What better way to celebrate Visit Scotland’s Year of Natural Scotland, than by enjoying Scotland’s outstanding natural beauty as you journey along some of the world’s most scenic train journeys?! You’re invited to discover Scotland by train, where rolling hills, rugged mountains and sparkling lakes form the backdrop to historic castles and vibrant cities. The BritRail Freedom of Scotland Travelpass is the perfect companion for taking in all these scenic views, especially as now you get an extra travel day when you purchase your pass between April 1st and April 30th, 2013.

The BritRail Freedom of Scotland Travelpass extra day promotion will extend your pass by an additional day of rail travel, valid in standard class, adult and child fares, for either 4 days within 8 days or 8 days within 15 days, plus one of course!  Passengers will enjoy great value and convenience, with frequent train service between popular destinations.  Take Edinburgh to Glasgow for example; with trains departing every 15 minutes, simply hop on the train of your choice and arrive in just 50 minutes!

To take advantage of this extra day promotion, buy your BritRail Freedom of Scotland Travelpass this April and note that since BritRail Passes are valid for six months from the date of purchase, you can use your pass to travel anytime in the summer and beyond.

Enjoy even greater value on passes purchased between March 15th and April 15th

Following an exciting year of events that put Britain in the spotlight, namely the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics, travelers from around the world have been inspired to visit Britain and experience this vibrant destination first hand. And with so many beautiful locations and attractions featured in the global coverage of these events, what better way to explore England, Scotland and Wales far and wide, than with a BritRail Pass?!  Especially as BritRail Passes purchased between March 15^th and April 15^th, 2013 are offering up even greater value, thanks to an extra travel day added to your pass for free!

The BritRail Extra Day Promotion is offered on BritRail Passes and BritRail England Passes, in first or standard class and is available in a wide range of validities, anywhere from 3 days to 1 month of travel, plus an extra day of course! Just purchase your pass between March 15^th and April 15^th to take advantage of this promotion and note that since BritRail Passes are valid for six months from the date of purchase, you can use your pass to travel anytime in the summer and beyond.

To further sweeten the deal, this promotion can be combined with BritRail’s range of discount Passes, including the BritRail Party Pass (up to 50% off on the third through ninth passengers), BritRail Family Pass (one child per adult travels free), BritRail Senior Pass (up to 15% off in first class), BritRail Youth Pass (up to 20% off in first or standard class), Eurail Pass Holder Rate (up to 50% off for youth with a valid Eurail Pass) and the BritRail Guest Pass (up to 25% off for you and a British resident).

A new rail pass with a focus on Britain’s Southwest

BritRail is pleased to announce that its newest rail pass, the BritRail South West Pass, will be available worldwide on March 1^st, 2013. The BritRail South West Pass includes travel from London, through the lush hills of the Cotswolds, along England’s scenic coastline and onto popular stops in Wales, including Cardiff and Swansea.

The BritRail South West Pass provides visitors with the flexibility to travel throughout Great Britain’s charming Southwest region, while enjoying unlimited train trips on each travel day and the ability to hop on and off trains en route. For example, pass holders can begin their journey in London where some of the world’s most visited sights and attractions await, then discover the city of Bath, with its Roman baths and Georgian architecture, head to Oxford, the home of England’s oldest university, and visit Windsor Castle, Salisbury Cathedral, King Arthur’s round table in Winchester and any stop in between.

The Southwest coast also boasts popular destinations and beautiful seaside resorts such as Torquay, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. Additionally, travelers can head to St. Ives’ beach and be in for a truly scenic ride through Cornwall and Devon. The journey includes stops in the picturesque waterfront towns of Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance along the way; the ideal getaway for leisure travel and family holidays!  The region also has a number of golf courses near Bristol, Newquay, Barnstable, plus, Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales which hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup, where golf enthusiasts can play a few rounds while taking in the stunning surrounding landscapes.

