BritRail Pass

• Q. Are lockers and luggage storage services available at the train station?

  A. Most major train stations have a left luggage facility offering either self-serve luggage lockers or staffed luggage facilities.

  Keep in mind that there is a fee to store your luggage at a train station. Typically, stations will charge a flat rate to rent a luggage locker that you’re free to fill. For staffed luggage facilities, you may incur a “per bag” fee. In either case, the fee is usually under 10 Euros. If you do leave your bags, be sure to keep some money in your pockets for the luggage lockers.

• Q. What do I need to show to the conductor when traveling by train with a rail pass?

  A. While traveling with a rail pass, you will need to show the conductor your pass. Be sure your pass is activated prior to boarding the train. For trains that require reservations, be sure to have your valid reservations ready to show the conductor, as well. Lastly, it is not uncommon for a conductor to request to see your passport, best to keep it handy.

• Q. Are there lounges at the train station I can access with my Rail Europe tickets?

  A. Some of the main train stations in larger European cities offer lounges. Access to lounges depends on the type of train ticket you have; generally a First class ticket is needed.

  Trains that offer lounge access are:
  Eurostar
  Thalys
  TGV
  AVE
  TGV Est
  TGV International
  Virgin
  Alvia
  Euromed
  SJ High Speed
  Altaria
  Trenitalia International Night
  Spanish Night Trains

  To learn more about lounge access for any of the above trains, we encourage you to visit the product page for the train.

• Q. How early should I arrive at the train station?

  A. We advise travellers to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure. This allows you time to clear any security checks and locate the platform where your train will be departing. If you are departing from a larger train station (typically a city’s main station) and need to activate your rail pass prior to boarding, you will want to arrive even earlier to make sure you have enough time to get your rail pass activated and avoid doing a luggage-hauling sprint through the station.

• Q. I recently saw a fare on your website that I can’t find anymore. Why?

  A. Just like airfares, train fares fluctuate over time. In most cases, the fare you’re quoted on our website is based on current availability at the time of your request. It’s possible that the fare quoted to you has sold out and become unavailable. However, know that the new fare you see on our website is always the cheapest fare offered, based on current availability.

• Q. I just landed in Europe. How do I get to the train station from the airport?

  A. Whether you’re going straight to a train or to your hotel, you’ll generally find public transportation options from the airport to the center of town, where most train stations are located. Below is a list of airports that have rail connections (train or local subway/metro) to the main rail station:

  Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
  15 minute train trip to Amsterdam Central Station
  Stockholm Arlanda Airport
  20 minute train trip to Stockholm Central Station
  Barcelona Airport
  30 minute train to Barcelona Sants Station
  Berlin Schoenefeld Airport
  Birmingham International Airport
  12-15 minute train trip to Birmingham New Street Station
  Brussels Airport
  28 minute train trip to Brussels Zuid/Midi Station
  Cologne Airport
  15 minute train trip to Cologne Central Station
  Copenhagen Kastrup Airport
  14 minute train trip from Copenhagen Airport to Copenhagen Central Station
  Geneva Cointrin International Airport
  7 minute train trip to the Geneva City Central Station
  Glasgow Prestwick Airport
  1 mile bus or taxi trip to Paisley Gilmour Station and then a 12-15 minute train trip to Glasgow
  London Gatwick Airport
  30 minute train trip to London Victoria Station
  London Heathrow Airport
  15 - 27 minute train trip to London Paddington Station
  Luton Airport
  45 minute train trip to London St. Pancras Station
  Madrid-Barajas Airport
  12 minute metro trip to Madrid Nuesvos Ministerios Metro Station
  Malaga Airport
  10 minute train trip to Malaga Torremolinos Station
  Munich International Airport
  41 - 46 minute train trip to Munich Main Train Station
  Oslo Gardermoen Airport
  19 - 22 minutes train trip to Oslo S Station
  Paris Orly Airport
  24 minutes train trip to Paris Austerlitz Station
  Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport
  30 minute train trip to Paris Gare du Nord Station
  Porto – Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
  7-10 minute metro trip to Porto City Center Station
  Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport
  30 minute train trip to Rome Termini Station
  Stansted Airport
  47 minute train trip to London Liverpool Station
  Stuttgart Echterdingen Airport
  30 minute train trip to Stuttgart Central
  Zurich Airport
  10 - 14 minute train trip to Zurich Central Station

  Many other European airports have buses to the central or main rail stations. There are typically a minimum of two departures per hour, and travel times can vary from 15 minutes – 55 minutes depending on the city (and of course traffic en-route to the city center).

  You can always check directly with your arrival airport for specific information regarding transfers to the city center. Most airports have websites with information on where to go to find a train or bus connection to the downtown area.

  In addition, we encourage you to visit our Train Station pages to view information about services at the station and what airport links are available, if any, for a particular city.

• Q. What is a Rail Pass?

  A. A rail pass is a travel document that entitles you to travel on European trains in a specific geographic area (country/countries), for a specific number of days.

  Be mindful that having a rail pass doesn’t necessarily mean that you can hop on any train at will, within the geographical area covered by your rail pass. Depending on the country, the type of train and the route, you may need to purchase seat reservations at an additional cost.

  Lastly, rail passes are packed with additional benefits, also known as rail pass bonuses which can range from discounted shopping in retail stores, to preferential rates on other modes of transportation like ferry or bus, to rebates on hotel nights, reduced admission at museums attractions, and more.

• Q. How do I book a train ticket on your site?

  A. We have an easy-to-use booking form right on the homepage of our site. Simply enter your departure and arrival cities, the date you’d like to travel, approximate time of day, and number of passengers. If you have a rail pass, be sure to check the "I have a rail pass" box so that we can search the best fares for your journey.

• Q. How do I get a promo code?

  A. The best way to stay informed of all current promotions and to receive promo codes is to create a user account and to subscribe to our newsletter. All publicly available promo codes can be found on our Deals page. We also issue individual, one time use promo codes at our discretion to customers who are eligible for certain discounts or have participated in certain promotions or marketing activities.

• Q. Why doesn’t my train ticket show my date or time of travel?

  A. If your train ticket does not show a date or time of travel, most likely you have a point to point train ticket without a reservation. You can use your ticket on any train that doesn’t require a reservation, operating between the cities listed on your train ticket, and on any date within the validity period printed on the ticket.

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