About BritRail Passes

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 and individual journeys. For more information, a rate sheet, and to book, pop us a mail at rail@britishtips.com or call 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

With either pass, you can make as many train journeys as you like in one day – passes are restricted by days not journeys.

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.


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.

The passes are restricted by days, not journeys. You can make as many journeys as you like in one day, and you can use it on as many days as you have selected on your pass.

For example: if you have a 4-day flexi pass, you can use it as much as you like on each of those 4 days.

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).

Do I need to make seat reservations?

British National Rail does not have mandatory seat reservations (except on sleeper trains). However, we STRONGLY advise that you pre book seats if you are travelling over busy times such as 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. 

How far in advance can I buy a BritRail Pass?

You can purchase your pass from British TIPS up to 11 months before travel. The Pass must be validated within 11 months of the date of purchase.

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 or give us a call at 021 975 2047 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?

The rail passes are all issued as mobile passes to be used on up-to-date Android and iOS devices, including smartphones or tablets. We will email you a confirmation document with a link, which you will need to follow in order to download the pass onto your phone.

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

BritRail is the name of a specific pass that covers England, Scotland, and Wales. It is also the general name for a range of passes – like a brand name.

The passes that only cover specific regions are types of BritRail pass, for example, BritRail England Pass or BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass. The BritRail Pass and the BritRail Pass Range are run by Britain’s National Rail.

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.


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.

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 are payable per child, as with adult tickets.

Are there BritRail passes for seniors?

BritRail Passes, BritRail England Passes, BritRail London Plus Passes, and BritRail South West Passes offer lower rates for those aged 60 years and over.

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

Are there BritRail passes for teens or young adults?

BritRail Passes, BritRail England Passes, BritRail London Plus Passes, and BritRail South West Passes offer lower rates for those aged 16 – 25 years.

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


What do the different regions cover?

  • BritRail Pass: Travel all England, Scotland and Wales (not including Northern Ireland).
  • BritRail England Pass: Travel around the whole of England.
  • BritRail London Plus Pass: Travel in the South East of England and out as far as Stratford Upon Avon, Bristol, Bath and Cambridge.
  • BritRail South West Pass: Travel from London (including Heathrow) through to the South West of England, including Cornwall and Devon.

There are also a few regional passes: Britrail North of England, Britrail Great West Way Discoverer Pass, Britrail Scottish Highlands Pass, and Scotrail’s Spirit of Scotland, Scottish Grand Tour, Central Scotland, and Highland Rover Passes.

Do BritRail Passes cover Ireland?

No, BritRail passes do not allow for rail travel in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland. There are Eurail Ireland passes available for the Republic, which we can book for you. However, in our experience, unless you are doing huge amounts of train travel in Ireland, point-to-point journeys usually work out cheaper.

Can I use a BritRail Pass in cities?

BritRail passes only allow for travel on trains on the National Rail services between cities, and not on inner city travel in England, Wales, and Scotland.

BritRail Passes are not valid on London Transport Underground trains or buses. To travel on the Tube you will need a London Visitor Oyster Card or to purchase individual journeys there.

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

Yes, you can! However, be aware that this will be considered as part of a day of travel.

The passes are not valid on airport transfers by bus or other public or private transport.

Can I use my BritRail Pass on the Eurostar?

No, BritRail Passes are not valid on any Eurostar services. We can book individual Eurostar tickets for you, should you require this

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

No, most of these services are separate from the National Rail networks and, therefore, travel on them is not included in the BritRail pass.

However, some may offer a discount to pass holders. Please let us know when booking your pass if you are interested in one of these special trains so that we can advise you more accurately.

Can I use a BritRail Pass on sleeper trains?

Some of them, yes, but you would need to pay an additional fee. You can use the BritRail England Pass on the Cornish Night Riviera sleeper train. You can use a BritRail Pass for travel on the Cornish Night Riviera sleeper and the Caledonian Express.

Note that, on both of these, a berth MUST be booked prior to travel and there is a fee to do this. However, it will cost less than if you booked the train as an individual journey.


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 from us, we will send an emailed confirmation with detailed instructions. 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 travel with my BritRail pass?

It is very easy to use any BritRail pass. Remember to activate it before you use it. You will also need to activate each day of travel as you go. This must be done BEFORE you get onto a train, and you MUST keep your activated pass with you at all times.

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).

Where do I sit on the train?

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.

For a quick overview, check out the National Rail video below:

Please note: The above information is accurate at time of writing, to the best of our knowledge. However, British TIPS is dependent on information provided by the operators of the rail passes. These rates and other details are subject to change without notice. Please check all details prior to purchase and useage.

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