Is there a Rick Steves book just on train travel? I am confused over all the options. We are considering traveling by train from London to Edinburgh (or visa versa). We have 10 days in the UK, so are also considering a couple of other destinations by train. It will just be my husband and I in our 50's. - possible September or October of 2012. I have read about the Flexipass ordering through Britrail. It allows 4 days of travel. Does this mean we can get off and on anywhere it stops as long as our trip is completed in 4 days? Thanks
Posted by
Genesee, ID
1840 posts
Would you consider buying a Rough Guide? I think the expanations of public transportation are more comprehensive and understandable. Have you gone to the Britrail web site?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The BritRail flexipass allows you 3, 4, 8, or 15 days of travel in a 2-month period. You can hop on and off trains all day long on each of the days you choose to use your pass. See this page for an explanation of all the types of passes available for Great Britain.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5848 posts
I'd also suggest the "Man in Seat 61" website as an excellent source for information on train travel. www.seat61.com/UK-train-travel.htm
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
We have used the BritRail Pass numerous times. I love having the flexibility and not being committed to travel on a specific day and time. This allows you to adjust your travel for weather and other things. Here is one example- you leave London on Monday (by train) to York. That counts as 1 day on your pass. You spend the night in York. You then take the train to Edinburgh. That counts for day 2 on your pass. You return to London several days later without stopping in York- that counts as day 3 on your pass. Travel does not have to be completed in 4 consecutive days. Another example- you take the train from London to Canterburry at 8:00am. Spend the day in Caterburry and retrun by train that evening at 5:30pm. That would only count as 1 day on your pass. With the pass you could even take the train from London to Dover, spedn a few hours, then take the train to Canterburry for a couple of hours, then back to London in the evening and it would only 'use' one day of the pass. We usually got the 8 days of travel out of 30 (I think) passes as we would use them on the Gatwick Express to and from the airport (2 days) and on day trips or in getting to/from places where we'd spend 2-4 days. Our trips were usually from 7-14 days long. Sometimes we'd plan a 'day' trip on our arrival day (to Cardiff or Bath or Windsor for example). That allowed us to only use 1 day of the pass for multiple trips.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32351 posts
Cindy, If you're thinking of using a Railpass, you might find it helpful to download the free PDF Rail Guide from This Website. Look in the lower right corner. If you're only going to only be making a few trips, buying P-P tickets well in advance can be quite cost effective. I recently travelled on East Coast Rail from Edinburgh to London, and I purchased the ticket well in advance. As I recall, the price was fairly cheap. For shorter trips (ie: London to Bath), travel via National Express (Coach) is also good value. Happy travels!