Buy train tickets or passes in uk (britain, england) or europe

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Using the British or European railways


Sections:	Introduction
	UK: Buying a ticket
	UK: Rail network
	UK: London train services
	UK: Railcards
	UK: Train departures
	UK: Access for disabled
	UK: BritRail passes
	Europe: Eurostar
	Europe: Train tickets/timetables
	Europe: Rail passes
	Rail passes outside Europe
	Links

INTRODUCTION

This page explains about travelling by train in the UK and Europe.

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UK: BUYING A TICKET

You can use one of these tools to find train times and to buy a ticket up to 12 weeks in advance:

You can save money and time by buying tickets online:
- You avoid the need to queue (this saves you time and may stop you from missing your train).
- You can see the prices of all of the available tickets.
- Tickets which are bought in advance can be much cheaper than tickets bought on the day of travel.

The train fare system in the UK is complicated, so you need to be careful to avoid paying more than necessary. Note the following:
- If you travel by train several times a year, you can save money by purchasing a railcard before you travel.
- Tickets which are bought in advance can be much cheaper than tickets bought on the day of travel.
- Tickets for trains leaving after the morning rush-hour has finished (eg 09:30 or 10:00) are usually cheaper.
- Day return tickets are cheaper than tickets which allow you to return on a different day.
- Day return tickets sometimes restrict the times of the train used for the return journey (to avoid the evening rush-hour on weekdays)
- Discounts are sometimes available for people travelling as a group during off-peak times. For example, Group Save 4 tickets allow 4 people to travel together for the price of 2 people.
- There are sometimes long queues at the ticket offices of busy stations, especially in London. It may be quicker if you use the ticket machines.
- Usually you have to buy a ticket before you get on a train. If you get on a train without a ticket you may have to pay a fine or to buy a more expensive ticket.

You can also find out train information by telephoning National Railway enquiries on 08457 484950 (24 hours a day; local rate phone charges apply). You cannot buy tickets from this number.

Note that engineering works sometimes affect journeys, especially at weekends and during holiday periods (for example at Easter, or between Christmas and New Year).
On weekdays trains are less likely to be delayed if you travel at non-peak times.
To check information about travel delays, look at the website of the train company or see: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_bulletins.

To plan a journey by public transport between two places in the UK, see: http://www.transportdirect.info.
To plan a journey by public transport between two places in London, see: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner.

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UK: RAIL NETWORK

Rail Map of Britain & Ireland
(folding train map)
Publisher: Thomas Cook Publishing
Date: February 2007

Britain by BritRail 2008
Author: LaVerne Ferguson-Kosinski
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
Date: January 2008

Using trains is a convenient way to travel around the UK. It is faster than travelling by coach: a 2 hour coach journey usually lasts only 1 hour by train. Train tickets are more expensive than coach tickets, but you can greatly reduce the cost if you take advantage of railcards and available discounts. The train service in the UK is not as efficient as in some countries, so be prepared for some delays.

The British railways are now owned by private companies. However, people often still call the train service by the old name British Rail (or BR). For information about all the rail services in the UK, visit the National Railways website: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk. This site includes useful information, such as rail maps (see: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/maps) and details of ticket types.

Go to the ticket office at your nearest station and ask if they have any free maps of the railways in your region or across the UK. They may also have free timetables, application forms for railcards, and details of any local special offers.

The main train companies which operate in the UK are as follows:

Train company	Website
Arriva Trains Wales (formerly Wales & Borders Trains)	http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk
c2c	http://www.c2c-online.co.uk
Chiltern Railways	http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk
CrossCountry	http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk
East Coast Trains (formerly National Express East Coast)	http://www.eastcoast.co.uk (1)
East Midlands Trains	http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk
Eurostar	http://www.eurostar.com
First Capital Connect	http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk
First Great Western	http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk
First Transpennine Express	http://www.tpexpress.co.uk
Gatwick Express	http://www.gatwickexpress.co.uk
Grand Central	http://www.grandcentralrail.co.uk
Heathrow Connect	http://www.heathrowconnect.com
Heathrow Express	http://www.heathrowexpress.com
Hull Trains	http://www.hulltrains.co.uk
Island Line	http://www.island-line.co.uk
London Midland	http://www.londonmidland.com
London Overground	http://www.tfl.gov.uk
Merseyrail	http://www.merseyrail.org
National Express East Anglia	http://www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com
NI Railways	http://www.nirailways.co.uk
Northern Rail	http://www.northernrail.org
ScotRail	http://www.scotrail.co.uk
South West Trains	http://www.swtrains.co.uk
Southeastern	http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk
Southern	http://www.southernrailway.com
Stansted Express	http://www.stanstedexpress.com
Virgin Trains	http://www.virgintrains.co.uk
Wrexham & Shropshire	http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk

Megatrain (operated by Southwest Trains) provides a limited number of cheap train services for journeys from London to these destinations:
Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton, Weymouth, Yeovil
You must book these services in advance using this website: http://www.megatrain.com
You can book tickets up to 45 days before the day of travel.

