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Question about Britrail pass and reservations

Posted by (California Central Coast) on

We love riding on British trains. We will most likely buy a Britrail pass before we leave for our Fall trip which will include 14 days in the UK. We don't care about first class. We will save a little money with the pass but mostly we like the convenience and flexibility of the rail pass.

I have read a lot of discussion on the forums about making train reservations in advance. I can't really tell from what I've read if just showing up to a train station with a pass is going work fine like in the past or if we will possibly not be able to get seats on a train we've decided on. Any information on the is much appreciated.

My specific question is: can you even make advance reservations when using a Britrail Pass?

Thanks in advance for helping clarify this

Posted by
1232 posts

You can make seat reservations in advance by going to a station ahead of your journey. But you don't have to. The great majority of trains you won't need to make a reservation, very many you can't. I would though advise you to do so on any long journeys you plan and/or any journeys on Friday afternoons or Sunday afternoons when long distance trains can get very full.
If you know what journeys you are planning and when we should be able to advise.

Posted by
180 posts

Thanks so much. All of our travel days are Monday thru Thursday except one. We will be going from St. Ives to Cardiff on a Sunday morning. Possibly we should make a reservation for this trip? At the station the day before or before we leave home?

Posted by
8132 posts

A Sunday morning should be OK, as it tends to be afternoons when people are moving. But a reservation won't hurt.
Just looking back to last Sunday. The 0855 from St Erth to Bristol was a 9 car train, the 0930 Cross Country 5 cars, and the 1050 4 cars, so not as short as might have been expected. The 0930 Cross Country might get very busy as it makes its way north as that is a train all the way to Edinburgh, although it does add 4 more cars at Plymouth to become 9 car.
Make that reservation whenever and wherever it suits you in the UK.
If you are on the cross country service you can book a seat up to 10 minutes before departure by text message.

Posted by
8132 posts

PS - On a Sunday there is often engineering work which can lead to bus substitutions for part route.
Check and keep checking. You should get 8 weeks notice but you never know.
I recently adjusted a journey for engineering work cutting out something I really wanted to do, only to have the engineering work cancelled at very short notice.
Pleased and annoyed in equal measure!!
Someone else on this forum had the same thing happen in May- long scheduled work suddenly cancelled

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