The Best Ways to Travel Around The UK Using a Rail Pass

A rail pass is a kind of subscription towards the use of trains that allows you to hop from one train to another without necessarily having a ticket.  Rail passes allow travelers to visit multiple destinations in a country or region making multiple stopovers and traveling at their own desired pace.  With a rail pass you buy one ticket and you’re good to go adventuring.

There are two types of passes;

1. Consecutive Rail Pass: This restricts you to travel on daily consecutive basis.

2. Flexible Rail Pass: This allows you to decide on specific train travel days within some set period of time.

The Uk Rail Pass or BritRail Pass is the best pass to make a tour through the England, Scotland, and Wales. BritRail allows for unlimited train travel through the National Rail Network of UK.

Seat Booking

After booking the BritRail pass, you need to do a seat booking in order to get a seat in a particular train and time. However, seat booking is not always needed but should be considered when:

1.    When you need to travel at peak times.
2.    Traveling around a Bank holiday.
3.    When you are traveling with family members and you want to seat together.
4.    When you want to attend an important connection.

The BritRail seat booking comes with some regulations that you need to put in mind before booking it :

1-Eligibility:  BritRail seat booking is only allowed to BritRail pass holders. You can’t book a seat without a pass.

2-Validity:  The seat booking is only valid for specific train class, time and specific date.

3-Use Conditions:  Once booked its non-refundable.

BritRail Pass Activation

BritRail activation is simply taking the pass to the ticket window where it’s stamped. This is done during your first day of touring. This is an important step, if this is not done you may not be able to tour.

The BritRail is advantageous as it:

• Is only available for overseas visitors thus, overseas visitors will not experience much jam while traveling.
• Has free children travel. You don’t need to pay for children.
• You don’t need to wait in long queues to wait for ordinary tickets in ticket offices to travel.
• There are free airport transfers without any charge.
• You can buy your pass through online without being in the UK.

Making the Most out of BritRail Pass

After securing a UK rail pass, as a traveler or a tourist, there are many beautiful places that you are guaranteed to enjoy as you tour. Popular destinations include:

• The Highland line of the West

This is the most scenic journey definer for most people. It houses the train line to Northern Scotland between the fishing harbor of Mallaig and Glasgow city. There is a segment between Fort William and Malling that has a remarkable Glenfinnan Viaduct. This gives a wonderful view over the countryside, mountains, rivers, and valleys.

• The Conwy Valley Streak

This line is found in Wales and has the most beautiful and wildest scenery. It has the distinct images of rolling grasslands and cline raggy mountains as it ranges from the Snowdonia National Park and finally climbs an altitude of 790 feet above sea level. Also, travelers enjoy the ‘’Queen of the Welsh Resort”.

• The Cotswold Streak

As the train approaches, passengers enjoy the rolling hills from one nice station to the next, as it leaves Oxford. There is also the Ledbury viaduct lifting to a 60 foot elevation which is one of the most appreciated in the UK countryside.

• Settle Carlisle Streak

The Settle to Carlisle line amazes since it is defined by 17 main bridges including the Ribblehead Viaduct and its 24 archways crossing the charming Batty Moss, with the conformist and its limestone roadways. Passengers also pass through 14 canals, with Blea being the longest. Moor roadway also runs about 500 feet below the ground.

• The Cumbria line

The Cumbria Line takes passengers through amazing sites and iconic scenery including The Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site and the rolling grasslands of the Solway savannahs. It also runs through the very beautiful Lake District featuring lakes, mountains and forests that amaze passengers as they have testified.

• St. Ilves Bay Line

This is the shortest train ride but with a great panoramic view of the bay.  At all times, while the train rides alongside the lovely coast, through Carbis Bay, and onto St Ives, it’s truly an amazing way to reach St Ives before a stay at one of its seaside resorts!

• The Far North Line

This is the northernmost line that kicks off in Inverness where it branches into the Kyle Line until it reaches Dingwall. From Ding Wall, it leads North to Wick and Thurso.  While passengers are traveling through this sparsely populated area, they can anticipate the wonderful, magnificent and preserved wilderness of Northern Scotland.

At every station discussed, the train makes stops to allow the passengers to carry out enjoyable activities such as:

• Touring of London’s iconic landmarks.
• Uncovering spans of history from the UK’s museums.
• Enjoying the UK’s traditional evening tea.

Traveling using BritRail is a scenic and the most enjoyable way to spend your vacation. As the train line is fast and safe, you can make voyages with less worry and ease of access to the great sceneries of the UK. The BritRail pass also offers unlimited tours with minimal expenditure but maximum enjoyments and savings on the pocket.

As you tour through the UK make sure you make the most out of your trip by insisting on the discussed areas above. The UK is recognized as a mother and a home to many outstanding train voyages that ranges from the quixotic beauty of Scotland to the savannah of Devon and Cornwall. All this considered for you by the BritRail Pass.

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About The Author: Martin Brown is a Travel blogger and a passionate globetrotter who has contributed many high-quality articles to different websites. He loves to read novels and travel to new places. He is also an expat tutor in Singapore and highly recommends avid travelers to teach while travelling to make money and get a richer local experience.
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