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Independent Travel - Planning Tips - Day Trips - Trains - Bus Tours - Hotels - Victoria.St

Timetables and Rail Passes

• You can check the timetables for trains in Britain at Network Rail's web site (another link).  When you use the web site, note that the date is entered as dd/mm/yy and time is on a '24-hour clock'.  For example, 1:15 in the afternoon is entered as 13:15 .

• For extensive rail travel, the BritRail pass (another link) may save you money.  It certainly will save you the bother of a long queue ['line'] waiting to purchase tickets each time you travel by train.

• For day trips from London, unless you are using a BritRail pass (another link), you will likely want a same day return ['round trip' in one day] ticket.

Luggage

• If you are traveling with several suitcases, be sure to keep a one pound coin handy.  You will need it in most train stations for a trolley ['luggage cart'.]  When the trolley is returned, you will be able to retrieve your coin.

• The major 'InterCity' express trains have luggage racks at either end of the cars.  Unless you are traveling first class, they do tend to fill-up quickly.

• Be especially mindful of the whereabouts of your luggage at station stops.  You wouldn't want someone leaving the train with your suitcase, now would you. [Note the use of the typical British rhetorical interrogative buried in a declarative sentence.]

Feeling a bit peckish ['hungry'] ?

• Most 'InterCity' express trains will have a buffet ['hot and cold, light meals and snacks'] service.  We go one-at-a-time so as to keep one pair of eyes on our luggage.

• Some long-distance trains do have restaurant cars with a full meal service  ...the price of which will leave you gobsmacked ['suprised into silence'].

• Local and regional trains may or may not have a trolley ['sandwiches and snacks'] service.

• When making day trips by rail, we prefer to buy take-away baguette sandwiches at the station to eat during the journey.  Just be sure to get a couple of extra serviettes ['paper napkins'] so that you can tidy-up ['clean-up'] after yourself as a courtesy to your fellow passengers.

Where do you think you are going?

• In England, trains headed toward London are called 'up' trains.  Those headed away from London are referred to as 'down' trains.

• Be sure to ask the platform personnel or train guard [We call them 'conductors'.] if the entire train is going to your intended destination.  Some trains are uncoupled along the way with one part of the train ending up at a different place than the other.

You can't get there from here.

• We suggest trying to avoid - if at all possible - long distance rail travel on the weekends  Routine maintenance tends to be done on Saturdays and Sundays... it's called a 'weekend possession' of the tracks.  Some train services are delayed, others are cancelled, and sometimes buses are substituted.

Industrial Actions

• On rare occasions, rail travel is halted due to industrial action.  [We call that a 'strike'.]  Now, the British tend to be very gentlemanly about their industrial actions... the industrial actions have historically tended to last only one day at a time and... they tend to publish their intentions ahead of time!

• When you first arrive, ask at your hotel if any industrial actions are anticipated during your holiday.  If at all possible, try to plan your itinerary to allow for entire days that rely on or do not require rail travel. That way, the non-rail day's itinerary can be followed for the day rail travel is not an option.

Copyright © 1999 - 2005  J. C. Nash. All worldwide rights reserved.
Last modified: Thursday, 27 October 2005.