cross country train travel uk

• London - Edinburgh
• London - Glasgow
• London - Birmingham
• London - Bath
• London - Oxford
• London - Manchester
• London - Bristol
• London - York
• London - Cardiff
• London - Liverpool
• London - Cambridge
• Edinburgh - London
• Glasgow - Edinburgh
• Edinburgh - Glasgow
• Glasgow - London
• Glasgow - Birmingham
• Edinburgh - York
• Glasgow - York
• Glasgow - Liverpool
• Glasgow - Fort William
• Edinburgh - Inverness
• Cardiff - London
• Avanti West Coast
• CrossCountry
• Caledonian Sleeper
• Northern Trains
• TransPennine Express
• Grand Central Railway
• West Midlands Railway
• First Class
• Economy Class
• St Pancras Railway Station
• London King’s Cross Train Station
• London Paddington
• Edinburgh Waverley
• Glasgow Central Station
• Liverpool Lime Street
• Train Tickets

CROSSCOUNTRY RAILWAY

Crosscountry railway, crosscountry ​routes & map.

train services

About our website.

• ​​ London King’s Cross Train Station
• Edinburgh Waverley ​ ​
• ​ Glasgow Central Station ​​
• Liverpool Lime Street ​
• ​​ St Pancras Railway Station
• ​​ London Paddington
• ​​ London Euston
• ​​ Manchester Piccadilly
• ​​ Cambridge Railway Station
• ​​Avanti West Coast Train
• LNER Train
• ​ ScotRail Train​
• ​GWR Train
• CrossCountry Train
• ​ Caledonian Sleeper
• ​​ Northern Trains
• ​​ TransPennine Express
• ​​ Grand Central Railway
• ​​ West Midlands Railway

TRAVELING ELSEWHERE?

Related Content

• At A Glance

Assisted Travel:

CrossCountry Voyager (UK)

Welcome to the guide to the trains ,which live up to their name by connecting the north of England to the south coast and the south-west.

At a Glance

Travel pass supplement, rail pass reservation fees, reservations.

Reservations are available

Time of Day

This train is solely used on daytime departures.

Accessibility

Accessing the train

Wheelchair Spaces

Dedicated spaces for wheelchairs are available on this train.

Bikes Allowed

Non-folding standard bicycles, can be taken on to this train, but must then be placed in the bike spaces. Check the info below regarding whether bike tickets and/or reservations are required pre-boarding.

Train Specification

Attributes of the train

Has a Conductor

A conductor will be present on board the train, their role includes making announcements and responding to passenger queries.

Which country these trains operate in.

Great Britain

This train operates on routes within Great Britain

Travel Passes

A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.

At Seat Catering

According to the time of day of travel, passengers will be able to choose from a menu of catering options, which will then be served at their seats.

Power Socket (UK)

The power sockets on this train are compatible with the standard 3-point plugs as typically used in the UK.

Complimentary food and drink is served to first class passengers at their seats, though what you will be offered is dependent on the length of the journey you will be taking.

Trolley Service:

A catering trolley with hot and cold drinks and snacks should be taken through the train at some point during its journey.

On virtually all departures at some point during the journey a catering trolley will be taken through the train, from which you can order hot/cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches at your seat.

Though the catering service won't be available in Standard Class when there are too many standing passengers in the aisles.

Cross Country Voyager Travel Guide:

Cross Country operates variants of these trains which have 4 or 5 coaches, but despite being comparatively short trains, they are used on some of Britain's longest railway routes, which don't serve London.

However, many travellers use these trains for short-distance trips between each of the stations they serve, and when Mondays to Fridays are working days, they can be popular with commuters.

So if you will be making a long-distance journeys by these trains, booking in advance, so that you can reserve seats is highly recommended . If you book online you'll automatically have reservations and tickets can usually be booked on the CrossCountry booking service up to only 10 minutes before departure.

CrossCountry uses these Voyager trains on these four routes:

(1) Exeter - Taunton - Bristol – Birmingham – Wolverhampton - Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Manchester

(2) Bournemouth - Southampton – Winchester – Reading – Oxford – Coventry - Birmingham – Wolverhampton - Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Manchester

(3) Southampton – Winchester – Reading – Oxford – Birmingham – Derby – Sheffield – Doncaster - York – Durham – Newcastle

(4) (Penzance) - Plymouth – Exeter – Bristol – Birmingham – Derby – Sheffield – Leeds – York – Durham – Newcastle – Edinburgh – Glasgow These Voyager trains share this route with the CrossCountry 125 trains .

If you will be boarding at a station the train calls at during a journey, there are now usually signs on the platform (track) which will show you where to wait for speedy boarding into each coach/carriage.

Don’t just check the coach/carriage numbers by the doors, also check the seat number info that’s on the outside of the train. All coaches will have two doors, one at each end and the other door may be nearer to your seat.

If you don't have a reservation, seats may not be available when you initially board into Standard Class, but it's likely that seats will become available at the next station call.

Reserved seats:

Worth knowing is that you don’t have to occupy the seat you have been assigned, for your travel ticket to be valid - the train conductor will check the ticket, but not the reservation.

So if for any reason you want to travel in a different seat, you can do so, as long as you check that the alternative seat(s) you want to move to hasn't been reserved, so will be available for your journey.

Though it will be obvious if the train you are travelling by is busy and if that is the case, it's best to be thankful for the fact that you have a reserved seat and to remain in it during your journey.