Notes:
(1) 10% discount if you register on the East Coast Trains website and buy your ticket online

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UK: LONDON TRAIN SERVICES

The most extensive rail network is in the south-east of England, in the area around London. If you are living in London, there are many possible day-trips you can make by rail. Ask at the ticket office or information centre in a railway station for a free London Connections map, which shows rail services around London and South East England. The main train stations in central London are:

Station	Examples of train destinations
King's Cross	Eastern England and the North (Cambridge, Leicester, Birmingham, Yorkshire, North East England, Scotland)
St Pancras	Central England (Luton, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield) and Europe (Paris , Brussels)
Liverpool Street	East to Chelmsford, Southend, Colchester, Ipswich
Fenchurch Street	East along the Thames, towards Southend
London Bridge	South East England (Gatwick, Brighton, Hastings, Canterbury, Dover) or Central England (St Albans, Luton, Bedford)
Charing Cross	South East England (Gatwick, Brighton, Hastings, Canterbury, Dover)
Waterloo	South England (Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Exeter)
Victoria	South East England (Gatwick, Brighton, Hastings, Canterbury, Dover)
Paddington	West England (Heathrow, Reading, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Bristol) and South Wales
Marylebone	Central England (Birmingham)
Euston	Central England, North Wales, North West England (Manchester, Liverpool, the Lake District), Scotland

UK: RAILCARDS

A 16-25 Railcard (formerly known as a Young Persons Railcard) may give you a reduction of about a third on the price of rail tickets - this can be bought by any full-time student, or any person aged between 16 and 25. In 2009 this card cost £24 for a year or £65 for a 3-year card. There is a minimum fare if you travel before 10 o'clock in the morning (except in July and August). For full details, see: http://www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk.

If you cannot buy a 16-25 Railcard, but are living in or near London, you may want to buy a Network railcard: this will give you reductions a third on many journeys in south-east England. For details, see: http://www.railcard.co.uk/network.

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UK: TRAIN DEPARTURES

At major train stations, there is a large board showing train departures or arrivals.
The entrance gate to the platform is sometimes closed a minute or two before the train is due to leave, to allow the train to leave on time.
Sometimes a train divides into two parts at some point during the journey, so be careful to make sure that you are sitting on the correct part of the train. Check the departure board. If it says that your destination is served by the "front four coaches", then get on one of the carriages at the front of the train (if you are at a train terminus, these will be the four coaches furthest from the ticket gate).
Sometimes there is a platform alteration, which means that you may have to move onto a different train.
Make sure that you ask somebody if you do not understand an announcement.
When there are planned engineering works on sections of the track (often at weekends or on public holidays), a replacement bus service is usually made available, but journey times can be much longer.

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UK: ACCESS FOR DISABLED

National Rail produce a brochure "Rail Travel for Disabled Passengers".
There is a Disabled Persons Railcard which offers discounts on rail travel for the disabled person and a carer (when appropriate).
If you need assistance, contact your local station or the train company which you will be using, if possible at least 24 hours before travelling. Alternatively, contact National Rail Enquiries
For details, see: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers

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UK: BRITRAIL PASSES

A BritRail Pass is ideal if you are currently living outside the UK and want to travel around Britain for up to 1 month.
"Consecutive" passes can be used for a fixed period of time (ideal if you intend to travel on most days during your visit).
"Flexi" passes can be used for a certain number of days of travel within a longer period (ideal if you want to spend several days in each place you visit).
Note that the prices of these passes are expressed in the local currency where you buy them (eg US dollars or euros), not in pounds.
Some of the passes allow you to travel together with a child aged 5-15 for no extra charge (you need to buy a family pass and include the child's name on this).
The following types are available:

Pass name	Countries covered	Periods	Period type
BritRail Consecutive Pass	England, Wales, Scotland	4, 8, 15, 22 days, or 1 month	Consecutive
BritRail Flexipass	England, Wales, Scotland	2, 3, 4, 8 or 15 days in 1 month	Flexi
BritRail England Consecutive Pass	England	2, 4, 8, 15, 22 days, or 1 month	Consecutive
BritRail England Flexipass	England	2, 4, 8 or 15 days in 1 month	Flexi
BritRail London Plus Pass	South-east England	2 or 4 days in 8, or 7 days in 15	Flexi
BritRail Pass + Ireland	England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland	5 or 10 days in 1 month	Flexi
BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass	Scotland	4 days in 8, or 8 days in 15	Flexi

EUROSTAR

Eurostar is a direct railway service from London St Pancras International to Paris or Brussels. The journey (which passes through the Channel Tunnel) takes about 2 hours 30 minutes. Remember that there is a time difference of 1 hour between London and Paris or Brussels.

