jent103 -- it is hard to keep score w/o all the details sometimes. :)

I agree w/ you that the lala could see parts of all 4 countries in her time. The problem as I see it is the <i>parts</i> she wants to visit. Everything from London Dover/Hever/Hastings to Warwick/Stratford to York/Castle Howard to Scotland Wales to Giants Causeway to Cork/RoK -- just too much and too far in too little time IMO.

Sorry if the advice you are giving is repeated from others' threads. I have been searching through the forums related to my topics, but for some reason my computer won't ever open them so I just post new ones.

:( Sorry

Again - lala, our posts crossed.

Yes you would do MUCH better to cut back to just England/Scotland and/or Wales (and even then you want to see an awful lot in a short time)

Or you could do London, maybe a bit of southern England, fly to Ireland and spend at 10-14 days there. Flying is very cheap if you book ahead.

to find your other threads - click on your name.

Unless you're literally going to ride trains every day and not spend more than one night in any given place, then a better pass might be either the 8 days in 2 months youth standard flexipass ($365) or the 15 days in 2 months youth standard flexipass ($555). Use the money you save to buy bus tickets to places that aren't easily accessible by train or for short hops on the train which won't cost very much.

If you want to ride buses exclusively in the UK, then buy a National Express Brit Xplorer Pass. See the details and check timetables at www.nationalexpress.com.

Train service in Ireland is somewhat limited. Dublin is the hub so sometimes getting from point A to point B will require backtracking through Dublin. Bus service is more extensive. You can check timetables and buy a bus pass at www.buseireann.ie.

Sometimes it's better to post new questions anyway - for example, I think this was a good one to start a new post. I know I tend not to click on more general threads that already have sixty posts on them. :)

janisj is right - if you want to see all four countries, it will take some definite prioritizing and paring down. It's great that you have a long list of places you know you want to see - you'll just need to figure out an itinerary that hits your high points and make geographical sense. I'm pretty doubtful that you can do everything on that list in a month, and Ireland had the fewest places on it, so it may very well make sense to focus on the one island this time.

If you do decide to go to Ireland - don't forget to factor in the costs of getting to/from the ferry. If you are trying to get to Dublin from Scotland, you'll have to get to Holyhead first, and that takes up a lot of time you could be sightseeing. Which flights are you looking at? If I were to fly from Glasgow to Dublin a month from today on Ryanair, the flight would be &pound;10 (&pound;25 if I checked a bag). Check Easyjet too. You have to keep an eye on restrictions and extra fees with the budget airlines, but it's definitely doable.

Yeah and what I listed is seriously about 1/5 of what I want to see!

Perhaps I should limit my trip to Southern England and Ireland. It would make me feel better... with less stress and all. And less cost at one time! As a full-time student and a part-time employee for the majority of the year, my earnings aren't as high as they could be, so money is a big issue to me.

If I pretty much stick to Southern England then I could get a London Plus pass for trains. I still have to check out the links/suggestions above, though, too.

How the hell is a flight that cheap!?!?! That is crazy awesome. Wow. I shall definitely look into that.

And thanks to those of you who helped persuade me to plan my own. I feel like it will be so much more fun and rewarding. :) I'm excited. Just sad that it is still a year from fruition.

Have you considered buses?
They can be more flexible than trains

Have a look at
http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/Offers/index.aspx
There is a 16-26 coachcard
The Brit Xplorer also looks quite good.

Well, Ryanair is not exactly known for great customer service. :) There are definitely tradeoffs, but if your main goal is to get from one point to the next and you don't mind being squeezed next to a stranger for an hour or two, it serves a purpose. It's not the only budget airline, though - check whichbudget.com to see what flights there are between cities. You'll have more options if you go to Ireland from London.

By the way, since it sounds like you might be on a hostel budget, I've stayed at two of the Astor hostels in London (astorhostels.co.uk). They're clean and well staffed and good places to be social if that's what you want. I think the Museum location is the best geographically, but I've also stayed in the Victoria location and it was totally fine.