Each First and Standard Class coach on the train offers a mix of table seats and airline style seats - though most of the seats in First Class are table seats, while comparatively few seats in Standard Class have tables.

All First Class window seats offer a good view, but as can be seen on the seating plan , some 'window' seats in the Standard Class coaches have a more restricted view.

As this seating plan shows, in both First and Standard Class power sockets are only available at window seats.

No coaches on these trains are designated as 'Quiet Coaches' so while keeping your fellow travellers in mind, it's possible to make or receive mobile calls from any seat.

Complimentary Wi-Fi access is available throughout the train, but CrossCountry is open and honest about the fact that data usage will be restricted, so that, for example, it's not possible to access digital TV through the train's Wi-Fi.

The luggage storage space is comparatively limited on these trains, so Cross Country requests that each traveller only carries one large suitcase/bag per person, which measures no more than 90cm by 70cm by 30cm.

Travelling with dogs

Up to two dogs can travel for free with an individual or group of travellers.

Spaces for non-folding bikes can be reserved ahead of travel free of charge, but one space per train is set aside for travellers without bike reservations;

The bike storage facility is located at one end of coach D, so pre-boarding it's worth confirming where coach D will be located before the train arrives at the station.

These trains have both wheelchair spaces and seats with additional leg-room and Assisted Travel requirements can be booked online .

Please support ShowMeTheJourney

Help keep us advertising and paywall free!

This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.

Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.

So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.

This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney , which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.

• Europe by Train
• Journey Guides
• Rail Stations
• Trip Planning
• Travel Articles
• Tips from 100s of journeys
• How to take a night train
• Good to know about daytime trains
• Travelling with Children
• Taking Bikes on Trains
• Travelling with Luggage
• Taking dogs on trains
• Common benefits of first class travel
• Journeys with multiple connections
• Money saving advice
• The best permanent deals and offers
• Intro to seat reservations
• Step-by-step booking guides
• InterRail/Eurail
• Access over 500 rail holidays
• Save 5% on more than 30 Swiss rail holidays
• Book a range of Swiss rail passes
• Buy Half Fare Cards for Switzerland
• Book train tickets with Trainline
• Book rail holidays worldwide with Bookmundi

CrossCountry Trains

We're always here to help you with your journey, particularly during times of disruption. If your train is delayed or cancelled, you can find alternative arrangements at no additional cost. If this affects your connection, please get in contact and we will help you reach your destination.

If your CrossCountry train has been delayed by 30 minutes or more to the destination on your ticket, you may be entitled to compensation through our Delay Repay scheme.

If you are a disabled customer and you require further assistance, please speak to our on board train crew, railway station staff or use station help points if your station is unstaffed. You can also contact us on Twitter and on Facebook Messenger , 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Cookie Policy

Select journey, recent journeys, improvement work.

Industrial action may affect your journey between 4-6 and 8-9 April. Click here for more information.

Crosscountry, who is crosscountry.

CrossCountry runs trains across the length and breadth of Great Britain. Their fleet of 92 trains stop at 120 stations, though CrossCountry themselves don’t run any stations of their own.

Do they offer cheap fares? Not really! CrossCountry are infamous for their incredibly high fares on longer journeys. For example, an Anytime Return ticket from Newcastle to Birmingham will set you back £261.40 . If you’re going from Birmingham to Bristol, it’s £140.10 for an Anytime Return.

It’s almost a necessity to book journeys in smaller chunks, even if you’re staying on the same train throughout. For example, an Anytime Return from Birmingham to Cheltenham is £50.20 , and an Anytime Day Return from Cheltenham to Bristol is £20.90 . That gives you a total of £71.10 , a saving of nearly 50% against the fare we quoted above.

Want to know how to do this? Take a look at our guide to cheap fares to Bristol .

On board services

Overhead racks are available on all trains. On Voyager trains space in these is extremely limited with racks only taking very small items. Bulkier items can be stored in dedicated luggage areas in Coach D or J.

On board trolley service is available on most services running between 06:00 and 20:00.

Free WiFi is available on all CrossCountry trains. Use up to 70MB every two hours in Standard Class and 100MB in First.

Voyager trains have two tables in most carriages but these have limited window views. No reservation? Head to Coach B or H for a better chance to find a table seat. There are four table in these carriages.

Bikes are accepted on all trains with a reservation. Book in with CrossCountry directly on their social media accounts or at a station ticket office. There’s more information in our dedicated guide to  travelling with bikes .

Up to two dogs, cats or other small domestic animals can travel free. Your pet should wear a lead or be kept in a suitable carry crate.

You can find out more about Passenger Assist on our dedicated  page .

Standard Class

CrossCountry has two main fleets of trains. The first one is their Voyager and Super Voyager fleet. These trains run on the services which link Bristol, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Reading to the North West and North East of England. They have four or five carriages.

Every window seat has access to a power socket, and Standard Class seats are in a 2+2 layout. The unreserved carriage on these trains is in Coach F, and also in Coach B on five-car trains. There are only two full-sized tables in each Standard Class carriage, except in B where there are four. The storage area for the bulkiest luggage is in Coach D.

The other fleet is their Turbostar trains, which run on routes linking Cardiff and Birmingham to Nottingham, Leicester and Stansted Airport. They have two or three carriages.

There aren’t any power sockets on these trains in Standard Class. Coach B is unreserved on these trains (where available) which is the centre carriage of a three-coach train.

