I am taking a 2.5 week trip to Great Britain (also hoping to hop over to Ireland for a few days). Renting a car is not an option and I can't afford a rail pass. Is the Brit xplorer pass for the bus a good option? I have heard that is is a slow way to go.... Also is the Brit xplorer pass essentially unlimited bus rides?
Should I do the Brit explorer pass and then by individual rail passes for longer segments of the trip?
Any tips would be appreciated!
I had to look it up, but the "Brit Xplorer Pass" is valid on National Express (Details here). National Express are the country's largest coach (long distance bus) operators. But this pass is not valid on any other coach operator, nor on "normal" local buses, neither in cities nor rural buses. The coach network in Britain has a lot less coverage than the railway network, and coaches are 2 - 3 times slower than trains, and are less comfortable.
But coaches are a lot cheaper than trains. Therefore they are used by people with more time than money, for example students.
Before you decide, I suggest you go to http://www.thetrainline.com and price up the journeys you actually want to make. If you buy 2-3 months in advance, train tickets are a lot cheaper (but not quite as cheap as coaches).
For example, London to York on 1st October:
Which Brit Explorer bus pass are you considering? 14 consecutive days for 139 pounds = about $230. That is cheaper than a BritRail pass for 15 consecutive days, but there are other ways to shave down the price. If you purchase before 5 p.m. ET on August 28, all BritRail and BritRail England passes come with an extra travel day included. You could get a pass to cover just your 4 longest rail travel days, plus one free = 5 days of travel within 2 months, for $365 for an adult covering the whole island, but cheaper rates apply if you are under age 26 and/or if you only need England, without Scotland and Wales. We don't recommend the BritRail+Ireland combo pass, which is more expensive.
Check the bus schedules to see how well they fit your trip. If you buy any single tickets on either bus or train, then try to book early to get the advance rates.
This is a difference between the locals (or experienced travellers), and nervous tourists.
I have just come back from a trip to the UK by train. I booked all tickets online as far in advance as possible in order to get the best prices. But I know how the system works, which websites to use (http://www.trainline.co.uk), where the train lines go and I was prepared to commit to specific trains.
Nobody over 25 goes by long distance coach if they can afford trains. Trains are just so much more comfortable and a lot faster.
Overseas tourists who do not know the system, and are nervous about committing thermselves when they do not understand how it all works feel comforted that with a "pass" they can go where they want. Overseas agents are happy to sell them a pass because they make a commission. But, unless they are travelling long distances every day, it may end up costing more.
As the saying goes:; "you pays your money and you takes your choice ........"
Thank you both so much... I will research the routes pertaining to my specific trip more at the websites you suggested!
