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How to travel in Britain by trainThe British Isles have one of the most comprehensive rail networks in the world making it the perfect way to enjoy your holiday. The small size of the United Kingdom makes domestic air travel less relevant while travelling by road can be expensive and stressful. Taking the train is enjoyable and lets you sit back and enjoy your holiday. There are over 2500 railway stations in the country together with bus links to practically everywhere you would want to go. Services too are good with even the most rural railways having a choice of several trains a day. Use this page, and the links provided, to find out more. Have a good trip! DOWNLOAD THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BRITISH TRAIN TRAVEL>> PDF FILE
Touring Britain by RailThere is no better way to explore Britain than taking the train. Comfortable coaches, a great view and no worries about getting there. For overseas visitors the first question you may ask is why take the train? Britain is a small island and domestic air travel for the leisure traveller is unnecessary. You can travel from one end of the country to the other in a days travel time. And since you are here to explore there is no point in being in an airplane. The other alternative of driving can be expensive, even for fuel alone, and stressful with busy roads and confusing or lack of directions. By far the best way to get about is with the train. There are over 2500 rail stations and a very busy network with even the most rural lines having at least three trains a day in each direction. The busiest routes can have multiple departures each hour. This page will give you the basics you need to use the UK rail network for your next holiday. Enjoy your trip! Planning your TripThe first stage of your vacation is planning your trip and where you want to go. If you are thinking of visiting just a couple of locations, it may be worth considering purchasing tickets for those journeys only. Alternatively if you plan to tour the UK, a rail pass might be a better option. Links to timetables, tickets and Britrail (the rail pass for overseas visitors to Britain) are displayed on the link bar on the left of this page. There are maps available to assist also, so you have an idea of where you are going. The benefit of a rail pass is you normally get unlimited journeys within a specified time period. The Britrail pass offers discounted rates for multiple journeys and is only available to overseas visitors to the UK. Note that you additionally need to purchase the pass before entering the UK. Also at busy times trains may fill up quickly, so its a good idea to reserve your trips in advance. Britrail can give guidance on how to do this. Arriving in the UK Most UK airports have rail links. Simply take a train from the airport to your chosen destination. If you are flying into Heathrow, the Heathrow Express links that airport with Paddington Rail Station and downtown London. This train however is owned by the Airport Authority and is not part of the national network, so separate tickets are required, even if you have a rail pass. Many passengers opt for the alternative Underground journey, which links all terminals. It takes longer, but its pleasant and since you will probably be using the London Underground anyway to reach your final destination, may make more sense. If you are flying into Gatwick airport, there is a dedicated Gatwick Express service. But do ask about other trains. The Southern Railway also operates regular trains through Gatwick and are sometimes less expensive than the Gatwick Express. All trains leave from the railway station located inside the airport and journey times of 30 - 40 minutes are normal. This compares favorably with up to 2 hours by road in the busy times to central London! Find out about all airport rail links here. How to buy a ticket Tickets for trains must be purchased at the station ticket office or ticket machine. The exceptions to this are at stations without ticket offices or machines, or when they are closed / out of order. In those circumstances you can purchase a ticket on the train. You can use cash, cheque or credit cards (even normally on board the trains). There is no requirement to book in advance as all trains will sell tickets prior to departure if space is available. So should you buy in advance? We would say yes. For short, local journeys, there is no need. But for anything over perhaps one hour in length, booking in advance has several benefits. Firstly you are guaranteed a seat and probably a seat reservation. Secondly, you are more likely to get a far better price for your ticket by booking in advance. So where possible, do try to do so. How to plan your journey Timetables are readily available online and in stations. You can use these, perhaps together with a map, to plan your journey. Remember to build in an allowance to your plans for any delays that you may encounter. Also, to think about what you would most like to see in advance. It is better to leave enough time at your destination to properly see it. While travelling, departure boards at stations will give up to date information on how trains are running and alert you to any delays. TicketsOnce you know where you are going, you will want the best ticket to get you there. If you are planning to tour the country or areas of the country then probably the best option is a rail pass. The Britrail pass (more information at www.britrail.net) offers unlimited journeys over a selection of time periods. It offers fantastic value for money for the overseas visitor to Britain. Alternatively Britrail also offers point to point tickets if you are planning making only one journey. These again are advantages as they allow you to be totally flexible with your journey and break your trip at a place of interest if you wish. In contrast UK rail fares tend to be more expensive and more restrictive. The unrestricted fares are known as ‘savers’. These tickets can sometimes allow a break of journey and flexibility in what train service you use. Discounted tickets are available but advance purchase is necessary. Also, you must decide which trains you are going to use. If you are coming on a long journey from overseas you could loose your rail ticket if your flight is late! Therefore we would normally recommend you use Britrail tickets. If you are planning travelling first class Britrail also offers much better value when compared to locally obtainable first