Can you travel in First Class?

Yes, CrossCountry offers First Class on all of its trains. You’ll get a bigger seat and table, and all window seats have a power socket. Seats are in a 2+1 layout. However, there are a couple of things to bear in mind when it comes to food and drink.

Firstly, make sure that you travel in Coach A . Some trains are formed of two sets joined together, and you can’t walk between them. In these cases, if only one member of staff is available, they’ll offer the First Class service in Coach A.

Secondly, not all routes have complimentary catering and it isn’t offered at all times. Check this map to see if you’ll get complimentary food and drink on your trip.

As for what’s available, there isn’t a detailed menu. Usually, it’s drinks and snacks, but it’s worth asking if sandwiches and more substantial options are on offer.

Information about routes

• Plymouth to Edinburgh (via Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle)
• Bristol Temple Meads to Manchester Piccadilly (via Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent)
• Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly (via Southampton, Reading, Coventry, Birmingham)
• Reading to Newcastle (via Birmingham, Sheffield, Doncaster, York)
• Cardiff Central to Nottingham (via Gloucester, Birmingham, Derby)
• Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport (via Leicester, Peterborough, Cambridge)
• Birmingham New Street to Leicester (stopping service).

Certain trains also extend to serve Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow Central, Paignton and Penzance.

CrossCountry operates the longest train service in Great Britain. It leaves Aberdeen at 08:20 and takes over 13 hours to reach Penzance in the far-reaches of Cornwall.

The Man in Seat 61

A beginner's guide to

Train travel in britain.

• Buy train tickets
• Buy ferry tickets
• Book a hotel
• Privacy & cookies
•   Home

Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in europe..., train travel in asia..., train travel in africa..., train travel in america..., train travel in australasia, 20+ operators, one network.

Click here for the best map of the UK train network

Here is a quick guide to train travel in Britain .  Since 1995, Britain's rail network has been run by over 20 private train companies, but they work together as National Rail with co-ordinated fares & ticketing.  You can find train times & fares for all train operators all on one website, you can buy a train ticket between any two stations, tickets are normally valid on any operator's trains.

A typical inter-city train

Trains come in many different types & company colours, but they all work together as National Rail.  This is an LNER Azuma train, used on the East Coast Main Line linking London-York-Newcastle-Edinburgh.  You'll find seating plans for key British trains on the seat numbering plans page .

How to check train times & fares

To check train times & fares , use the National Rail website www.nationalrail.co.uk .  This is provided by RDG (Rail Delivery Group) on behalf of all train operators, and it shows train times & fares for all routes and all operators. RDG was formerly (perhaps more accurately) called the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Pro tip:   You can look up fares & restrictions at www.brfares.com although this is an online version of rail industry fares manuals so takes some getting to grips with.  However, I use it to see the range of fares available between two points without using a journey planner.

To check train times & fares by phone , call National Rail Enquiries on 0345 7 48 49 50, if you are located outside the UK call +44 20 7278 5240.  Lines open 24 hours a day, calls from UK phones are charged at local rates.

Is your train on time?   Go to www.nationalrail.co.uk/live-trains and enter the name of your station to see a live online departure board showing train arrivals & departures in the next hour or two, and whether they are on time or not.

Pro tip: If you want a really detailed version with planned train formations and rolling stock type, try www.realtimetrains.co.uk .

Maps of the rail network

Map of the national rail network :  Click here for the best national rail map .  This is the map which used to be included in the big printed Great Britain National Timetable, and in my opinion it's the still best map of the network, sufficiently schematic to see the lines, sufficiently geographic to see where they go.  The map is sadly no longer available on the National Rail website, where none of the replacement maps are as good.

Other maps :  There are other train network maps listed on www.nationalrail.co.uk/ passenger_services/maps , including maps of the London area rail network, the London & Southeast rail network, and rail networks in other major cities.

I also recommend rail fare expert Barry Doe's UK rail map which shows which train operator runs where, www.barrydoe.co.uk/railmap52.pdf .

Station plans:   You can find a plan of most stations showing layout, platforms & facilities at www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations .

How to buy tickets

Buy train tickets for any train journey in Britain at tfw.wales .

Transport for Wales is one of the 20+ British train operators and they sell tickets for all routes, all trains (except sleepers ), all operators, and charge the official price with no added booking fee.

You'll be offered a mobile ticket for many journeys, simply show the barcode on your phone, tablet or laptop.

Or you can collect tickets from the self-service machines at any main station.  You'll need the original credit or debit card with you as ID, if you have any problems you can also collect from the staffed ticket office.

Or they will post tickets to any UK address for a fee, with guaranteed next day delivery by 1pm.

Overseas users:   If you have any problems getting tfw.wales to accept your credit card, buy from www.thetrainline.com instead.

Tip:   There's no need to find the 'right' train operator website , or to compare prices on different sites as all train operator websites including tfw.wales sell tickets for all British trains at exactly the same prices from exactly the same National Rail fares database.

Tip:   There are 3 types of fare, Anytime, Off-Peak & Advance.  Anytime fares are good for any train.  Off-Peak fares are good for any train outside Monday-Friday peak periods.  Advance fares are only good for the specific train you book with limited or no changes or refunds allowed.  For a more detailed explanation, see my quick guide to the 3 types of train ticket .

