The BritRail + Ireland railpass is ideal for the independent traveller wishing to travel the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (the UK consisting of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

This railpass gives the holder unlimited rail travel on the railways of Great Britain (England/Wales/Scotland) and Ireland, including Northern Ireland.

You could, if you wanted to, buy your tickets individually when you arrive in the UK. However, the cheapest fares are often only bookable in advance, are very restricted, are non-refundable and require advance reservations on particular trains. Even if you only have to pay for one or two journeys at full fare, you will wish you had bought a BritRail + Ireland railpass because of its flexibility and price!

There are a few "Saver" fares available in the UK which can be bought at the time of travel, whilst they are not limited by quota, they are restricted to certain trains and times. They are often not available for travel during the morning and evening rush-hours, on Fridays, on some long distance trains and stopovers are not allowed.

The essence of the BritRail + Ireland railpass is flexibility. Short and long journeys can be made at the "drop of a hat" even at peak hours and stopovers are allowed.

The BritRail + Ireland railpass as the name implies, is valid for travel in Ireland as well. You will be able to see all you want in the UK and then go over the Irish Sea to spend a while in Ireland. Linger in London, yomp round York, get curious in Chester, educate yourself in Edinburgh and wander through Wales before dawdling across to Dublin.

The BritRail + Ireland railpass is available in Adult and Child form. Adults are classed as everyone 16 years of age and over, children are those aged between 5 and 15. Those under 5 travel free and do not need a railpass.

The BritRail + Ireland pass is available in Standard (2nd) class or in First class, and is valid for either 5 or 10 days of travel within an overall period of one month.

The BritRail + Ireland is a railpass for everybody (except residents of the United Kingdom and residents of the Republic of Ireland).

The railpass allows travel on all scheduled trains of all participating railways in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland.

If travelling on an overnight train the next day's date may be used.

Trains in the UK run very frequently. Most routes to and from London have at least one train per hour throughout the day and in most cases more (especially to popular tourist destinations such as Bath, York, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Liverpool, Chester and Manchester). It is therefore perfectly acceptable to turn-up-and-go, indeed most people do!

In Ireland, services are punctual if not quite as frequent as in the UK. The main lines go to and from Dublin. There are now the new City Gold and Enterprise services to try. Places such as Limerick, Killarney, Cork, Galway and Waterford are a delight to visit.

Getting train times before you travel is essential. Detailed timetables are available on-line at our timetable information page.

When you are in the UK and you need train times you can call 08457 48 49 50 from anywhere in the UK for the cost of a local call.

In Ireland all stations have timetable posters and manned stations offer timetable assistance. In addition, once you arrive in Ireland you can call 1850 366222 anytime, from anywhere to ask for assistance.

Completely unused and unvalidated BritRail + Ireland railpasses can be refunded if they are returned to RailChoice before the validity start date. A 20% administration fee is made by RailChoice.

Lost, mutilated, stolen or destroyed passes are non-refundable.

Sometimes special refunds may be authorised in the event of train service disruption. Applications must be made in writing enclosing the pass and wherever possible a confirmation of disruption of service from a railway official.

Whilst we advise that you have maximum flexibility with a BritRail + Ireland railpass there are some occasions where we do advise that reservations should be made.

• Peak times on long haul trains during the holiday and vacation seasons. Especially if travelling out of London on a Friday afternoon, particularly if you are travelling Standard (2nd) class.
• If you are taking an early morning train in 1st class in the direction of London or from Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle.
• If you are traveling together as a small group, particularly if you are travelling between London and Scotland.
• If you are travelling out of London in the rush-hours.
• In Ireland if you are travelling by City Gold or by Enterprise services.

• Be comfortable with what you take and be able to manage it on your own.

• Those bags on wheels or a rucksack are great energy savers!

• UK platforms are the same height as the train doors, so weight lifting is not so much of a requirement, however given the generally older infrastructure of the railways there are still times when stairs will have to be negotiated.

• Consider leaving some of your baggage at your hotel to lighten your load on the real touring part of your trip. Pick it up again on your return.

• Most principal stations have inexpensive, secure luggage facilities - use them. If travelling from Edinburgh to London for example and you stop off in York, leave your bags in Left Luggage for the day, this way you do not have to carry it round York!

• If you have a disability and need help at a station, call ahead so they are prepared for your arrival.

• All principal stations have luggage trolleys available at a nominal charge. Keep some coins in your pocket so you can use them.

• Do not hesitate to hail a taxi for your journey to your hotel.

• Most train carriages have overhead luggage racks, space between the seats and a storage area in the vestibule at the carriage entrance for larger items.

Finally, why buy a First Class BritRail + Ireland railpass? If you wish to travel First class then a pass is almost certain to be your best bet. UK First class is aimed at the business traveller both for comfort and for price. It tends to be very expensive without a pass. What is the real difference though?

• First Class has larger, more comfortable seats, more space for you and for your baggage
• First class carriages are usually much less crowded than Standard class.
• On many routes First Class offers you extras such as free tea and coffee. Some even offer free newspapers and snacks as well.
• The decor and ambiance is more pleasant - frequently leaving you disappointed that the journey has finished
• On suburban commuter routes the main benefit is space during the rush hours!

Do all trains have First Class? No. However all principal and long distance routes do. In the UK some rural routes only offer Standard class. In Ireland only selected routes offer First class but they have First class prices to boot! Buy a railpass!