English Passes
 

Am touring England in September. Can some explain the difference please, between a National Trust Pass and a English Heritage Visitor Pass? Do they overlap as far as the properties covered are concerned? Will mainly be visiting abbeys, gardens, some but not a lot of castles and museums, hardly any stately homes. Thanks...

As far as I am aware, the two organisations are entirely separate; so no overlap between properties. I also think English heritage has more of its "stock" in the south of England than in the north. If you Google both sites, you'll get maps/lists of the properties owned/maintained...

The National Trust pass will cover mainly "stately homes" and gardens. You are missing out if you don't try visiting some of those.

Rather than buying the NT pass , whick runs about $67.00 for 7 days for 2 people, you might want to join the Roayl Oak Foundation. Membership entitles you to free entrance to all NT properties in England, Scotland and Wales. It runs $80.00 for 2 people for 1 year . It also comes with a nice magazine, lots of brochures , etc.

http://www.royal-oak.org/ShopSite/me...ip/memMain.htm

Don't get the English Heritage Pass, nor the Nat'l Trust pass -- and don't join the Royal Oak unless you simply want to contribute to their good works.

What you want is a Great British Heritage Pass -- which gets you into all National Trust Properties, all English Heritage properties, and most privately owned properties (such as Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, Chatsworth House, etc.) The other passes are fine for what they offer, but the GBHP is a MUCH better money saver.

Thanks, that's fine - "the other passes are fine for what they offer". But that's the crux of it, isn't it? What does each one offer compared with what others offer? The websites seem to be constructed along the lines of requiring me to enter a place in order to find it, rather than simply providing an overall and total list.

But I'll google it again. Better lucjk next time maybe!

Cancel that last post. I did try a different google entry, and I think I've cracked it! Thanks everyone...

Well, well, playing around on the British National Trust website, and I discover that NT has reciprocal free entry arrangements with the NT equivalents in 13 other countries - including my own (NZ). Membership in NZ Historic Places Trust is the same in NZ$'s as a 14-day pass for 2 people is in £'s in the UK - in other words a saving in real terms of nearly 60%. A very satisfactory result!

teo flower, in case your last googling attempt didn't work out, here's a list of the sites open to members of the Royal Oak.

Would have been nice if I'd posted it!!!

http://www.royal-oak.org/ntinfo/ntProps.htm

twoflower: If you are only (or mainly) visiting National Trust properties, than the reciprocal arrangement is great. However - there are hundreds of sites not affiliated w/ the NT. You need to factor in how many non-NT places you want to visit and see how much more you will end up paying because you don't have a GBHP.

Don't get me wrong - I am definitely not "anti-NT". When I lived in the UK I belonged to the Trust (and the National Trust for Scotland as well). And Have belonged to the Royal Oak too.

But since a majority of sites are affiliated w/ other organizations or are privately owned - you could be paying quite a bit out of pocket to see other places.

For pure economics - the GBHP does offer the best money savings. Especially if one plans on visiting some of the major stately homes/manor houses/castles that are in private ownership.