Tip:   Avoid booking fees by using a train operator website such as tfw.wales as they don't charge a booking fee.  Most independent third-party ticket retailers add a small booking fee on top of the ticket price, including www.thetrainline.com , www.raileasy.com , www.mytrainticket.co.uk & www.redspottedhanky.com .  For example www.thetrainline.com charges around £1.50 booking fee.  There are a few exceptions, for example trainsplit.com doesn't charge any fee, but will share any saving if a split ticket saves you money, and new independent retailer railsmartr.co.uk also charges no fee.

Tip:   Train ticket booking normally open 8-12 weeks ahead , beware of trying to book too far ahead as explained here .  90% of all British train tickets are bought less than a month before travel.  But here's a good idea:  Sign up for a free email 'ticket alert' when ticket booking opens for the specific route you want, allowing you to snap up those cheap fares as soon as they are released (It's worth trying later in the day if you don't immediately see any cheap deals available).  To sign up for an alert, go to www.thetrainline.com , click Tools & Apps top right, then click Ticket alert.  Some other train companies also offer this service.

Tip:   Choose your exact seat from a plan.   A few operators allow you to choose a specific seat from a seat plan, but only if you use their own site to book their own trains.  Although I personally prefer the booking engine used by tfw.wales , independent split ticketing website trainsplit.com lets you choose an exact seat on most LNER, Avanti West Coast, Cross Country & East Midlands Trains services, all on one site - plus it charges no booking fee, and it checks to see if split tickets could save you money, too.

You'll find seating plans for some key British trains on the seat numbering plans page .

Tip:   Upgrade to first class using Seatfrog :  If you buy a standard class ticket for LNER (London-York-Edinburgh), GWR (London-Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Devon, Cornwall) or Cross-Country you can bid for a budget upgrade to first class.  See how it works and download the Seatfrog app .

The National Rail website www.nationalrail.co.uk doesn't sell tickets itself, but after answering your enquiry it will offer you a choice of ticket selling websites, with the operator most relevant to your journey at the top of the list.

To buy train tickets by phone , call any train operator telesales line.  They all sell the same tickets at the same prices, for example, Avanti West Coast on 0345 528 0253.

Tips for finding the cheapest tickets

Book longer-distance trips in advance.  Advance fares are the cheapest ticket for medium & long-distance journeys.  The price varies like budget air fares, the earlier you book, the cheaper they're likely to be.  Buy tickets for any route in Britain at tfw.wales or any other train operator website.  You can also buy at www.thetrainline.com , but they add a small booking fee.

Advance fares are only good for the specific train you book, no refunds, limited or no changes to travel plans.  If you want flexibility, you need to buy an Off-Peak fare or Anytime fare .

Even booking the night before can save money:   Bookings for Advance tickets theoretically close at 18:59 the day before travel.  But in practice they remove any remaining Advance fares at 23:59 on many routes, and one or two operators now even sell them on the day, so it's worth trying even if you've just missed the deadline!

Avoid busy days & times:   Advance fares vary in price from train to train & day to day just like budget airline fares, so hunt for the cheapest train.  Wednesday lunchtime is usually cheaper than Friday or Sunday afternoon.

Sign up for a ticket alert :   Advance fares normally go on sale 8-12 weeks ahead, the exact period varies.  If bookings aren't yet open for your date of travel, sign up for an automatic ticket alert at www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert (please let me know if that link stops working) and they'll email you the moment train ticket booking opens.  But don't fall into the 'trap' explained above by buying an expensive Anytime or Off-Peak ticket before cheap Advance fares go on sale.

Beware of booking too far ahead

Don't fall into the trap!   There are several weeks at the extremity of the booking horizon when expensive Anytime & Off-Peak fares go on sale but before cheap Advance fares go on sale.  This 'trap' catches out many overseas visitors to the UK, desperate to book train trips months ahead.  To see how far ahead booking for major operators is currently open, see www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert .

Anytime & Off-Peak fares go on sale 12 weeks out, even if reservations have not yet opened, because these fares can be sold without a seat reservation.  They have a fixed price & unlimited availability, they cannot sell out.  There's no advantage in buying these in advance.

Advance fares are much cheaper, but can only go on sale when reservations open, usually 8 to 10 weeks out (it varies) because availability at each price level is controlled by the reservation system.  To secure a cheap price, you need to buy these Advance fares in advance.

So if the cheapest price you see when booking your London-York trip 10 weeks out is £100+, don't think "Oh no, all the cheap tickets have sold out!", just wait a few weeks until Advance fares magically appear from £23 upwards.  Got that?  Great!

Cheaper fares on slower routes

London to Exeter, Plymouth, Bath, Bristol, Newport & Cardiff:   There are cheaper fares on the slower route from London Waterloo via Salisbury, compared to the main route from London Paddington.

London to Liverpool, Manchester, Crewe, Preston and so on:   There are cheaper fares using slower London & North Western trains rather than the fast Avanti West Coast expresses.

Split-ticketing

How to check if split-ticketing will save you money:

Go to trainsplit.com and use their journey planner.  You then click to buy all the tickets online as one transaction, as easily as buying one ticket.  There's no booking fee unless they make you a saving, then they take a small fee out of the saving.

Back to top

Railcards :  Save money if you're under 26, over 60, a family, or disabled

- if you're under 26, there's a 16-25 Railcard .

- if you're aged 26-30 (= under 31 years old) there's now a 26-30 Railcard .

