About BritRail Passes - British TIPS

We are proud to be an official supplier for British rail passes and point-to-point journeys. We can assist with booking your rail passes for more extensive travel AND individual journeys in England, Wales, and Scotland. We also book Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted Express trains. Get in touch at sales@britishtips.com or 021 975 2047.

What Are BritRail Passes?

A BritRail Pass is a single travel document that allows you to travel by train in the UK. They are only sold outside the country to visitors like you, and provide excellent value for money.

Passes are available in various validities and you can travel as much as you like on one day, which makes it a really economical way of using the extensive rail network that the UK has to offer.

The BritRail Pass is the most popular as it covers England, Scotland, and Wales. The England Pass covers England only. There are also various other passes, including London and surrounds (the London Plus Pass), Scotland, South-West, the North of England, and more.

Consecutive Pass vs Flexi Pass

Consecutive Pass:

Valid for a set number of days in a row.

Make as many train journeys as you like in one day – passes are restricted by days not journeys.

FlexiPass

Your travel days don’t need to be consecutive – you can travel for a set number of days over a certain period.

For example: if you start using a 4-day pass on 01 January, you have 3 remaining days that you can use until 01 February inclusive.

Make as many train journeys as you like in one day – passes are restricted by days not journeys.

Very important: Choose your rail pass according to how much travel you want to do and NOT on how long you’ll be in the country! For example: if you’re in the country for 8 days but want to travel on 4 days, then you need a 4-day flexi pass and not an 8-day consecutive pass. Otherwise, you may end up spending way more money than you actually need to. If you’re unsure which one to choose, let us know and we will gladly assist you.

Download the rates sheets below (valid until 31 December 2023, and subject to availability and major currency fluctuations). Please be aware that all bookings are subject to a service fee, which varies depending on the type of booking.

British-TIPS-Britrail-Passes-2023 Download

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I get a BritRail Pass?

The United Kingdom has an extensive and efficient rail network. However, it is considered to be one of the most expensive in the world and BritRail Passes make it much more affordable and easy for visitors.

Affordability: The number one reason to get a BritRail Pass is that it is usually much more affordable than purchasing point-to-point (individual journeys) tickets, particularly when making multiple and/or long-distance journeys! It is also usually much cheaper for families travelling with children.
Flexibility: You can use the trains at any time of day (whereas, with individual journeys, you tend to pay a lot more during peak hours). You can hop on and hop off, and use trains as much as you like within a day.
Passes must be validated within 11 months of the date of purchase. This means that you have plenty of time in which to use it, even if you have to postpone your trip (as long as you have not activated it), whereas many cheaper point-to-point tickets are completely non-refundable and non-amendable once issued.

If you are not sure if a pass will work out best with the travel you plan to do, please do get in touch so that we can advise you.

Can anyone buy a BritRail Pass?

BritRail passes are only available to non-UK passport holders staying for 6 months or less. You may be asked to present proof of return travel from Britain at the time of train ticket inspections.

You can still buy a BritRail Pass if you are a UK passport holder as long as you have not lived in Britain for the last 6 months before travel.

Ticket inspectors do check your tickets and passes, and may compare it to photographic ID. If your photographic ID is a British passport, they may ask you for proof that you do not live in Britain. Showing a visa stamp should suffice but, just in case, if you are travelling with a UK passport, it is recommended that you carry some proof that you do not reside there, such as a utility bill. However, we have, to date, never heard of anyone who has been asked for proof of this.

How do I order a BritRail Pass in South Africa?

Email us at sales@britishtips.com and we will assist you!

If you know exactly which pass you need and just want to book, we will require a copy of your passport, a start date for the pass, and your contact details.

If you are not sure which pass you need, our experienced rail booking agent is happy to assist you in selecting the most cost-effective option.

You will need an up-to-date Android or iOS device as all rail passes are mobile only. Paper tickets have been discontinued.

Can you email me the pass?

Choosing a BritRail Pass

I’m confused – they all seem to be called BritRail but there are different ones… how does it work?

How do I know which pass to choose?

You will need to decide where you wish to go and how much you think you may be travelling. You don't have to decide exactly what times or specific towns but you will need some idea of where you'd like to travel.

Remember that passes should be selected according to how much travel you want to do and NOT on how long you’ll be in the country! For example: if you’re in the country for 8 days but want to travel on 4 days, then you need a 4-day flexi pass and not an 8-day consecutive pass.

If you’re unsure which one to choose, let us know and we can assist you in choosing the most cost-effective option for your needs.

The following FAQs will explain more about zones and validities.

What do the different regions cover?

The BritRail map below shows all the regions covered by the different passes. This will help you to narrow down which pass to purchase.

