Euro or Britrail Passes

[Bill Baker]

I would like to ask any Bachmann European forum members a question about rail travel in the UK and Europe.

My wife and I are thinking of taking a trip to Europe either late this year or next year.  I would love to go through the chunnel from England to France, but on the websites I have looked at there is no mention of that route.  The sites describe the Europass and the countries you can visit and the Britrail pass mentions only travel in the UK.

Does anyone know how one goes about purchasing a ticket for chunnel travel and can you direct me to a website?

Thanks, Bill

[David(UK)]

Bill, your best bet for the Chunnel is:
http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcPassengers/
You should get all the info you need from there.

[daveb]

Bill,

Go to www.eurostar.co.uk  or www.eurostar.com for all the information you need.

Dave

[Rich R]

Bill,

Check out this web site.
http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm and if yuo follow it through you'll find that you can get to Paris with a railpass from England.

That would be at  http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/passes/uk_index.htm
Might be worth a look is all.

Cheers,
Rich R

[Bill Baker]

Thanks guys....I got what I needed.

[Hamish K]

As one who has used eurail passes I suggest you cost the travel you are intending before you decide on a pass. It can be cheaper to buy individual tickests especially if you are prepared to travel second class (eurail passes are often only first). It all depends on what you are planning. Eurail passes are convenient but can be expensive. Train travel in europe is great, and I have found second class comfortable.

Hamish

[Seasaltchap]

It's The Law.

In the UK, when there are no seats available in Second Class, as often happens, a pregnant woman is entitled to a seat in First Class.

[Bill Baker]

Hamish,

That is exactly what we decided to do.  After checking the costs of the respective passes, we would not be in Europe long enough to take advantage of all they offer.  So we are going to by individual tickets 2nd class.

Thanks for your input,
Bill

[David(UK)]

It's The Law.

In the UK, when there are no seats available in Second Class, as often happens, a pregnant woman is entitled to a seat in First Class.

Hmm ... you talking about last century?
BR is over staffed with 'jobsworths' now and they'd throw her off the train for travelling 1st class on a 2nd class ticket!

[David(UK)]

Latest rulings by #1 jobsworth......
1) Just because you coughed up £5000 for a year's  season ticket, doesn't give you the right to expect a seat.
2) Too many of you are travelling during the rush hour - is your journey really necessary?
3) Because too many of you are travelling in the rush hour, we will put on smaller train sets to deter you from doing so.
4) When road pricing comes in force in the UK, don't expect us to accommodate all you extra passengers.
5) oh and because so many of you want to use our trains, we're putting the cost of a ticket up by at least 3 x the current inflation rate every few months. That way you can't afford to travel and we won't have to buy new stock!

[Seasaltchap]

David: It was a little known regulation of the railways that I was instrumental in having brought to the public's notice in the late 1980's.

BR took me to Bristol County Court over the matter, and it backfired on them with the press coverage.

[Seasaltchap]

............... what is lacking are any regulations as to how many passengers can be crammed onto a train; whereas there are regulations for the number of cattle per wagon!

[David(UK)]

David: It was a little known regulation of the railways that I was instrumental in having brought to the public's notice in the late 1980's.

BR took me to Bristol County Court over the matter, and it backfired on them with the press coverage.

Well it ain't law now - only a few TOCs observe it as a social courtesy and then only if there are empty seats available in toff class.