- if you're over 60 there's a Senior Railcard .

- if you're a family or group of friends with at least one child, there's a Family & Friends Railcard .

- if you travel as a duo, there's now a Two Together Railcard for 2 named people of any age who travel together.

- if you have certain types of disability there's a Disabled Person's Railcard .

And no, you don't need to be British or live in the UK to buy a railcard, see the overseas visitors paragraph below !

Alternatively, you can buy a 3-year Railcard for £70 which saves money over 3 x 1-year cards.

A railcard can pay for itself in just one or two long-distance train journeys.  For example, an Off-Peak return London-Manchester costs around £98, so it's £64 return with a railcard, that's a £34 saving straight away.

Disabled Person's Railcard

You can buy a UK national railcard even if you live outside the UK, as long as you meet the criteria for age or for a family group or two people travelling together.  You don't need to be a British citizen or live in the UK to qualify.

The easiest option is to buy online & download a digital railcard onto the National Rail Railcard App on your iPhone or Android phone. Just click the link for the railcard you want and follow the instructions:

www.senior-railcard.co.uk , www.16-25railcard.co.uk , www.family-railcard.co.uk , www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk , www.network-railcard.co.uk .

Tip:   The railcard lasts 1 year from the date you buy it.  You can buy tickets online with the railcard discount applied before you buy the railcard, because you don't need the railcard number to buy a discounted ticket.  So it makes sense to only buy the railcard close to the date you plan to first use it.

Tip:   If system refuses to accept your non-UK postcode the first time you enter your address, no problem, just use this UK one: EC1A 4HD, it makes no difference.  At the payment stage you can select your correct nationality then enter the correct postcode for your billing address.

Tip:   If it says invalid passport number there's advice on how to fix this in the railcard website FAQ, it involves entering everything exactly as it's written in your passport.  Persevere, it should accept almost any current machine-readable passport.

Tip:   If it won't accept a U.S. passport number, start typing the numbers and letters at the bottom of your U.S. passport's photo page. When you get to 30 characters, the system should accept it, even without the remaining numbers and letters.

After buying your railcard (or even before you buy it) you can buy railcard-discounted tickets online at any National Rail authorised sales site such as tfw.wales .

General train travel information:  www.nationalrail.co.uk

As well as online train times and fares, www.nationalrail.co.uk has:

Are the trains running on time?  Are there engineering works?

Go to www.nationalrail.co.uk/live-trains , enter the name of your station to see a 'live departure board' showing train arrivals & departures in the next hour or two, and whether they are on time or not.

Advanced users may find the website www.realtimetrains.co.uk useful.  If you look up a train and click for the detailed version, it shows rail mileages.  It holds actual on-time performance data for the past 7 days.  You can check the progress of a train that's currently running, and it even shows the booked rolling stock type and train formation.

Train company websites

Go to www.nationalrail.co.uk , scroll right to the bottom and click 'Train Operating Companies' for each train company's website address, postal address & phone numbers.

First or Standard class?

Most leisure travellers go standard class, with first class used by businessmen.  But if you pre-book you can find some great first class deals.  First class fares on inter-city trains run by Avanti West Coast, LNER and East Midlands Trains include light meals & drinks, at least on Mondays-Fridays.  GWR & Cross-Country first class includes complimentary tea & coffee on their inter-city routes.  However, your default assumption on other routes should be that first class simple means nicer seats and more room.

This is 1st class (above left) and standard class (above right) on a Pendolino from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, the Lake District, Carlisle and Glasgow, run by Avanti West Coast.  As you can see, in standard class there are 2+2 seats across the car width, in first class it's 1+2, so there's more elbow room, more legroom, and there are tables for two and solo seats (below left).  Avanti West Coast is unique in offering a middle class between standard and first called Standard Premium, which uses exactly the same seating as 1st class but without any food or drink included.

Food included in 1st class on LNER, Avanti West Coast & East Midlands Trains:   Below right, a light meal and wine served on an LNER Azuma train from London to Edinburgh, included in the fare.  Avanti West Coast & East Midlands Trains offer a similar 1st class food & drink service.  Another good reason for taking train not plane between London and Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle!

London Underground & Bus information

tfl.gov.uk   for London Underground, bus, Docklands Light Railway, Croydon Tramlink and other London transport information.

tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube   for London Underground information.

Need a bus at the other end?

www.traveline.info allows you to check local bus times across the UK, or you can call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.  Traveline is a national initiative to make local travel information available on a single number nationwide.  All call centres open 08:00-20:00, some open longer.

There is a system called PLUSBUS, where for £2-£3 more than the normal train fare you can add unlimited bus travel within your origin and/or destination city.  So for example, instead of buying a normal return from London to Manchester for (say) £98, you can buy a return to Manchester Plusbus for just £3 or so more and get exactly the same train ticket but with unlimited free bus travel within central Manchester for the day added on.  See www.plusbus.info for details of the 200 towns and cities in which PLUSBUS operates, or just ask when you buy your train ticket.

Need a ferry at the other end?

For ferries to France , Spain , Belgium , Denmark , Norway & Sweden , see the relevant country page.

