I have been trying to find information on train/rail passes to travel between and around the cities we are visiting while in the UK and Ireland. The information is kind of all over the place.
Is there a train/rail pass I can buy in advance for travel within the UK and Ireland? I am able to purchase one for the UK and Ireland?
Vin
For travelling by rail, the source of all knowledge (well, most of it) is www.seat61.com He knows the routes and the possible ticket-buying economies. For municipal transit, individual cities often have websites and such travel aids as Google Maps can also make suggestions.
Detailed info regarding rail passes is right here on the RS website:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/britain-rail-passes
You can find comparable info regarding Ireland at the same area of the RS website, although it appears that rail passes not very practical in Ireland.
You will most likely receive advice here that advance tickets may be a better value, the fact that you still need to make reservations on long distance trains when using a pass, etc. There are several rail travel experts on the forum, and will give excellent advice if they choose to comment. You may asked for specific itineraries for your trip.
The first step is to document the individual rail journeys, then price them individually, then compare to the price of the pass. Note that short journeys, such as from Bath to Oxford, aren't worth using a rail pass day for.
A main benefit of the pass is the flexibility to avoid a schedule set weeks in advance, although maybe now not quite as simple as "jump on any train."
Really and honestly, unless you are in a specific area for a number of days the answer is generally no. And the domestic entire UK rail pass is now so over priced it really isn't worth it.
As an overseas visitor you are looking more at the Britrail range of rail passes. Many have no domestic UK equivalent, for those which do the Britrail version is much better value.
To take the comment above-
You will most likely receive advice here that advance tickets may be a better value, the fact that you still need to make reservations on long distance trains when using a pass, etc.
Except for the night trains there are no UK services where you need to make a reservation. Some where it is adviseable to, but none where you have to. For those where it is adviseable never make them through ACORP (the Britraiil retailer) as they charge- any reservation is free when made at a UK station.
The first step is to document the individual rail journeys, then price them individually, then compare to the price of the pass. Note that short journeys, such as from Bath to Oxford, aren't worth using a rail > pass day for.
True
A main benefit of the pass is the flexibility to avoid a schedule set weeks in advance, although maybe now not quite as simple as "jump on any train."
Not so- very good advance fares are now available on many routes until days or even as little as 5 minutes (on some routes) before travel. This is said repeatedly on this forum, and people refuse to listen, preferring to use out of date pre-covid information. The bigger reason for setting a route "weeks in advance" is around hotel reservations. All main line trains in the UK are mass transit and are meant to be used at a moment's notice. Don't think Amtrak Trans- Continental, think more Amtrak North East Corridor or the better Commuter railroads in the US. You don't, or don't need to, book those in advance.
Just today I have been travelling on ludicrously cheap advance tickets I booked under 2 weeks ago. On the same route a fortnight ago I got the same daft cheap fares booked 3 days in advance-I wouldn't have got better if I had booked 8 or 12 weeks ago,
