I found some great train fares for a couple of point-to-point trips in UK, but can't seem to purchase them (either online or by phone) because they require a credit card with a UK billing address, and I'm from USA. How can I buy these tickets? Do I have to go through a UK travel agent? Other options? (The trip is from Edinburgh to York and York to London on 2 different days, but not enough train travel to make buying a railpass cost effective.)
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Book your tickets through National Express East Coast. They accept US credit cards and allow booking for routes covered by all UK train companies.
Posted by
Ypsilanti, MI, USA
233 posts
I booked England/Scotland train tickets (Gatwick to Bath, Edinburgh to Newcastle) on-line two summers ago (I started with http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ to find the times/fares and then went to the company operating the train's actual website to book). The hard part was the website wasn't set up for US addresses. I went through the help options (e-mailed them my situation) and had no trouble after that (they entered my information for me in a way the system would accept). It's great--I was able to print the tickets out when I got there (so there was no need to pay shipping)!
Posted by
Ardmore, PA, US
225 posts
On the National Express East Coast web site, after you determine which tickets you want, navigate to the payment portion of the website. At the very bottom is an "international address" button. Click that and it allows you to enter the typical US address for your purchase. Pick up tickets at the station and Bob's your uncle!
Posted by
OP
Roseburg, OR, USA
11 posts
Thanks, folks! The www.nationalrail.co.uk site is great, as it consolidates all the info from all the different train lines in the UK, so is good for planning. But when you select the trip and fare you want, it links you to that train company for the actual booking, and that's where it all falls apart. Cross Country Lines can't process any credit cards without a UK billing address. National Express East Coast said it could (and does have a place for an international address), but for some reason, it also failed to process my payment (from any of my credit cards) and so would not issue a ticket. It used to be true that if you entered an address in the UK (like your hotel), they would take your USA credit card. But now that door has evidently been closed, and your credit card billing address must be in the UK as well. I solved my problem by asking a friend who lives there to order my tickets online with her UK credit card, pick them up and send them to me, and I'll send her the cash.
Posted by
near NY, NJ, USA
445 posts
I just booked train tickets on the East Coast Line web site 2 weeks ago using my American credit card.I will pick up the tix from a machine when I arrive using my credit card for ID. (make sure you bring the same card). By the way, the tix were not for the East Cost Line but to another part of England and even for a day return including the all day London Travel Card from the village where I will be
staying.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Deb, It's possible that none of your credit cards worked because a computer for each card company blocked the transaction for what it recognized as "unusual activity"--in this case an overseas transaction--and thought there was a possibility the card was being used fraudulently. Be sure you tell your credit card companies and your ATM card companies when you will be in Europe or your cards may not work when you get there.
Posted by
OP
Roseburg, OR, USA
11 posts
I will check with my credit card companies as you suggest. Up to now they have been working fine with other travel arrangements in UK I've been making (hotels, etc), and I have informed them of my travel dates, but will check with them again just to make sure all is OK since I can't think of why else they didn't work with my train tickets! Thanks everyone!