To Orkney & the Shetland Isles

Northlink Ferries ( www.northlinkferries.co.uk ) sail from Scrabster near Thurso to Stromness at Scapa Flow on the Orkneys, and from Aberdeen to Lerwick on the Shetland Islands.  Aberdeen-Shetland has a daily overnight service, the ships are little gems, with cosy cabins, lounges, bar, restaurant, and an excellent premium lounge called the Magnus Lounge which is well worth the small extra charge.  All cabins have en suite toilet & shower, premium cabins include access to the Magnus Lounge.  Northlink's terminal in Aberdeen is in central Aberdeen, an easy 5-10 minute walk from Aberdeen station.

Taking your bike ?

Most trains carry bicycles, sometimes for free, sometimes for a small fee with advance reservation required.  

See www.atob.org.uk/rail-ferry-zone for a summary of the bike arrangements on every train operator, although it may not be 100% up to date.

Details can also be found at www.nationalrail.co.uk/on-the-train/train-travel-with-bicycles   and on individual train company websites. 

For information on taking your bike on Eurostar & other European trains, see the Taking your bike to Europe by train page .

Only a few operators will carry tandems, for advice on train travel with tandems see tandem-club.org.uk .

Rail Rovers :  Unlimited train travel for anyone

Rail Rovers give unlimited travel over all or selected parts of the British rail network and can be bought by anyone, including UK residents, see www.nationalrail.co.uk/.../rangers_and_rovers .  There are rail rovers covering the whole network or just certain areas.  The All-Line Rail Rover gives unlimited travel over the whole British national rail network.

2024 All Line Rail Rover prices:

7-day standard class All-Line Rail Rover £598 (child under 16 half price, 34% off for 16-25/senior/two together/forces/disabled railcard holders)

14-day standard class All-Line Rail Rover £908 (child under 16 half price, 34% off for 16-25/senior/two together/forces/disabled railcard holders)

7-day 1st class All-Line Rail Rover £908 (child under 16 half price, 34% off for senior/two together/forces/disabled railcard holders)

14-day 1st class All-Line Rail Rover £1,387 (child under 16 half price, 34% off for senior/disabled/two together railcard holders)

How to buy a rail rover

You can check current prices & buy online at tickets.gwr.com/..../roversandrangers .  Alternatively, you can buy Rail Rovers from any railway station or train operator telesales line.  You can only buy one from stations within 3 days of the date you want them to start.  If you have any trouble buying a rail rover, ask them to look in section G of their fares manual.

Travel restrictions

The All-Line rover used to be valid on all national rail trains without time restrictions but some restrictions were introduced in 2011  to stop business travellers using it on certain key business routes.  No restrictions apply on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, but on Mondays to Fridays the All-Line Rail Rover is not valid for boarding or alighting train services operated by Avanti West Coast, LNER, East Midlands Trains or Arriva CrossCountry at the following stations before 10:00:

London Euston

London Kings Cross

London St Pancras International

Birmingham New Street

Luton Airport Parkway

Milton Keynes Central

Watford Junction

There are no restrictions on these companies' trains at other stations or on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, or on other companies' trains at any station on any day.  So it's no problem using a Great Western train getting in to London before 10:00, or a ScotRail sleeper arriving at London Euston before 10:00.

All-Line Rail Rovers are also valid on the Ffestiniog Railway, and on Caledonian sleepers (seated cars free, sleepers if you pay the berth supplement).  They are not valid on Eurostar, Heathrow Express, Heathrow Connect, London Underground or Docklands, heritage railways (except Ffestiniog Railways) or shipping services.  For information on rail rovers covering other areas call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.

If you buy a rover using a 2-Together railcard, you also can't use the pass before 09:30 Monday-Fridays.

BritRail passes: Unlimited train travel for overseas visitors

If you live overseas and plan to visit the UK, you can buy a 'BritRail' pass which gives unlimited train travel on all 20+ British train operators for various periods.  It's now available as a mobile pass that you can buy & download to your phone.

BritRail prices, information & buy online

BritRail pass or point-to-point tickets?

A pass is only worth it if you're going to make a number of long-distance train trips around Britain, so don't bother with a BritRail pass if all you're going to do is make one long-distance trip, or a number of relatively short trips.  For longer distances, a BritRail pass typically works out about the same as a normal Off-Peak flexible ticket bought on the day of travel, it's more expensive than the cheaper Advance tickets, but is far cheaper than the Anytime tickets needed to travel in the Monday-Friday business peaks, see the 30-second guide to UK rail fares .  So if you want to make early starts on Monday-Fridays and have complete all-day flexibility, a BritRail pass is a great idea, but if you're prepared to avoid the Monday-Friday morning & afternoon business peaks, and especially if you book cheap tickets in advance at tfw.wales (no booking fee!) on a no-refunds, no-changes-to-travel-plans basis, ordinary point-to-point tickets will be the same or cheaper than a pass.  Before investing in a BritRail pass, check that normal tickets wouldn't be cheaper for what you plan to do, using tfw.wales or www.nationalrail.co.uk .

How to make BritRail seat reservations online

Seat reservation are optional on all British trains (except overnight sleeper trains).  So you don't have to have one, and indeed can't make one anyway on many local/rural/urban/suburban routes.  But they are a good idea on long-distance routes, especially at busy times.

Do not pay £££ (or $$$) to make seat reservations through an agency.  There's a well-hidden way to make stand-alone seat reservations for free to go with a pass.

Go to www.gwr.com and register for an account.  Sign in & click My account .  Then click Bookings .  Then click the Make a seat/bike reservation box. 