Click on the above link for full details of timetables and fares. Note the following:
- Fares are shown for each part of the journey (add the two fares for return journeys).
- Book in advance to make sure that you can get the cheapest tickets.
- The most expensive dates are Christmas, Easter, Bank Holiday weekends and summer holidays (July and August).
- The cheapest times are early in the morning (5-7am). Try clicking on "Earlier trains" or "Later trains" to compare prices.
- Youth tickets are available to people under 26. The time and date of travel can be changed once (in advance).
- Leisure tickets are cheaper: you can only buy these if you are staying in Europe on Saturday night.

For further detail about Eurostar services, see: Shop/Company/Eurostar

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EUROPE: TRAIN TICKETS / TIMETABLES

You can book tickets using RailEurope for European train journeys in the following countries:
- Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland
(tickets can only be posted to UK addresses)

Other train journeys between two European cities can be booked using International Rail

European rail timetables are available online on the website of Deutsche Bahn: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en.
Thomas Cook publish railway timetables for Europe for each season - see below.

For a detailed practical guide to how to travel by train from London to other European countries, see: http://www.seat61.com.

	The Man in Seat 61 (guide to taking the train through Europe) Author: Mark Smith Publisher: Bantam Press Date: July 2008		Europe by Rail (guide to touring Europe by train) Publisher: Thomas Cook Publishing Date: March 2008
	Europe by Eurail 2008: Touring Europe by Train (guide to touring Europe by train) Author: LaVerne Ferguson-Kosinski Publisher: Globe Pequot Press Date: January 2008		Rail Map of Europe Publisher: Thomas Cook Publishing Date: February 2007

EUROPE: RAIL PASSES

European rail passes can be a cheaper way to explore Europe by train, but it is important that you choose the right kind of pass.
Note that even with a pass you may need to pay supplements on some high-speed trains or pay if you need a seat reservation (recommended on busy services during the busy summer months, especially in July and August).

An InterRail Global pass is ideal if you are currently living in the UK or another European country and want to travel around Europe:
- This pass was introduced in April 2007. It replaces the former InterRail passes.
- It allows you to travel on most services of the national railways in Europe, and on some private railways.
- Continuous passes are available which allow travel during a continuous period of either 22 days or 1 month.
- Flexible passes are available which allow travel on any 5 days within a 10-day period, or on any 10 days within a 22-day period
- It can only be bought if you have been living in one of the following countries for at least 6 months before the first day of travel:

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, , Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland), Vatican City

- Youth tickets are available if you are under 26 on the first day of travel; adult passes cost about 50% more.
- The countries covered are as follows:

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland (not Northern Ireland), Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey

- The InterRail Global pass also covers the ferry between Italy and Greece operated by Attica (Bluestar Ferries & SuperFast Ferries)
- The InterRail Global pass does not cover Northern Ireland

An InterRail One Country pass (also called a Single-country InterRail pass) is ideal if you are currently living in the UK or another European country and want to travel in another European country:
- This pass was introduced in April 2007. It replaces the former Eurodomino pass.
- Each pass allows you to travel in one country only (you can buy more than one pass if you want to travel in several countries)
- It can only be bought if you have been living in one of the following countries for at least 6 months before the first day of travel:

- You cannot buy a pass for the country in which you are living.
- Passes are available which allow travel on 3, 4, 6 or 8 days in a 1 month period
- A youth pass is available if you are under 26 on the first day of travel.
- Passes are available for the following European countries (not for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro or Northern Ireland):

Price Level	Countries covered
1	France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland)
2	Austria, Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), Finland, Greece Plus (including Attica ferries between Italy and Greece), Republic of Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland
3	Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania
4	Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey

- Note that there are 2 choices for the Greece pass, including or excluding the ferry between Italy and Greece operated by Attica (Bluestar Ferries & SuperFast Ferries)

A Eurail Global Pass is ideal for people who are living outside Europe and want to travel around Europe:
- It allows you to travel on most services of the national railways, and on some private railways.
- Tickets can be bought which allow between 15 days and 3 months of travel, or there is a Eurail Global Pass Flexi which allows travel on 10 or 15 days in a 2 month period.
- You can buy this pass only if you have not been living in Europe, the Russian Federation, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia for at least 6 months before the first day of travel.
- A youth pass is available if you are under 26 on the first day of travel.
The 21 countries covered are: Austria (including Liechtenstein), Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France (including Monaco), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. These are shown in the map below:

