We have Britrail passes for July 2023 and they recommend making reservations for long inter-city travel. They tell you to go to ACPRail, who we bought the tickets through, but it is difficult and confusing. Their search does not turn up one of the most important trips we need from London to Inverness on July 9th even though it finds later trips we need throughout the UK. ACPRail gets terrible reviews online, but it seems to be the BritRail recommendation and the only way to make a "reservation-only" type reservation, without paying for a ticket, which my BritRail pass should be covering. Is there any other way to make a reservation without purchasing a ticket for BritRail passes from the US, without going through ACPRail? Any general advice and tips on how to effectively make reservations once you have purchases a BritRail pass?
Posted by
Lake District, England
8131 posts
ScotRail are not open for reservations in July yet. Only certain operators are. You have been lucky so far as many companies are not open beyond the summer timetable change in May.
It doesn't matter- all trains in the UK are turn up and go, ie- you don't need a reservation, but they are nice to have.
Officially Scotrail open 8 weeks ahead, it doesn't matter what time span other incorrect and out of date sources state. That is the actual fact.
I can't even book Scotrail for June, let alone July.
You can reserve at any staffed station in the UK when you are here, if you need to.
Posted by
Lake District, England
8131 posts
By the way I am not in the least bit fussed that I can't book trains in June yet, bookings will open when they open.
There will be space.
In the real world people in the UK do not book months ahead.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5466 posts
As well as doing it at a station, many train companies' websites have an option to reserve seats without buying a ticket although these are usually obscure such as needing to do it through a ticketing account with them. As said though it is far too early in most cases.
Posted by
London
358 posts
I've only known Britrail reservations being done via Seatrez
Posted by
Lake District, England
8131 posts
And they charge people for what is a free service, when done through any other normal channel.
There is zero reason for people to be paying at all for any seat reservation on UK trains.
Posted by
Vancouver, Canada
20 posts
Thanks to The Man in Seat 61 website I discovered I could book seats on pretty much any train in the UK free and without needing to show evidence of having a ticket via the GWR (great western railway) website or app. Worked fine last year so can't see why there would be a problem this year.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks to everybody for the advice. This has been really helpful! Thanks!
Posted by
Lake District, England
8131 posts
By the way if you are travelling on the 12 noon through train from Kings Cross to Inverness you can book a seat through the LNER website when bookings open (you will need to create an account with them first- Free).
As they are the operator that makes the most sense- you will be able to choose your exact seat-
https://www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/make-a-reservation/
Posted by
California Central Coast
180 posts
""I could book seats on pretty much any train in the UK free and without needing to show evidence of having a ticket via the GWR (great western railway) website or app. Worked fine last year so can't see why there would be a problem this year.""
It's not a problem this year! I just did it. Very easy.
Thanks