Run an enquiry and select a train.  It will look as if you need to select a fare, select any fare in the right class, it doesn't matter which, continue and make the reservation.  It says you won't be charged and indeed you'll get the free stand-alone seat reservation without needing to enter any payment details.

Even though it's GWR, this works for any train/route/operator where seat reservations are available including LNER, Avanti, Cross-Country, TransPennine & GWR.  Please let me know if this process changes, or ceases to work.

Tip for seat reservations on LNER trains:   If you want a seat reservation on an LNER train (for example, between London & York, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh) you can also use www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/make-a-reservation , up to 5 minutes before the train leaves its starting station.  The advantage over using gwr.com is that you can choose an exact seat from a seating plan on LNER trains if you make a reservation this way.  You'll need to register for an LNER account during the process, but no payment is necessary, it's free just like gwr.com.  However, gwr.com can reserve seats on any operator, this LNER system can only make reservations on LNER trains.

Or make reservations in person

Simply ask at any staffed station any time up to about 2h before departure, or ideally the day before.  There are always places available, even on the day.

A simple guide to train fares

Anytime, Off-Peak & Advance...  They say train fares are complicated.  But for all practical purposes, there are now just 3 types of fare making it as simple as 1, 2 3.  All the train companies now use the same 3 names for the same 3 types of ticket.  Always confirm the exact restrictions and conditions when you buy your ticket. 

Which train operators & routes can you use ?

People get hung up on there being 20+ different train operators, but it's actually pretty simple.  The government requires train operators to work together as a network, so:

Why are there several 'Anytime' & 'Off-Peak' tickets for my journey, all with different prices?  Unfortunately, online ticket systems don't usually show the ticket routing.  So you might see two 'Anytime' fares from (say) London to Hull, one apparently valid on all the trains, the other only valid on a handful of trains and cheaper than the first one.  The reason is simple, in this case the first one is the 'route any permitted' anytime fare, the other is a cheaper 'route Hull Trains only' anytime fare only valid on Hull Trains' own services.  Similarly, you may find two Anytime or Off-Peak tickets between London & (say) Birmingham, one valid on all trains, the other only on some of the trains.  In this case it's because there are two sets of fares to Birmingham, one set being the 'route any permitted' fares valid on all routes & operators, the second being cheaper 'route High Wycombe' fares valid on all operators but only on the slower route via High Wycombe.  This would be obvious, rather than confusing, if the online systems stated the ticket routing for each fare they showed, but they don't.  The choice between (on the one hand) slower but cheaper and (on the other hand) faster, more frequent but more expensive, is up to you.

Breaking your journey ('stopovers'):  With an Off-Peak ticket you can take an interesting or scenic route and change trains as much as you like without leaving the station, as long as you stay within the time restrictions which apply to your ticket and stick to one of the permitted routes (see below).  However, you can only break your journey (i.e. stop off and leave the station) on the return leg of an Off-Peak return, not on the outward leg of an Off-Peak return, and not at all on an Off-Peak one-way ticket.  With an Anytime one-way or return ticket, there are no time restrictions and you can break your journey anywhere you like along any of the permitted routes.

How are fares set?  Here comes the science bit...  Behind the scenes, fare setting works like this:  Every origin-destination pair (known as a 'flow') is allocated to a particular train operator who has the right and the obligation to set the fares.  This operator is known as the 'Lead Operator' for that flow.  Once the Lead Operator has set the fares, every other operator serving any part of that flow (known as the 'Secondary Operators') are legally obliged to accept those fares for travel on their trains.  As I've said, Advance fares are by definition only valid on one train operator's trains, and both Lead Operators and Secondary Operators are allowed to set Advance fares for their own trains.  In addition Secondary Operators are allowed to set other (more flexible) fare types for their own trains, although only a few choose to do so.  For example, you'll see 'anytime' & 'off-peak' fares from London to Hull routed 'Hull Trains only' set by Secondary Operator Hull Trains, in addition to the main London to Hull 'route any permitted' anytime & off-peak fares set by Lead Operator LNER.  However, Lead Operators are not permitted to set fares which are only valid on their own trains, other than Advance fares, temporary fares & first class fares.  Revenue from the fares set by Lead Operators is shared between all operators serving that route, based on a computer system called ORCATS which models the proportion of passenger miles travelled on each operator.

What are the permitted routes?

The 'permitted routes' for a given origin & destination are set out in a document called the National Routeing Guide.  Don't worry about getting hold of a copy, even ticket clerks can't understand it half the time, just accept that it exists, and its contents have been incorporated into the various journey planning systems such as those used on nationalrail.co.uk, thetrainline.com & raileasy.com.  To give you a flavour of how flexible the permitted routes are:

London Terminals, London R1256, London zone U1...?

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Bus and Train Travel

What You Need to Know Before Booking a Cross-country Train Ride

Thinking about taking a cross-country train trip? Here's what you need to know.

Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure , covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer.

If you're an avid traveler, you've probably read stories about people taking trains across the United States, passing some of the nation's famous cities and national parks along the way. Maybe you've even thought about embarking on the same journey to take in America's great landscapes from the car of an Amtrak train.

Although planes are speedier and cars offer independence, there's something special about a slow-paced train ride that you just can't find on other types of transportation. A cross-country Amtrak train ride is a leisurely, scenic way to explore the United States, but before you embark on your multiday adventure, there are a few things you should know.

From picking the best seats to packing everything you'll need, there's a lot to consider before booking your trip. We asked the experts at Amtrak for their best tips for cross-country train rides — here's what you should keep in mind.

