I will be going to Great Britain in August. Should I buy a Britrail Pass before I go and how far in advance? I found a website that sells passes called acprail.com but am not sure if they are legit or not. If not, any suggestions where to get a pass. I need one for 18 days that is flexible and will allow me to travel throughout Great Britain as we will also be going up to Scotland. I will be in Ireland first and taking the ferry to Holyhead and catching a train from there to Coventry for a couple days and then to Portsmouth. I am not sure I have the time to get a pass at Holyhead when I get off the ferry and still be able to get to Coventry by evening to check into my accommodations. I have never travelled outside the US before so all this is a bit challenging right now. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
9025 posts
jimilagro, I don't believe you can buy a Britrail pass in the UK - its for overseas residents. I do believe if you go to the Britrail website, it will link you to two retailers that serve North America, one of which is ACP. RailEurope is the other, for which there is a link from RS website under Shop Online, Rail Passes. Someone else should confirm what I'm saying.
The website is pretty helpful in identifying the choices you need to pick from. A travel agent can get one for you as well, but they will charge for the service.
Advice for riding the trains - 2nd class is good enough. Know the language standard means 2nd class; single means one-way; return means round trip.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
9025 posts
checked site. It says the following on home page:
"You can buy a BritRail Pass if you are not a UK resident. Anyone who has lived in the United Kingdom for the last six months or more is not entitled to buy a BritRail Pass.
BritRail Passes are sold only overseas, so remember to purchase before you travel to Britain!"
No reason to wait to buy it, since it has to be mailed to you.
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3898 posts
"I will be going to Great Britain in August. Should I buy a Britrail Pass before I go and how far in advance?"
Yes, buy while you are at home in the U.S.
The pass will be mailed to you, so give it a couple of months to make sure you have it by time to leave.
Here are the Rick Steves website pages to purchase the Britrail pass.
Look at the BritRail Passes on this page. There are several different choices:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/britain-rail-passes
Click the blue "Buy" tab in front of the pass you want.
For my needs, I clicked the button for the Britrail England Pass. Does not cover Scotland.
Here's where it took me:
https://ricksteves.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/britrail-england-pass/index.html
Notice it gives you the choice to choose between continuous days, and non-continuous days for usage.
See the paragraph "Pass Delivery and Fees" on the lower left side of the page.
You will need a different pass from from what I buy if you want it to cover Scotland.
Posted by
2599 posts
Goodness knows why anybody would land at Holyhead and then go straight through one of the most scenic and interesting parts of the UK - NW Wales. Furthermore, you will go via Chester - an historic small city that is well worth a look. Not sure either why a tourist would go to Coventry - most would head for nearby Stratford-upon-Avon. Regarding the Britrail Pass, take a look at this former post about rail travel:>https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/how-to-save-money-on-railfares-not-pre-book
https://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/SailRail/RouteMap/
Your train will pass directly beneath Conwy Castle:>http://www.visitwales.com/explore/north-wales/llandudno-colwyn-bay/must-do-in-conwy
Another place you will pass through without seeing:>http://www.visitchester.com
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5467 posts
Research whether a pass makes sense for you by comparing the point-to-point price. These days it rarely makes financial sense unless you are either intensively using the railway as part of the holiday, or wanting to travel at peak times or both.
Also if your initial destination is Coventry it might be quicker and cheaper to fly to Birmingham Airport from Ireland.
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2600 posts
OP should ask a second question "Why should I buy a Britrail pass?"
Posted by
South Dakota, USA
308 posts
You can buy a Britrail pass from the Rick Steves website.
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3898 posts
Rita, links I gave yesterday in my post take the OP to the right Rick Steves website pages to purchase the Britrail pass.
Posted by
South Dakota, USA
308 posts
My apologies, Rebecca.
Posted by
Orlando Area - Florida USA
80 posts
I bought the Britrail pass from the link on the Rick Steves website. For the trip that I was doing, whirlwind tour around England, the pass was perfect. We didn't have to worry about catching a certain train since we went to the train station after we were finished exploring that city.
Posted by
OP
Colorado, US
4 posts
Thanks to everyone for responding. Looks like I will not be using the rail system that much now that I have firmed up my trip. It is cheaper to just buy a ticket as I go. I found a cheap advance ticket site that saved me a ton. www.thetrainline.com
I saved over $200 for two people going from Edinburgh to London. I do appreciate all the help.