I am traveling with the husband, 10-year old daughter, and 80+-year old father. Flying into Heathrow and am leaning towards using a pre-booked car service to Kings Cross and taking the train to York (staying 2 nights) and then taking the train to Edinburgh (where we will pick up a car when ready to leave). I was looking into rail passes and it appears to me (if I am understanding it and doing the math correctly) that we can buy a Party Pass (3 day consecutive BritRail) for only a little bit more then the 2 point-to-point advance fare passes. And this would give us the flexibility in case something happens with our flight. Can any of you confirm? Thanks! My math says about $45 more total for all 4 for the Party Pass as opposed to the point-to-point total (3 adults + 1 ten-year old). We would be traveling on July 23. Our flight gets into Heathrow at ~10:30 am.
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
I'm not sure how it gives you more flexibility. You can buy the tickets when you arrive at the station. Unless you are comparing early purchase discounts. Even with a pass you might be wise to reserve seats if it's a busy travel season.
Posted by
OP
Chicago
11 posts
yes - I was comparing to early purchase fares. And I believe there are 1/2 hourly trains so I guess I didn't think getting a seat would be an issue. But I really don't know....which is why I'm asking the questions....:-)
Posted by
Leesburg, VA, USA
342 posts
This sounds eerily similar to what my husband and I are planning to do this fall. We have used BritRail Passes in the past because like you noted, we like the flexibility in case our plane is late, traffic is bad, or we just decide to take an earlier or later train. The few extra dollars are worth it to us for peace of mind. Since you're planning on taking the train to York on the same day as your arrival (Day 1 of your Consecutive Pass), you can take the Heathrow Express to Paddington at no extra cost, and take a cab from there to Kings Cross. According to www.worldtaximeter.com/london the fare would be about £10 plus tip. Also, don't forget, your daughter rides free, so the cost would be $447 for the pass if you're traveling 2nd class. As for making seat reservations in advance, you can do that for your York to Edinburgh trip once you arrive at the York Station. There is no charge to make the reservations in person, and if for some reason you miss that train, you just wait for the next one and take whatever seats are available. Have a great trip!