What to Know About Taking a Cross-country Train Ride

When it comes to picking the best seat for an overnight journey , you can't beat the seclusion and comfort of a private room. The sleeping car offers the best layout for getting a good night's sleep, so you can arrive at your next stop refreshed and ready to go. Plus, it comes with perks like complimentary meals, lounge access at major stations, and help from the car attendant. Travelers in all fare classes should brief themselves on the dining options before they depart, too, as there's a variety of snack, drink, and meal services on Amtrak trains.

Another benefit of train travel is Amtrak's generous luggage policy — you can bring up to two checked bags, two carry-ons, and two personal items (we recommend keeping a personal item stocked with all your travel essentials, including masks, which are currently required at all times on the trains and in stations, within reach during your trip).

Download the Amtrak app before you go for easy, contactless travel. In the app, you can book tickets, find your eTicket, get information about the trains, stations, and routes, and more. And don't forget to bring your charger to keep your batteries full — there are outlets in private rooms and at the seats (you may want to invest in an extra-long charging cord for added convenience). While you cruise along, you're bound to pass some picture-perfect views , so bring a camera to document your trip and binoculars to get a better look.

Finally, you'll want to pick an excellent route — and thankfully, there are plenty to choose from.

Cross-country Train Routes

If you're ready to book your cross-country journey , there are a few route options. Pick the route with the stops you're most interested in — cross-country train travel can't be rushed, so you might as well stop for a day or two between legs to make the most of your journey. We're highlighting a few of the main destinations, but we recommend researching where each train stops to see which places are most appealing to you. ( A mtrak Vacations also sells cross-country trip packages for those seeking a more robust itinerary.)

New York City to San Francisco is one of the classic cross-country routes. From New York, you'll travel to Chicago via the Lake Shore Limited, then you'll take the California Zephyr to San Francisco via Denver. You could opt for a more southerly route from Washington, D.C. to Los Angles via New Orleans and San Antonio, Texas, on the Crescent and Sunset Limited routes. A northerly option from New York City to Seattle on the Lake Shore Limited and Empire Builder includes stops in Chicago and Glacier National Park . Of course, you can extend or shorten your journey to best fit your start and end locations and desired excursions, so this really is a DIY travel adventure.

Train strikes in April and May 2024: Full list of dates and lines affected

Overtime bans, an action short of a strike, also mean some services may not be running or may be reduced as drivers refuse to work their rest days.

Saturday 6 April 2024 08:45, UK

Drivers at 16 rail companies have started a fresh wave of strikes, plus overtime bans, causing disruption to the rail network.

The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay and will take place across April and May.

Tube strikes planned for April and May have been called off.

In an "entirely separate dispute", ASLEF members will also strike and refuse to do overtime at LNER on specific dates in April "because of the company's failure to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery", the union said.

LNER's alleged failure to adhere to bargaining machinery refers to it using managers to drive trains on strike days.

People are advised to check before they travel.

Here's what's happening when:

Rail strike dates

Friday 5 April

Strikes will affect Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry.

Saturday 6 April

Strikes will affect Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains.

Monday 8 April

Strikes will affect Greater Anglia, c2c, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line.

Overtime ban dates

Thursday 4 April

Tuesday 9 April

People are advised to check before they travel, as some areas may have no service.

LNER action dates

Members will strike on Saturday 20 April and refuse to work non-contractual overtime from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April .

Why are the strikes happening?

ASLEF says the LNER strikes are because of "the company's persistent failure to comply with existing agreements".

Nigel Roebuck, an ASLEF organiser in the northeast, said the operator had been trying to get "every driver manager and driver instructor to work on strike days".

A spokesperson said: "LNER has used managers - paid £500 a shift - to drive trains on strike days and, after the expiry of the last non-contractual overtime agreement, on most days of the week now.

"There is no agreement in place for management to drive services on mainline infrastructure.

"It results in branch line services - such as Lincoln, Skipton, and Harrogate - being cancelled because of a lack of route knowledge and means virtually no driver training is being done."

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Mick Whelan, ASLEF general secretary, said of the rail strikes : "Last month, when we announced renewed mandates for industrial action, because under the Tories' draconian anti-union laws we have to ballot our members every six months, we called on the train companies, and the government, to come to the table for meaningful talks to negotiate a new pay deal for train drivers who have not had an increase in salary since 2019.

"Our members voted overwhelmingly - yet again - for strike action."

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: "Nobody wins when industrial action impacts people's lives and livelihoods, and we will work hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers.

"We want to resolve this dispute, but the ASLEF leadership need to recognise that hard-pressed taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week just to keep services running post-COVID.

"We continue to seek an agreement with the ASLEF leadership and remain open to talks to find a solution to this dispute."

When the strikes on the London Underground were announced, Finn Brennan, ASLEF's full-time organiser on the network, said in a statement: "ASLEF Tube train drivers will strike in April and May in a long-running dispute over London Underground's failure to give assurances that changes to our members' terms and conditions will not be imposed without agreement and that all existing agreements will be honoured.

"Despite a previous commitment to withdraw plans for massive changes to drivers' working conditions, London Underground management has established a full-time team of managers preparing to impose their plans.

Sadiq Khan said they had been called off after "talking and engaging with transport staff and trade unions rather than working against them".

Related Topics

• London Underground
• Rail strikes