BritRail Pass: All colour zones. Travel all England, Scotland and Wales.

BritRail England Pass: Light-blue and grey zones. Travel around the whole of England.

BritRail London Plus Pass: Grey zone. Travel in the South East of England and out as far as Stratford Upon Avon, Bristol, Bath and Cambridge (grey zone)

BritRail Spirit of Scotland: Green, purple, and pink zones. Travel around all Scotland (includes many ferry routes out to the islands).

BritRail Central Scotland Pass: Purple zone. Travel between Glasgow and Edinburgh via istorical towns such as Stirling, Linlithgow and Dunblane.

BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass: Pink zone. Travel around the Scottish Highlands by rail. Includes some ferry routes.

BritRail South West Pass: Yellow zone. Travel from London (including Heathrow) through to the South West of England, including Cornwall and Devon.

(If you are unable to see the map here, you will find the PDF available for download below.)

In which durations are BritRail passes available?

This varies according to the pass in question:

BritRail Pass (England, Scotland, and Wales)

3, 4, 8, and 15 flexible within 1 month (‘flexi pass’)

3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days, 1 month consecutive

BritRail England

3, 4, 8, and 15 flexible within 1 month (‘flexi pass’)

3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days, 1 month consecutive

BritRail London Plus Pass

3, 4, 8, and 15 flexible within 1 month (‘flexi pass’)

3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days, 1 month consecutive

BritRail South West Pass

3, 4, 8, and 15 flexible within 1 month (‘flexi pass’)

3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days, 1 month consecutive

BritRail Spirit of Scotland: (these are only flexi passes)

4 days within 8 days

8 days within 15 days

BritRail Central Scotland (only flexi passes)

3 days within 7 days

BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass (only flexi passes)

4 days within 8 days

Are there special passes for children?

Yes, there are. With some passes (BritRail, England, and South-West passes), for every adult buying a full price ticket, one child (aged 5 to 15) receives a pass of the same type and duration for free. They will still need a pass (but it will show a zero price) so it is very important that you let us know at time of booking if there are children travelling with you, even if they are entitled to a child rate. You must enter the child details at the bottom of the page in order to get the free pass.

Additional children will be charged at the normal child rate, which is 50% of the standard adult price. For example, if there is 1 adult travelling with 2 children, 1 of the children will travel for free and the other will travel at the child rate. However, if there are 2 adults and 2 children, both children will travel for free.

Children aged 0 – 4 years old do not need a pass if they will not be taking up a seat (i.e. they will sit on the parent’s lap during the journey). If you need a separate seat for your child/ren, then you will need a child pass.

If booking seats, seat reservations and accompanying segment fees are payable per child, as with adult tickets.

Are there BritRail passes for seniors?

Are there BritRail passes for teens or young adults?

Are there discounts for group travel?

How far in advance can I buy a BritRail Pass?

Validities

How much can I travel on trains with a BritRail Pass?

What is ‘1 day’

A day is classified as one calendar day – not 24 hours from the start of the journey. BritRail Passes are valid from 00H00 to 24h00 (midnight to midnight) on a chosen day of travel.

You need to commence your last journey of the day before midnight. If you are travelling on an overnight sleeper train, the next day’s date must be inserted (i.e. sleeper trains count as TWO days travel, not one).

Areas covered

Do BritRail Passes cover Ireland?

Can I use a BritRail Pass in cities?

Can I use the BritRail Pass on the London Underground?

Can I use my BritRail Pass on the Heathrow/Gatwick/Stansted Express?

Can I use my BritRail Pass on the Eurostar?

Can I use a BritRail Pass on special scenic or heritage trains?

Can I use a BritRail Pass on sleeper trains?

Can I use a BritRail Pass on any ferries?

Two of the passes include certain ferry services:

BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass:

All Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries services.
Argyll Ferries services between Gourock and Dunoon.
20% discount using Northlink Ferries Seated Standard fares purchased on the day of travel on the following routes: Mallaig - Stromness; Aberdeen - Lerwick; Aberdeen - Kirkwall - Lerwick

BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass:

Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries between Oban and Mull, and Mallaig and Skye.
20% discount using Northlink Ferries Seated Standard fares purchased on the day of travel on the following routes: Mallaig - Stromness; Aberdeen - Lerwick; Aberdeen - Kirkwall - Lerwick

Can I use my BritRail Pass on any buses or coaches?

