Dru

We're planning on visiting Bath, Hampton Court & Edinburgh (overnight stay) via train on our visit to London this Spring. Would the Britrail Flexipass (4 days @ approx $235) be the way to go or should we consider something else. We will be based out of London. Also, when we purchase tickets to Bath, if we decide at the last minute to "get off" the train to see Stonehenge on our way back to London, will we be allowed to reboard the train back to London with our original tickets or would we have to buy new ones? Thanks!!!!!

ron

I think that asking advice from experts only will limit the number of replies, since it would take two lifetimes to master all the intricacies of British rail fares and passes. In this non-expert's opinion, but I have travelled fairly extensively using both passes and tickets, the pass might barely make sense if comparedto buying a full fare ticket to Edinburgh, which would probably be close to US$200. If you can get an advance purchase ticket to Edinburgh that would be a lot cheaper. Hampton Court can be done on a 6 zone London travel card and Bath is a cheap day return ticket. <BR> <BR>As to your 2nd question, the normal and quickest way to/from Bath is via Reading and Swindon, so the last minute Stonehenge option is not there. Only if you decided to go to Bath via Salisbury could you make the decision to leave the train at Salisbury and take the bus to Stonehenge. Unless you have a ticket that specifies which train you are ticketed for, a Salisbury stopover would be no problem.

greg

Yeah, I am not an expert either. Ben Haines in this forum is the walking (or shall I say typing) train timetable. But since we too went thru the trade off and used the 4 day Flexipass, we figured that 4 day pass was worth getting if <BR> <BR>1) we travel at least as far as Edinburgh (as Ron said), and <BR> <BR>2) we actually use the pass 4 days, each day for at least 2 hours. <BR> <BR>Once you have the pass validated, there is an intangible benefit over tickets. You don't have to visit the ticket booth on the day you use the flexipass. This would have been particularly beneficial at the Paddington station when we travelled a short distance and decided not use the pass, so I had to wait 20 min in the same day trip ticket line. I should have gotten advance ticket (also as Ron said), but I was nowhere near the station before trip so that was not an option.

frankR

I understand that you can break your journey & reboard using the same tickets.This was certainly the case when only British Rail was involved. <BR> <BR>Problem is there are nowdays lots of companies issuing tickets, all with different rules. <BR>(Thatcher privatised the railways) <BR>Check with the guard, or better, just do it & act the dumb tourist if stopped - the ticket takers on the trains are usually symathetic to natural justice. <BR>Charging twice would be a ripoff.

Roger

Having used both the flex and regular fixed day passes in the past and plan on using them again this April, I can offer the following. You can use any train,at any time during the day you are using your pass. If you are going to Scotland you could de-board at York and take another train later that day without a problem. The pass is good for the day, not just one train ride that day. Hopes this helps. Have a fun trip.

Ben Haines

I've nothing to add to this sound and thorough advice. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London

Bill Irving

We have used Britrail passes a number of times, including the 4 day flexipass. But there was always a trip trip to Edinburgh included. Here is what we did for our trip in 1997, using London as the base: 1 day trip to Portsmouth(about 1hr train 1 way), 1 day trip to Cardiff/Caerphilly Wales(about 2 hrs train), a day trip to Windsor then taking the sleeper train to Edinburgh on the same day we went to Windsor, spend the day in Edinburgh & return to London on a train that leaves Edinburgh about 4 or 5pm. I have been to London a few times & have combined some different day trips on different visits, but as long as Edinburgh was involved & another longer trip such as to Wales, we have come out ahead. Even if the pass only comes close to being ahead of the cost game, the ease of using the pass counts for something, IMO. Have fun.

