I'm headed to London in a few weeks, and would like the latest info on buying BritRail and/or London Transport passes. I'll be in London for 12 days in late May and early June. During this trip I want ready & inexpensive access on the London Tube (at least to Zone 6). I also want to take an overnight train trip to Cardiff Wales and a few other (day-trip) sites outside of London. Any suggestions on the best/easiest/cheapest way to get this done? Thanks! Mike
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Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Your best BritRail pass choice probably would be a four days-out-of-two-months standard class England Flexipass for $265 US. This would allow you to pick any four days out of the twelve you'll be in London. A London Plus pass would be a little cheaper, but you'd be limited to taking all your trips within an eight-day block.
There are no direct overnight sleeper trains between London and Cardiff. Day trains make the trip in around two hours. If you get the England Flexipass, then you'll have to buy a separate ticket from the last point in England to Cardiff.
Unless you're staying well outside central London, you'll be better off loading a seven-day zone 1-2 Travelcard on an Oyster card and also loading enough extra pounds to cover pay-as-you-go tube trips beyond zone 2. The Oyster computer will automatically give you the best fare. When your first seven days are up, load another seven days (even though you'll only be using five of them). See www.tfl.gov.uk.