It’s been thirty years since we last traveled to England and we’re really excited. We have sunk a bit of money into two Britrail passes for the two and a half weeks we will be there in mid September. We will be doing only three big hops; from London to Bath, Bath to Startford upon Avon and from SuA back to London. But we will also do a few day trips from these cities all by rail.
Now I’m second guessing our choice of Britrail passes if there are to be strikes happening then.
I’m wondering if anyone has any insight into this puzzle. Should we stick with the passes and hope our plans aren’t affected by the strikes or get a refund and try to stitch it together with bus trips and day tours.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17563 posts
Are there strikes planned for mid-September? Do you know the dates? We will be there then as well.
Posted by
OP
Maine
23 posts
I only know there have been some rail strikes recently this August and I’m don’t know if they will continue into September. Sorry if this question has upset you.
Posted by
St. Louis
59 posts
I have posed a similar question on this forum and folks have explained that British law requires ALL strikers to give 14 days notice. That includes train, bus, underground, and airline employees, among others.
I'm nervous, and take comfort that we'll have 14 days notice to sort out plans, if affected by strikes.
Fingers crossed for all of us intrepid travelers!
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2066 posts
While there currently are no announced Strikes affecting British trains during September, there is the possibility that some strike days will occur. The two-week required notice gives travelers some time to adjust travel plans. If there are train strike days during the validity of a Britrail Pass, a prorated refund of the days the pass could not be used will be available. That said, I think you likely could do better simply buying train tickets online in advance of your trip for each of your journeys: 1. London to Bath Spa; 2. Bath Spa to Stratford-Upon-Avon; 3. Stratford to London. For journey 1, there are tickets in September for as little as $16. For journey 2, there are limited train tickets in September for $42. For journey 3, there are tickets in September for as little as $27. So for those three journeys, with some flexibility, you can get tickets for a total of $85 per person.
You can check prices and schedules for trains at www.TheTrainline.com
Keep in mind that buses are an alternative with National Express being one of the largest bus operators in the UK. www.NationalExpress.com
Posted by
Stratford upon Avon
470 posts
I am seeing Advance Singles from £11.00 Stratford upon Avon to London in September
If you are doing extra journeys to that listed at Two Together RailCard at £30 which gives a third discount should be considered
Do not use Trainline, they are a third party seller. Use any of the Train Operating Company's websites
Have you had a look at the www.seat61.com website for information on rail travel in UK?
I would try to cancel your Britrail Pass
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34003 posts
I don't want to second guess your decision but for me a Britrail Pass is a bit of overkill for just 3 so short train trips, even if you add a few local day trips.
If you decide to go tickets you may just have enough travel that a £30 Two Together Railcard might pay off.
Previous posters up thread have accurately summarized the potential strike situation in September.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5466 posts
Advance tickets are usually tied to a particular train on a particular day, but in these unusual situations the train companies affected in general allow them to be used the day before and a day or two afterwards. So the key thing maybe to be more flexible on the accommodation side (which applies with the pass route too) at least while the strikes are of short duration.