Dru

OK, let me just make sure I have this straight. The flexipass equates to 4 travel "days" vs. 4 travel "destinations"? So, if I want to jump on board & hit 5 towns in 1 day that would count (as far as the flexipass is concerned) as one of the days on the pass? If I go to Edinburgh & stay over night, coming back the next day, that counts as 2 days "off" the pass? Thanks for all the help!!!!

ron

Dru, you have got it exactly right. It happened to me once that I took the train London to Durham, could not find a place to stay, so just got onto a later train and went to Newcastle. If I had not found a place there, I would have gone someplace else, all on the same pass. One of the hidden benefits... <BR> <BR>Ron

Joyce

From the archives, at least search worked. We will be in West sussex for a week, then to Edinburgh and area 1 week, than to London 1 week.I realise Flexipass will be advantageous,just wonder if my thoughts of using it to get around West Sussex is feasable,ie/ to Brighton,Hastings, does it cover all train lines? Are any rails in Scotland covered? we will be outside of Edinburgh for 3days and thought to do Perth, Stirling. I know Scotrail does "Daybreaks" and have that information where they go. Thanks for any input to you all. I found searching <BR>through older posts most interesting and great ideas for our trip. Joyce

Ben Haines

'm no expert, for the reasons that Ron gave, but I have phoned a little and found an answer for Dru. $235 is more than tickets cost one by one. If you buy day return tickets, valid after 0930 Monday to Friday, and any time at weekends, they cost per person to Bath $32.40 and to Hampton Court $5.40. The cheap return to Bath lets you break at Swindon on your way back if that's your fancy, but Stonehenge is 56 miles by bus from Swindon. <BR> <BR>London, Edinburgh, London, with a night or nights in Edinburgh, costs just $43.50 per person if you book by credit card 14 days or more before travel: you phone in British office hours Virgin Travel on 00 44 8457 222 333. But I'm an afficianado of the overnight sleeper, two to a compartment, which costs $178.50 per person, or $133.50 if you phone very soon and book an Apex ticket. (In fact, many sleeper Apex tickets are sold out already). The cost of sleepers looks less alarming if you recall that you're cutting out the cost of two hotel nights. The phone for sleeper bookings is Scotrail on 0044 8457 55 00 33. Both these fares to and from Sctland commit you to travel at the ime and on the date you book for. <BR> <BR>If I add 32.40 and 5.40 and 43.50 I get 81.30. <BR> <BR>Please write f I can help further. Welfcome to Britain. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR> <BR>

Dave

Joyce, <BR> <BR>You might consider combining two passes; a Britrail Southeast Pass for travels in West Sussex and a general Britrail flexipass for your broader rambles. I used the SE pass two years ago and found it to be very good value; it is valid on all services roughly Southeast of King's Lynn-Oxford-Salisbury, although I'm a little fuzzy on where the exact boundaries are. It would certainly work for Dover, Hastings, Brighton, etc.

Steve James

Hello Dru, <BR> <BR>I believe Stonehenge is still closed due to the foot and mouth problem.

ron

Hey guys, look at the dates, Dru has come and gone, we are trying to help Joyce here. <BR> <BR>It is nice to see that the comments I made over a year ago are still floating around in cyberspace. Since then I have made one visit to the UK involving train travel and have planned another that starts tomorrow. I am more firmly convinced that it is cheaper to buy advance purchase tickets, as Ben discussed, than to buy a flex pass. So unless you need the "hop on - hop off, change your mind" flexibilty, go for the tickets. My two examples. Last September/October, I took the following train journeys: London to Carlisle, Carlisle to Penrith, Penrith to Edinburgh, Glasgow to Brodick (incl ferry), Brodick to London. Total cost £50.90, which is what, about US$75? <BR> <BR>Next week's visit is going to include London to York, York to London and separate cheap day returns from London to Cambridge and Peterborough - total cost £58.10 or about US$85. That this latter trip is more expensive reflects that I only booked a week in advance, losing out on cheaper fares to York. <BR> <BR>The other advantage of pre-booked tickets is automatic seat reservations, something that you have to do separately with the passes. <BR> <BR>Finally, Joyce, if you decide anyway to buy a pass, it will be good on all rails in Scotland. The only rails line I am aware that they don't work on are the tourist train lines in Wales that are unconnected to the national system. <BR> <BR>Ron

Joyce

Thanks to you all for taking time to help.Gave me food for thought and I should plan the agenda ahead of time to determine best tickets. Regards, J