Travel by train, public transport : VisitBritain

Budget train travel

Trains can be a rewarding, relaxing and, if you book in advance, good-value way to travel round Britain. Lots of different companies run services in Britain so start by visiting National Rail (www.nationalrail.co.uk/) (Tel: 08705 484950; outside UK +44 (0)1332 387601). It’s a helpful, centralised service that provides timetable and fare information. To buy tickets, you have to contact individual train operating companies or use a website such as Traveline (www.traveline.org.uk).

Some of the major companies are listed below:

First Great Western (www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk) – London to the south and west. Tel: 08457 000 25 (UK only)
NER (www.gner.co.uk) – East Coast mainline services. Tel: 08457 225225 (UK only)
Scotrail (www.firstscotrail.com) – North of the border and sleeper services between Scotland and London. Tel: 08457 550033 (UK only)
Virgin Trains (www.virgintrains.co.uk) – West Coast mainline and cross-country intercity services. Tel: 08457 222333 (UK only)

Top tips for train travel

1) Use Mega Train (www.megatrain.com/index.php), a relatively new train version of Mega Bus, no frills with some great value tickets for the south of England.

2) Buy a Britrail Pass (www.acprailnet.com/britrail) which is open to non-UK residents and offers unlimited train travel within Britain or within a selected part of Britain over various time periods. This great value pass gives you the freedom to travel around Britain as quickly, or as slowly, as you like.

There are two types of pass:

i) Consecutive day passes must be used on consecutive days for 4, 8, 15 or 22 days, or for 1 month
ii) Flexi-passes can be used for 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month within a period of 2 months

Special rates are available for youth (16-25), families and groups (3 to 9 people).

3) If you are aged between 16 to 25 and planning on studying or working in Britain, think about getting a Young Person’s Railcard (www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk/). It costs just £20 for the whole year and allows you to save a 1/3 off rail travel for the whole 12 months. If you’re heading for the capital, your railcard discount also applies towards a London Off-Peak Day Travelcard (All Zones only), so you can travel on tubes and buses too.

4) Senior Railcard (www.senior-railcard.co.uk/). This is exactly the same as the Young Person’s Railcard but for people of 60 years and over.

5) Family Railcard (www.family-railcard.co.uk/) costs just £20 and gives children 60% off and adults 1/3 off on most rail fares throughout Britain for a whole year. Up to 4 adults and 4 children can travel on the one card.

6) National Rail offers special promotions throughout the year including group offers, combined transport and entrance tickets and 2 for 1 offers on London attractions. Their Day Out Guide (www.daysoutguide.co.uk/) gives a full listing of current offers.

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If you are planning a trip to London travel as the locals travel using an Oyster Card. It really is the essential "buy before you leave" product. You can use Oyster on ALL London underground, wbuses, Docklands Light Railway and trams, and on many regular train services within London.

For full details and to order click here (www.visitbritaindirect.com/en-GB/detail.aspx?ProductCode=T105)