is it possible to try to go to these places with a 4 day britrail consecutive pass or should i get a flexi-pass? i am also trying to make it to each of those places by 6PM possible? from bruxelles to nottingham is about 6 or 7 hours...i was thinking about leaving on the 4th but is it safe?

Jul 05 Nottingham, UK
Jul 06 London, UK
Jul 07 Manchester, UK
Jul 08 Birmingham, UK

i am trying to find a british guide book to locate hostel locations and train/bus stations but since i am in belgium it is hard to find them in english...

Mai

I'm not going to try to answer your train questions, but you will get British guide books in Waterstones Boulevard Adolphe Maxlaan 71-75, and Sterling Books, Rue Fossé-aux-Loups.

Do you have to go to those places on those dates? - it seems you're going north then back south then north again etc. Also I'd strongly recommend considering an hire car.

Exactly - you seem to be just training around in circles. Unless you must be there on those dates I would reorganize the whole effort - styaing in fewer places starting in London and then going North - with a daytrip from M/B. (Is this a scavenger hunt or something?)

First of all - I don't believe the BritRail passes are good for the Eurostar from Brussels - you might want to check that.

I don't agree w/ m_kingdom about renting a car. I do it all the time in the UK but you seem to only be going to large, congested cities so public transport makes more sense.

But I do agree that your itinerary doesn't make any sense. You are jumping north and south. is there some reason you need to go to these cities in this order?

If not, it makes more sense to go Brussels > London > Nottingham > Manchester > Birmingham.

But have you looked into cheap airfares? You can fly from Brussels to many British cities and flights within the UK for a fraction of the train fare. Then you could just buy point to point tickets for the other places. That would probably be a lot less expensive than a 4-day or flexi BritRail pass.

i'm somewhat touring with a band and that's where they're going on those dates but yea, I noticed how strange it was..

so do i buy a ticket from bruxelles to birmingham and then use my flexi or consecutive day passes once i'm in birmingham? also, if i purchase online is there a wait? or if i purcahse them online i'll have them on monday when i leave?

There are several Hostel websites. I'm sorry I don't have their addresses but check over on the BB called The Thorn Tree at lonelyplanet.com. Save you the trouble buying a guidebook since you seem to need just a few specific questions answered & your route is already decided.

You may not want a rail pass at all. The flexi passes are pretty expensive (since flexibility is built in you pay for the convenience).

If you only want to find out hostels, you probably can do that pretty easy online. www.hostels.com and www.eurotrip.com have lists and reviews.

so far i have purchased my tickets from bruxelles to london and i guess from london waterloo i can see if i need a pass or if it may be cheaper to just get one way tickets to the places i'm traveling to. those sites have been very helpful! thanks so much!

The Railtrack.com website will give you prices for the intercity trips you wish to take. Check it out. I believe you have to buy a railpass before entering Britain.