BritRail England Pass

I purchased a Seniors 22 day consecutive England only Economy BritRail pass for use on a daily basis over a 21 day trip in March 2019. To reduce the accommodation costs I based myself about 30 minutes train travel from the main tourist locations. Every 3 or 4 days I would also use the BritRail pass for a 3 or 4 hour train trip to my next accommodation. I had no issues using the BritRail pass which was inspected by rail station staff and train conductors each trip because the BritRail pass does not have a magnetic strip. For identification purposes I always carried my drivers license but it was never needed. The BritRail pass allowed me to travel by train anytime of the day or night. I always found a non reserved seat no matter where and when I travelled. I did not complete a travel diary because the diary form attached to the BritRail pass lacked space for all my train trips. Completing an online diary required internet access which I did not have except for the occasional free WiFi. The BritRail pass was good value and very convenient. For those travelling by train on a Sunday I recommend you monitor where and when track maintenance is scheduled.

I bought the four day flex pass for my recent trip to England. It was easy to validate (on first use) and although you have to go directly to the rail attendant at the gates to get in and out, they were always there and smiling. While it's possible I could have hunted around for cheaper tickets for specific trains, I really appreciated the lack of stress of having to get a certain train. It gave me greater flexibility in my trip, allowing for serendipity. The pass, in my view, was excellent value.

BritRail pass is always an excellent value! My wife and I love having the convenience of the Brit Rail pass since we are not locked into times or days and can change our minds if we choose to travel somewhere else that day and/or jump on any train.

Excellent product to save money and travel easily across England with comfortable and on time trains!!

Will purchase again for next UK expedition. Exactly as advertised.

I had a Eurail pass and travelled about in the UK in 1986, trains were great. This trip we ran into numerous situations where trains either weren’t running or in one case 48 minutes late. They were just fine when they were working. We had a flexi-pass and were in country traveling the width and breadth of the country. I hope this was just a limited occurrence and that it is not the norm.

First Class is definitely the way to go. For the little bit extra, it's well worth it. I had a 5 day pass (regular 4-day with a bonus day) but unfortunately only used it on three days because of family commitments. But it's the way to go, for sure! I was only on the East Coast Railways and they were fantastic. Definitely worth the money, considering you don't have to book in advance and can go wherever and whenever you please.

Very easy to use the Mpass, but be aware that it does not always scan at the ticket barrier - get an employee to pass you through.This is only a real problem at combined Underground/rail stations such as Farringdon, where you will have to talk your way past a TfL employee who has never seen a Britrail pass (they are not valid on TfL services). If you can, definitely upgrade to First Class for the extra comfort, included refreshments, and most importantly being practically guaranteed to get a seat (trains, certainly around London, can get very full). The Trainline app is MUCH better than the National Rail one - I used it constantly. It updates in real time. For cross-London travel, use the Citymapper app. Do not assume that you always have to route through London, though - the Crosscountry rail network is much better than it used to be.

Highly recommended for Canadian travellers.

First, Britrail agents paid the Britrail pass after you initially look up the charges. I found a fee of $326 with one agent. A week later, that agent and ACP were $100 higher. ACP used FEDEX to ship the pass from Montreal despite knowing that FEDEX has been causing delivery problems. I wasted an entire day for the pass only to find out that FEDEX doesn't knock and they wanted me to make a two hour drive to pick up the pass. The pass comes in a large voucher, not a card so you can't just put it in your wallet. So, I forgot to take it with me. I was told that I would be reimbursed for all trips made but that causes confusion due to Underground and bus use. Then I was told that I would get a reimbursement but I don't know if I will be stuck with a 15% charge as indicated on their website. The lack of the pass and lack of clarity in what I should do severely inhibited my trip and prevented me from using Britrail for cities other than London and Coventry. The process is clumsy, confusing and, with the severe price hike, dishonest. It ruined what should have been the trip of a lifetime.

Hi, We are very sorry to hear that you did not fully enjoy your experience with the BritRail England Pass. We've taken note of your concerns with the pass and we will provide the feedback to BritRail in hope it can help improve the product in the future. Thanks again for your review.