Michaela_gr

Hello there everyone! I'm planning to visit England this Xmas and i was thinking if a britrail flexipass is a good solution, in order to visit as many places as possible. My question is: with britrail pass do i also have to pay for a ticket? Do all the train companies accept the britrail pass? Thank u in advance!

janisj

W/o knowing where you plan on traveling it is really hard to give you useful advice. Where are you staying - in London and taking day trips - or somewhere else?

For many travelers BritRail doesn't makes sense becasue normal poit-to-point tickets are often cheaper. But if you plan a lot of long distance train trips a pass might be a good idea.

You do know that train travel over Christmas is a "special case"? No trains run on Christmas Day.

rogeruktm

First let me try to answer your questions. No you don't have to pay for an additional ticket. Your pass is your ticket. I have not found a single train operator that did not honor the pass provided you don't try to use , say, an England only pass for travel in Scotland. Generally, when I travel I am on the move a lot and find that the 8 day pass works for me. The flex pass would be good if you are not on the go most of your pass duration. Now my opinion: using figures that might be off a bit an 8 day standard pass will cost about $30 a day or nearly 15/18 pounds. So if you are going just to short distance day trips it might be not worth the cost of a pass, however, if you are going from London to Edinburgh, York Leeds Manchester and places further afield I would go for the pass. If you need any help let me know, as I, unlike others who give opinions, I have used the Britrail pass each year for the past several years and will do so again this coming February. Also remember the other benefits... You can board any train at any time from any station. In my opinion, is is a great deal.

GeoffHamer

Note that there are no trains on 25 December, as Janis says, and very few services on the 26th. Trains are likely to be very busy before Christmas and after the New Year as many people travel to be with their families.

Michaela_gr

Thank you very much for your replies! Rogeruktm your infos were valuable. Janisj and GeoffHammer thank you for your warnings. I will arrive on 24/12 and i'll leave on 7/1 from gatewick airport. i'll be staying in reading and i plan to visit (like daytrips) cambridge, london (twice at least) bath, salisbury and oxford. So i'm thinking of taking the britrail london plus flexipass which is valid for 15days. Do you have any better suggestions? Also, do i have to book my pass from the internet or is it easy to get one when i arrive there (or what do you suggest). Thank you once again!

cmcfong

Michaela_gr, I hope you won't mind if I tag along on this thread with a slight variation on your question.

I will be travelling with a fourteen year old in April. We are staying in a flat in London but will take at least two day trips during our stay plus the Gatwick Express to and from the airport. I believe we will go to Salisbury and Bath, though that remains unsettled. Am I correct that our best bet is the Flex Pass? I am 61 so I think I qualify as a senior but that may immaterial if we get a Family Flex Pass.

TimS

Michaela,

Be aware that Bath is outside the territory covered by the London Plus pass.

Since walk-up fares for anything other than short distances are very expensive, a pass can be a good deal. However, I suggest you go to www.nationalrail.co.uk and check the fares for your routes. See how the total compares to the price of a pass.

Britrail passes are only sold to non-residents of Britain and I THINK they can only be purchased in advance and not in the UK.

Michaela_gr

Thanks for the warning TimS, i hadn't noticed that about bath and the surprise would be quite unpleasant.

flanneruk

In Michaela's case, it simply isn't true that " walk-up fares for anything other than short distances are very expensive".

For all the destinations (except Bath) Michaela has named, walk-up fares are virtually identical with any other fares available.

There are references elsewhere on this site to a completely hokey facility on the website of some Britrail pass vendors that claims to let you compare the price of the pass with point to point fares. It's not programmed with the complexity of British discount fares, and therefore systematically exaggerates the values of the Britrail pass (hardly surprisingly, given that the Britrail scheme is ultimately run by the French)

Michaela should investigate buying (for £20 at Gatwick on arrival) a Senior Railcard (http://www.senior-railcard.co.uk/wha...enior-railcard) or a Network Card which give her 33% off virtually all discount fares - bringing a return to Oxford, for example, to about £15. She should, though, read the FAQs carefully - but the likelihood is that with the handful of short trips she's planning, Britrail will be a great deal pricier than buying straight cheap day returns with a discount card.

pjdscott

Michaela_gr - the britrail pass is entirely flexible and allows walk-on travel to virtually any train (you might find it does not cover Gatwick or Heathrow expresses). Also note that many trains in the areas you would like to visit are frequently busy, especially in peak times such as Christmas. You can also get free seat reservations in advance from most UK train operators (up to, and including the day before travel) and I would certainly recommend doing this on the longer journeys.