I've been planning a trip to Italy for six months already, and at this point I'm not even going till next May. It's half the fun. ;)

What about BritRail London Plus pass?>

fully explained on the sites i noticed - this pass is good for day trips out of London extending as far as Bath, the Cotswolds, Stratford, Warwick, Cambridge, Oxford, Dover and all points closer to London - you also get a round-trip transfer to use outside the validity period of the pass on Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick Expresses.

would cover all these places but the way the pass is priced and i think also there may not be a Youth Pass version for all the train travel envisioned outside its bounds you should dwell on the BritRail Pass as the only pass to consider.

Stonehenge (bus from Salisbury station)
Bath
Dover
Canterbury
Cotswolds
Stratford-upon-Avon
Hastings
Leeds Castle
Warwick Castle

Hever Castle

As for the one-month Youthpass - this comes out to about $20 a day or probably 15 pounds or so - so if the OP travels as much as envisioned it could be a great deal - even if not used every day. Especially for fully flexbile just show up hop on and hop off travel on any train anytime. Those type tickets often cost a fortune.

Plus London to Scotland is a loooong way. If you can find a car w/o age penalties, then you could take a train up to Scotland and pick up a car there. But you will not want (or be able to) take the car to Ireland and leave it there>

good advice but to tweek it a bit for younger backpackers - once in Edinburgh pop into the Scottish Tourist Board sitting atop Waverly train station and check out the many different mini-bus tours of Scottish Highlands, Loch Lomand and other sweet rural areas - they are geared for all levels - some are mainly for younger folk on a tight budget and provide comraderie, etc. that you will not find being isolated by yourselves in a car.

anyway just a thought. I think one mini-bus company is called Haggis!

I have read your many posts over the past few days, and it seems as if you are using Fodors as your sole information resource for planning your trip. May I respectfully suggest that you buy a couple of good guidebooks on Europe? I think a lot of your questions will be answered if you do some basic research on your own. It will also help you better plan your trip and make the planning process less overwhelming.

Since you are traveling on a budget, I suggest you also check out www.lonelyplanet.com. Even if you don't plan on staying in hostels, you may also find it helpful to read the travel info on Hostelling international's website www.hihostels.com.

Good luck to you!

If you want to go to 5 times as many places as you listed, your first assignment is whittling down the itinerary.

I'm only a casual observer of your many recent posts but you're all over the map - literally! No one can decide which places you want to see most on this trip.

Do you have a guidebook? At preliminary planning stages, I think they can be more useful than internet travel forums. For YOU to decide the top places you want to include in your trip.

All we can tell you here is you've got WAY too much on your plate to pull this off as you're describing. People are being so helpful, but you've got everyone shooting at a moving target since you keep changing your mind every day.

best regards, truly, suze

I have decided to confine my trip to S. England and Ireland, so the list of places to see is already cut more than in half. Going to all 4 countries would be too stressful for me to plan and execute.

Yes, I keep changing my mind often because I just decided one week ago to plan it myself! :) So ideas are just bursting out and you poor people have to see them all lol

I'm not using it as a research tool; I am doing research on my own and using Fodors forums as a place to ask if what I'm planning is good or lame. How else would I pose questions about BritRail if I hadn't been doing my own research?

I'm just asking for advice.

For accommodation look at www.yha.org.uk. Although it is described as 'youth hostel' it does offer accommodation to over 26's and the quality of accommodation is very good - particularly some of the city hostels like Bath, Oxford etc

For London also try www.athomeinlondon.co.uk

ARE SIGHTS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND LIKE YORK, LIVERPOOL, LAKE DISTRICT EASIER TO GET TO BY BUS OR BY RAIL?

I can either buy a BritRail London Plus Pass for southern regions and use pub trans for going up north
OR
I can buy a BritRail England Pass and just take rail every where outside London (use Oyster Card in London).

Well, you'll be on the same trains regardless of which pass you buy. York and Liverpool are easy to get to by rail; I'm not sure about by bus. You can get *to* the Lake District by rail, but the lines end in Windermere in the south and I think Keswick in the north (I haven't been to that area, so someone may correct me). So if you wanted to visit Ambleside or Grasmere, for example, you'd take the train to Windermere and take a local bus to the villages. It's doable, just a little more work to get to the smaller, more scenic towns.

There's an awesome YHA hostel in Grasmere, by the way. Or at least it was awesome when I stayed there several years ago.

megabus and national express have some very cheap 5 pound fares ( and less) sometimes.