BritRail reservations, help
 

I made a phone call today to reserve seats. The contact phone # was taken from a web site. I thought I was calling BritRail directly but I guess they only use smaller ticketing agents???? The # was an 877 # and said it was toll free. After making the call I am beginning to have doubts that it was legitimate. Are 877 #'s to England typically toll free? Maybe I'm overreacting. I guess you can never be too careful about handing out your credit card # to just anyone, right?

hiya pam... <BR>what i have done in the past is made any reservations i needed at the train station where i had my britrail pass validated. <BR>assuming you are to be in london..victoria station..picadilly..or any of them will work. <BR>hope this helps. <BR>lisa

Pam, there is no such thing as "BritRail" or British Rail--it's all privatized now and divided up among several railway companies running different lines. Therefore there is no central number. However, there are booking agencies, like Virgin's The TrainLine (www.thetrainline.com)and you can also check fares and routes at places like www.rail.co.uk/ and www.railtrack.co.uk. <BR> <BR> I don't know about toll-free numbers in the U.K. (perhaps someone else can help with the prefix for those) but of course you still have to pay international calling charges. <BR> <BR>Q.P.

Thanks for your feedback. I wish I would have checked things out first before calling. Hopefully my phone bill is not going to be HUGE$$$$. And hopefully I gave my credit card # to a reputable ticket agent.

Hi Pam. In California 877 can replace the old 800 toll free. there are places in US that are Britrail agents. The number I found for bookings came from a post in 2000 011/44/345/484950 that is in the UK. you can go to www.britrail.com or on Fodors type britrail and lots of info should come up <BR>We are also planning to use Britrail. went to the Automobile club abd they will order for you. when are you going? J.

The phone number Joyce quotes is for the UK National Rail Enquiries line. Tthey can give you information about train timetables but CANNOT sell you a ticket. For that you need to (a) call the appropriate privatised train operator direct, (b) use a travel agent or (c) use an internet site such as www.thetrainline.com. The latter is perhaps easiest for overseas visitors.

Not to overdo it, but some clarification may still be in order here. "BritRail" is not a rail service but simply the name of a specific discount travel pass available only to overseas visitors. You have to buy it in advance of your trip, and when on the train you show it to the conductor instead of a ticket; depending on the kind of BritRail pass you buy, it merely indicates how many days, for instance, of train travel you may use it for, not particular times and trains. Therefore you don't make anything called "BritRail reservations," because there is no such railway, and the pass itself doesn't include particular reservations. <BR> <BR>As George says, www.thetrainline.com is good for reserving seats and buying tickets on particular train lines. I'm not exactly sure how one reserves seats if you're not actually buying a ticket but using your BritRail pass instead, but maybe someone can inform us. Using the pass I've always just hopped on the train I wanted without reservations and have never had a problem getting a seat. <BR>Maybe I've just been lucky. <BR> <BR> Finally, despite what Joyce suggests there is no www.britrail.com site anymore--this address now takes you to a different site that does *not*, as far as I can see, offer the BritRail pass. The pass is, though, available at www.britainontrack.com/ie_index.html (and, for all I know, elsewhere). <BR> <BR> There. I feel better now. <BR> <BR>Q.P.

Hi, if one types in www.britrail.com it does produce a site,for www.britcities.com offers all kinds of transportation pas info and more. j

Joyce, if you can show me where on this "britcities" site a BritRail pass (as distinct from an Inter-rail pass for European travel)is sold, I'll eat my hat. By the way, I see that you have posted elsewhere on this board--in clear violation of the rules here--a separate advertisement for that website. The "BritCities" site is a typical commercial catchpenny that offers the barest smattering of tourist "information" while flogging various "discount" passes and tours. There is no information whatever about BritRail passes there, and this outfit's having bought up the BritRail domain name so they can then forward surfers to this unrelated site is as clear an example of deceptive and disreputable marketing practice as I've ever seen on the Net. <BR> <BR>Q.P.

My intentions were to be helpful, I saw only the page reflected rail pass info.However this does not require you to eat your hat. It is misleading.j

www.britrail.net is a site that has itinerary suggestions.Also states webmaster@Britrail. it does mention agents to get the pass.

If you are not using the Britrailpass it is much cheaper to buy train tickets aftr you get to the UK, especially if you don't need the tickets immeadiately. I was quoted about $125.00 for a one way ticket from windermere to London and a very nice man at the agency( he wasa yorkshireman) told me since I would be in UK for 10 days before I needed the ticket to buy it at any train staion . I bought 7 day advance purchase ticket for about $45.00!! Most stations are computerized and can sell tickets and make reservations for any station or line.

Jody , did you make other train trips? If you paid $45.00 one way, maybe a Britrail Pass would make sense if we plan on several long trips including roundtrip to Edinburgh. Could not get a message to you via e mail, it failed. j

Hi- Only made the one trip as we usually have a car and just drop it off to save time and driving into London. One way fare from Edinburgh was really high 2 years ago when we dropped the car there. But we hadn't bought ticket in advance. If you are doing several trips you might want to think of the pass. Sorry about my email , will proably show up next week!!!

I recently bought tickets for a trip from Edinburgh to London using 1-877-677-1066. It is a toll free number. They were also able to sell me Heritage Passes and London Travel Cards. It was quite simply. They accept credit cards and mail the tickets and passes to you.

We need help with getting info on the train from London Liverpool St. Station to Harwich (or is it Harwich Town)? where we will board a cruise ship. <BR>The Trainline site shows one stop for 3 mins. - does that mean we do not have to change trains, but just stop? Also we have been having a difficult time finding out how to purchase tickets and is there a special price for seniors? <BR>We need to take the train on July 18th and return on the 31st. Is it too early to purchase tickets?

Bobbie, <BR> <BR>I think you do have to change trains at Manning Tree. Maybe the second train is timed to leave right after the people coming off the London train get on. But if you're concerned about the tight connection, click on the "Extra time for changes" box on the Trainline site (on the page where you enter your cities). That way it shows routes with 20-minute stops in Manning Tree. There's a special price (one third off)for holders of the Senior Railcard, but the card costs 18 pounds, so it's not worth it if this is your only train journey. You can purchase tickets now through the Trainline site and have them delivered to you.