Countries in which you can use a Eurail Global Pass

A Eurail Selectpass is a cheaper alternative to the Eurail pass which only allows you to travel through 3, 4 or 5 bordering countries.
- Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro are covered (as well as the countries shown in the map above), and are treated as one country
- Croatia/Slovenia are treated as one country
- The Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) are treated as one country
- Tickets can be bought which allow travel on 5, 6, 8, 10 or 15 days within a 2 month period

A Eurail Regional Pass is suitable for people from outside Europe who want to visit just a couple of neighbouring European countries. There are separate passes for each of the following country combinations:
(a) Eurail Austria Switzerland Pass
(b) Eurail Austria-Croatia/Slovenia Pass
(c) Eurail Austria-Czech Republic Pass
(d) Eurail Austria-Germany Pass
(e) Eurail Austria-Hungary Pass
(f) Eurail Benelux Pass
(g) Eurail Benelux-France Pass
(h) Eurail Benelux-Germany Pass
(i) Eurail Czech Republic-Germany Pass
(j) Eurail Denmark-Germany Pass
(k) Eurail Denmark-Sweden Pass
(l) Eurail Finland-Sweden Pass
(m) Eurail France Italy Pass
(n) Eurail France Spain Pass
(o) Eurail France-Germany Pass
(p) Eurail France-Switzerland Pass
(q) Eurail Germany-Poland Pass
(r) Eurail Germany-Switzerland Pass
(s) Eurail Greece-Italy Pass
(t) Eurail Hungary-Croatia/Slovenia Pass
(u) Eurail Hungary-Romania Pass
(v) Eurail Italy-Spain Pass
(w) Eurail Norway-Sweden Pass
(x) Eurail Scandinavia Pass (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden)
(y) Eurail Spain-Portugal Pass

The table below summarises which InterRail and Eurail passes are available for travel in each country:

Country	If you are living in the UK/Europe		If you are living outside Europe
Country	InterRail Global	InterRail One Country	Eurail Global / Select Pass	Eurail Regional Pass
Austria	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional a/b/c/d/e
Belgium	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional f/g/h
Bosnia-Herzegovina	Global	-	-	-
Bulgaria	Global	One Country 4	Select	-
Croatia	Global	One Country 3	Global	Eurail Regional b/t
Czech Republic	Global	One Country 4	Global	Eurail Regional c/i
Denmark	Global	One Country 3	Global	Eurail Regional j/k/x
Estonia	-	-	-	-
Finland	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional l/x
France	Global	One Country 1	Global	Eurail Regional g/m/n/o/p
Germany	Global	One Country 1	Global	Eurail Regional d/h/i/j/o/q/r
Greece	Global	One Country 3	Global	Eurail Regional s
Hungary	Global	One Country 3	Global	Eurail Regional e/t/u
Italy	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional m/s/v
Latvia	-	-	-	-
Lithuania	-	-	-	-
Luxembourg	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional f/g/h
Macedonia	Global	One Country 4	-	-
Montenegro	Global	-	Select	-
Netherlands	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional f/g/h
Northern Ireland	-	-	-	-
Norway	Global	One Country 1	Global	Eurail Regional w/x
Poland	Global	One Country 3	-	Eurail Regional q
Portugal	Global	One Country 3	Global	Eurail Regional y
Republic of Ireland	Global	One Country 2	Global	-
Romania	Global	One Country 3	Global	Eurail Regional u
Russia	-	-	-	-
Serbia	Global	One Country 4	Select	-
Slovakia	Global	One Country 4	-	-
Slovenia	Global	One Country 4	Global	Eurail Regional b/t
Spain	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional n/v/y
Sweden	Global	One Country 1	Global	Eurail Regional k/l/w/x
Switzerland	Global	One Country 2	Global	Eurail Regional a/p/r
Turkey	Global	One Country 4	-	-
UK (Great Britain only) (*)	Global	One Country 1	-	-

(*) Note that these passes are not valid if you are living in the UK

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RAIL PASSES OUTSIDE EUROPE

Below are some of the rail passes which are available if you want to travel within countries outside of Europe:

Country	Examples of passes available
USA	Amtrak USA Pass
Canada	CanRail Pass
Australia	Australian Pass
Japan	Japan Rail Pass, regional passes for East (Tokyo area) West (Kansai area, or Sanyo area)
New Zealand	New Zealand

Use the following link to book tickets for famous rail journeys such as the Trans-Siberian Railway or the Orient Express: special train services

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LINKS

Coach travel: Travel/Transport/Coach
TheTrainline (buy UK train tickets): Shop/Company/TheTrainline
Eurostar (high-speed trains to Paris and Brussels): Shop/Company/Eurostar
Visit York (the National Railway Museum is located here): Travel/Tours/England/York

Home page: Home

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