How to Travel to England With a Rail Pass From Rail Europe
U.S. citizens cannot use a rail pass to travel from continental Europe to England, because the Eurail Pass for which they are eligible does not cover the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). If your planned rail trip through Europe includes extensive travel through the UK, you must purchase a separate "BritRail Pass." You must also decide how to get from the Eurail zone to the BritRail Pass zone as cheaply as possible.
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Things You'll Need
- Eurail Pass
- Britpass
- A PC or laptop to make transport reservations
- UK rail timetables
- European rail timetables
Instructions
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Visit the European Rail Guide website to obtain full details of Eurail and BritRail Pass options. Then decide at what point in your trip you intend to visit England and where you want to arrive. Your choices for traveling between continental Europe and the UK include the Eurostar train, sea ferry or airliner. In most cases, you can use a Eurail Pass to join all three forms of transport switching to your BritRail Pass, once you disembark in England.
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Obtain fare details from the Eurostar website. If you intend to travel to England from the Paris or Brussels areas, Eurostar will carry you from the center of both cities to St Pancras International in London in just a few hours. This will also provide you with an opportunity to travel through the Channel Tunnel (Chunnel). Eurail Pass holders are entitled to a discount on Eurostar services, and your BritRail Pass can be used for any onward journey from St Pancras.
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Reconsider your plans if you feel the Eurostar fares are too high. You can use your Eurail Pass to reach Calais where you can board ferries to Dover on England's south coast. On its website, the operator P and O gives the crossing time as just 75 minutes and the approach to the harbor means you can enjoy a view of the famous White Cliffs. Trains link Dover with London.
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Obtain details of ferry fares if you intend to travel to England from the Netherlands. The Stena Line website gives details of its services between Hook of Holland and Harwich. Alternatively, if you're travelling to the north of England, the website of DFDS Seaways gives details of its services between Amsterdam and Newcastle on Tyne.
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Check airline fares. Low-cost airlines link many European cities with England's main airports. If you know your dates of travel, log on to the easyJet website and find out the cost of flights from Europe to London Luton, Stansted or Gatwick. At Luton, a regular shuttle bus links the airport with nearby Luton Parkway Railway Station. Stansted Station is located under the terminal, and Gatwick Station is also accessed on foot from the airport's south terminal. Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol Airports can all be accessed by rail.
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Tips & Warnings
Book all travel as early as possible to ensure you get the cheapest fares.
Once you've decided where in England you're going, consult a travel advice website such as Tripadvisor for advice on accommodations.
Some high-speed European rail services require Eurail pass holders to pay a supplement. Check this out carefully to see if there are any alternative services where this is not necessary.
Some European trains require seats to be reserved. Do this as soon as possible.
Long-distance trains in England do not normally require seat reservations. However, if you know which train you're going to travel on, reservations will ensure your party can sit together.
References
- Photo Credit London image by san4es from Fotolia.com