Two of the passes include certain bus/coach services:

BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass:

Valid on Scottish Citylink/West Coast Motors services as follows: Oban / Fort William – Inverness; Oban – Campbeltown; Kyle of Lochalsh – Uig; Inverness – Ullapool
Valid on Stagecoach East Scotland services: Dundee / Leuchars – St Andrews
Valid on First Scotland East services: Melrose – Galashiels – Peebles – Edinburgh (Service 62); Carlisle – Langholm – Hawick – Galashiels – Edinburgh (Service X95)
Valid on Stagecoach in the Highlands services: Wick – John O’Groats; Thurso – John O’Groats; Thurso – Scrabster
Services on Isle of Skye (except any registered tours)
10% discount on single and day return tickets using D&E Coaches services:Inverness to Durness

BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass:

Valid on Scottish Citylink and West Coast Motors services as follows: Oban / Fort William – Inverness
Stagecoach in the Highlands services: Thurso – Scrabster
10% discount off D & E Coaches services: Inverness – Durness

The only other buses or coaches that a BritRail Pass is valid on, are those provided by the railway in the case of a rail replacement service.

Using a BritRail Pass

How do I activate my BritRail pass?

British rail passes are now all issued as M-Passes (mobile passes) for use on most Android and iOS devices. It is very easy to activate them:

1.Once you have purchased your pass, we will send an emailed confirmation. This will contain a link to your pass.

2. Click on the link and follow the prompts to download and activate.

3. We strongly recommend that you only activate your pass this when you are ready to travel because, once the pass is activated, no refunds are possible.

4. We suggest you also print out the M-Pass and proof of purchase just in case there is a problem with your device.

CHILDREN: Child passes are only valid with an Adult Pass. Therefore, each Child Pass must be added to the same device as the adult pass to which it corresponds. Children under 5 can travel with you for free without their own Pass.

How do I use my BritRail pass?

It is very easy to use any BritRail pass. Remember to activate it before you use it (as above).

Please note that a pass allows you to travel on a train, but doesn’t guarantee a seat on a specific train. Should the train be full, you may need to wait for the next one. You can pre book seat reservations with British TIPS for a fee or you can book seats in the UK (you may be charged a fee to do so).

You may be asked to present the pass again while on the train (even if you have shown it at the station). Have your passport ready too (you should keep your passport on you anyway when travelling).

Seats: You can get onto any train and look for seats that do not have a reserved sign on them. Some trains will have an LED screen over the seat indicating if it is reserved or not; others may have paper. Trains that do not have anything indicating reserved seats are generally trains where seats cannot be reserved at all so you can sit wherever there is an open seat.

Important: You MUST keep your pass on you at all times, even if it is your last journey and your pass is finished. If a ticket inspector asks to see the pass and you have thrown it away or deleted it, they may ask you to leave the train immediately or fine you.

Covid-19 note: Bear in mind that there are currently restrictions on number of passengers allowed on trains. This means that trains will fill up faster as there are fewer seats available so you may struggle to find a seat if you have not pre booked. It is also possible that reservations may eventually become mandatory on all trains.

Paper passes

At staffed stations, staff will usually ask to see your pass at the gates to the platform. Show them the paper pass and, if asked, your photographic ID (passport).

If there is no staff member, you can just get onto the train.

If you have reserved a seat, you will need to carry the confirmation with your pass.

NOTE: Paper passes are being phased out in favour of mobile passes (M-Pass) and will soon no longer be available. However, it is easy to use an M-Pass.

Mobile passes

Once the pass is downloaded, you can use it ‘as is’.

Most stations have ticket barriers with code readers – open the pass on your device and hold the code over the reader. It should scan it and the barrier will open.

If there is no reader or the barrier does not open, show your pass to a member of staff at the gate to let you in.

If you have reserved a seat, you will need to carry the confirmation with your pass.

Do I need to make seat reservations?

It is usually not essential to reserve seats on all trains (except sleeper trains). However, we STRONGLY advise that you pre book seats if you are travelling over busy times like Easter or Christmas, on longer journeys (you don’t want to be standing for 4 hours!), and if you absolutely have to get a specific train and need a guaranteed seat.

If it is possible to pre book a seat, we can book this for you at a small fee – you will then get a confirmation of the booking which you will need to carry with your pass.

Can I use my pass in peak hours?

You can use BritRail passes at any time of day, with the exception of the below mentioned passes:

BritRail Central Scotland Pass: Not valid for travel before 09h15 on Mondays to Fridays, except between Glasgow-Oban/Fort William/Mallaig and Inverness-Kyle/Wick/Thurso,which is allowed.
BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass: Not valid on services arriving into Aberdeen and Inverness before 09h00, Monday to Friday.
BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass: Not valid on services timed to depart before 09h15, Monday to Friday, within the pass boundaries.

What Are BritRail Passes?

Consecutive Pass vs Flexi Pass

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing a BritRail Pass

Validities

Areas covered

Using a BritRail Pass

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