class fares which tend to be very expensive. On Board AccommodationBritish train journeys being short in nature rarely travel overnight and so sleeping accommodations are not usually an issue. Even on routes where overnight trains do run, you can also travel during the day. This makes sense if you are travelling with a rail pass as all travel is included except sleeping car supplements. So unless time is really an issue or you want the overnight rail experience you can save money and see more by taking daylight services. Onboard you can choose from standard or first class. Standard class offers comfortable seating in a choice of airline style or around a table. If you choose a table seat you will be asked if you wish to face the direction of travel or back to the direction of travel. Airline style seats offer one or two people seats together with a fold down table. Unlike airlines however, there is more space! Standard class is a comfortable and economically way to travel around Britain. First class offers more space and a more luxurious environment on long distance trains. Some commuter routes also offer first class where the advantage is limited to more space on busy services. First class coaches have larger seats, reading lamps and usually complementary refreshments and snacks. Most longer distance services offer First Class, however some secondary routes and lines in Scotland do not. If you choose to buy a first class rail pass, check the that journeys you intend to use have first class facilities. It is possible to find this out from timetables or making reservations. Seat Reservations. Unlike rail travel in the US and Canada, British trains do not require reservations. This is one of the benefits when travelling with a rail pass, you can decide when you wish to travel. Services are very frequent and you can usually turn up and go whenever you wish. In fact many services do not offer reservations. When to reserve. If you are travelling over a busy period, e.g. Christmas, Easter, Bank Holidays, before 0900 am and Fridays, make sure to reserve. Also on longer journeys, it is advisable to make sure that you have a seat reserved. We would also suggest that if you are traveling as a small group it is better to reserve so that you are all seated together. One final time to reserve is for all overnight sleeping car services as these sell out quickly. Luggage. In contrast to the US, British trains with their frequent services and many stops, do not offer checked baggage services. Some long distance services do have a luggage van at the front or rear of the train where you may be able to store luggage and cycles. Otherwise, space is provided above seats on racks, between seats and at the end of coaches. In general take only as much luggage as you are comfortable managing yourself. Bags with wheels can be useful and there are usually luggage trolleys at stations. Handling luggage on and off trains is easy as all platforms are at the same height as the train. Taxis are usually available at stations for transfers to hotels. If you are intending to do some intensive touring you could also consider leaving some of your luggage at your hotel for your return or at luggage storage locations in stations (though, these can be expensive). StationsRailway stations vary from huge terminals with every possible amenity to tiny halts with just a waiting shelter and everything in between. The largest city stations will always have a booking office / information desk, toilets (sometimes showers), an enclosed waiting area, shops, places to eat, luggage offices and connections to other transport. Smaller stations usually also have a staffed booking office, enclosed waiting area and normally toilet facilities. Small stations will have a waiting shelter, train information and usually a telephone link to speak with staff for information. At small unstaffed stations you can buy your ticket (if you don’t already have one) on the train and usually obtain information on how your train is running from a free phone line. Many stations have taxi ranks outside and are close to bus stations for local transport. SafetyBe safe on the railway. Never step off a platform onto the tracks. There are fines imposed for anyone trespassing on the railway. Always used the footbridge to cross from one platform to another. This is quite different to some overseas countries. Keep an eye on your belongings when travelling. Always hold on when moving about the train. Crime is thankfully minimal on the rail network, but if you do see anything, always report it to a member of staff or the British Transport Police. Sleeping Car ServicesOvernight trains have a choice of standard class seating, which is actually comparable with the first class seats mentioned above for space, or a berth in a cabin. Standard class cabins have two beds. If you are travelling alone you my be required to share with someone of the same sex. First class cabins have just one bed for sole occupancy. Click here for further information on overnight trains. CateringLonger distance services will either offer a trolley service of hot and cold drinks and snacks or have a buffet car. On train catering is good quality and prices are reasonable, if not cheap. Buffet cars offer a much better selection with hot and cold food and light meals. Some intercity services will also offer restaurant cars. However these are expensive, although the food is freshly prepared onboard and of very good quality. Places of InterestTaking the train takes you right to the action with many places of interested located close to railway stations. UK cities are compact and often all you need is a short walk from a station to be right at the heart of the action. If an attraction is located further away you can be sure that there will be a local bus to take you there. The UK rail network is not just a collection of intercity services linking the towns and cities. There is still a very good local rail network taking you to the more out of the way places. Even some of the most rural locations have quiet country branch lines linking up stunning scenery and quaint villages. Many of these are described as scenic rail journeys and you might like to ride some just to enjoy the best British landscapes. More has been written of these journeys on the Britain by Rail web site. General Information on British Railway TravelFor all other information on British railway travel, visit the travel pages. Enjoy your trip!
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