A different option might be to consider buying regional rovers when you arrive - you'll find a link from my "cheaprailtickets" page below. There are also ideas on cost-cutting, especially when you have little warning of your intended train journeys (walk-up fares are far more expensive and advance fares in the UK).

http://www.dur.ac.uk/p.j.d.scott/cheaprailtickets.html
Have a great trip,

Peter

PalenQ

BritRail passes however are currently on an off-peal sales - meaning about 20% off and since these passes have not gone up in price in over a year they are much better deals than before so do check them out.

BritRailpass you just need hop on the train - no need for a ticket though you can make a reservation if you wish

conductor then will just glance at it and go on - for fully flexible traven like flanneur.uk saids walk up fares can be astronomically high so though you may be able to save a few quid by going thru the oft frustrating online search you lose any flexibility and refundability and changeability usually.

BritRailpasses are good on every one of the many privatized rail lines, including Gatwick and Heathrow expresses.

rogeruktm

You are getting good advise. So, a bit more. I purchase my passes by going into my search engine "google" and type in Britrail passes. You can check out a couple and order on line. They will mail the pass to you. When you first use the pass you just show up at the ticket counter of the train company, ask them to validate it. They will stamp a date on the pass and will also enter your passport number. From that point on when the attendant comes through the carriage asking for tickets, just show your pass. Piece of cake!

GeoffHamer

Most of Michaela's planned journeys - Reading, London, Cambridge, Salisbury and Oxford - are on commuter lines with frequent trains and no seat reservations.

PalenQ

Then of course there is no need for a BritRail pass nor a Brit England pass (cheaper version of Britrail good only in England) but a Days Out of London pass that would cover journeys to all those places. For current prices i always advise www.budgeteuropetravel.com because of their expertise with English trains and great service in my long experience with them (on the site request their excellent free European Planning & Rail Guide that has a chapter on British trains, rail map, etc.
Day out of London passes provide 2- and 4-day flexipasses out of 8 days and a 7-day out of 15 days and come in both classes.

4 days for example is $140 in 2nd class and can be used on any train anytime - $35/day or about 15 pounds - so check www.nationalrail.co.uk to see if you can do better without (possible i haven't checked - but for fully flexible travel perhaps not). Note that some train to Reading - those continuing onto Bath are not included but any train to the other destinations are, regardless of the rail franchise.

Michaela_gr

Thaaaanks everyone! I couldn't have worked it out without your help!After checking all of the options you presented me i booked the London plus flexipass (of britrail). From what i see my only "extra" expenses will be going to bath but i'll see how i'll work this out. I prommise to post a brief note with my memories etc as soon as i return! Kiiiiisseeeeeees!

PalenQ

Note that the London Plus Flexipass does not cover all trains within its area - unlike BritEngland and BritRail do - most but not all - you should get a map of coverage and lines covered with the pass

the major exceptions are trains out of Paddington heading to Bath (not ones via Reading to Oxford however) and the Heathrow Express (Gatwick Express is covered however)

Most but not all as a few rail franchises have chosen not to participate

PalenQ

If you want to go outside the bounds of the London Plus pass you can go up to the ticket window and show the pass and then buy a supplemental day return or the cheapest return ticket from the last station London Plus covers to that place and back.

Like when going to Stratford or Warwick which are just beyond the Banbury or so limit of the pass.

To Bath, however, trains Paddington to Bath are not covered even within pass coverage. You could take train to Reading then so forth to Bath but probably would not be worth a day on the pass if you could use it more profitably later.

TimS

PalenQ,

Are you saying that the OP can't use a London Plus pass for Paddington-Didcot Parkway and a return ticket for Didcot Parkway-Bath Spa? If so, why?

PalenQ

Depends on the train company - you can use it Paddington- Didcot P on trains going thru it to Oxford

but not on trains going direct from Paddington to Bath - as that train line does not participate in London Plus inside the bounds of London Plus coverage as Thames Trains do to Oxford.

So i think you'd have to take a non SW train to Didcot P then get off, get a day return or cheapest ticket from there to Bath

You could go to Bath via Salisbury and be covered more of the way but that route takes longer.

Normally however if the LondonPlus pass is good on the train franchise you can before boarding in London buy a supplemental ticket from the last station covered by LondonPlus and then continue on that same train to a station outside the bounds of the pass.

TimS

PalenQ,

Here is a quote from the BritRail site concerning the London Plus pass: "This Pass is not valid on the Heathrow Express or on First Great Western services West of Didcot Parkway."

Would that not suggest that the pass IS valid on FGW trains between Paddington and Didcot Parkway?