The BritRail South West Pass is available in First or Standard Class. And for those looking for the complete First Class experience, we suggest the UK’s only on-train fine dining restaurant, Pullman Dining, which is available on select departures for lunch between Plymouth and London and dinner between London and Penzance. With a range of validities from 3 days to 1 month, this rail pass covers most mainline and branch line carriages operated by First Great Western, South West Trains and Heathrow Express trains. With over 280 rail stations, the BritRail South West Pass offers great value and convenience for travel in the UK’s Southwest region.

For a chance to win a pair of BritRail Passes in First Class!

Participate in a brief survey to help BritRail improve its products and services. By completing this survey you will also be entered in for a chance to win a pair of BritRail 4-day Flexi Passes in First Class!

Any information you provide will be used for research purposes only and will not be distributed or shared with third parties. To be eligible to win the sweepstakes please complete this survey by December 31st, 2012. No purchase is necessary. One winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries and he/she will be contacted by e-mail on January 7th, 2013. Please refer to the Rules Regarding Sweepstakes.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with BritRail! Your opinions are extremely important in helping BritRail to develop and provide the best travel experience possible.

Now’s the time to appreciate low season travel to Britain, where you can avoid the summer crowds and enjoy great savings! Explore England, Scotland and Wales this November, December, January or February and save up to 20% off BritRail’s most popular passes.

Take the classic BritRail Pass: for just $159 USD get 3 consecutive days of unlimited train travel in standard class. That’s $53 a day to have the freedom to travel on as many trains as you wish to your choice of destinations throughout England, Scotland and Wales. And for those travelers whose focus falls on England, the BritRail England Pass is a great fit. Also offered with the low season discount, get a 3 day BritRail England Consecutive Pass for $129 USD in standard class and enjoy unlimited rail travel throughout England.

BritRail Passes and BritRail England Passes are offered in a wide range of validities, including Flexi Passes for a period of 3, 4, 8 or 15 travel days to be used within 2 months or Consecutive Passes for a period of 3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month of travel. You can also choose a first or standard class BritRail pass, where first class offers benefits on select trains such as free Wi-Fi, more spacious seating, at seat meal service, free newspapers and complimentary tea and biscuits.

Pass holders are always pleased to discover that a BritRail Pass really does cover it all; it includes travel on all trains throughout Great Britain’s National Rail network! Hop on and off trains at your leisure, without being restricted to a specific seat on a specific train, and keep to a flexible schedule all your own. A BritRail Pass even covers travel on Airport Express trains, the most convenient way to skip traffic from Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport to central London.

Take advantage of BritRail’s Low Season Discount when booking a BritRail Pass or BritRail England Pass between September 1st, 2012 and February 15th, 2013 for travel in November, December, January or February.

With Britain in the spotlight this summer, it’s sure to inspire viewers to add this beautiful destination to their 2013 travel plans. And now you get a free upgrade to 1st class for 2013 travel when you buy a 4 or 8 day BritRail Flexi Pass between July 20 and August 31, 2012.

This classic BritRail Flexi Pass opens the doors to destinations throughout England, Scotland and Wales with the freedom to hop on and off trains at your leisure.  The best part is – these promotional passes allow you to travel anytime in 2013 – that’s right, anytime, just be sure to validate your pass between January 1^st and December 31^st, 2013.  Once your pass is validated, enjoy the leisurely pace of using up your 4 or 8 travel days within a period of 2 months*!

A free upgrade to BritRail’s 1st class pass not only represents more spacious seating, added leg room and free coffee, tea, cookies and newspapers on many services, it also serves up some pretty sweet savings: save $150 US on the 4 day 1st class BritRail Flexi Pass and $224 US on the 8 day 1st class BritRail Flexi Pass!  Depending on the route, other 1^st class extras can include free Wi-Fi or even at-seat menu service, offering hot meal options that can be ordered at your seat and enjoyed en route.

And BritRail’s value offer doesn’t end there.  With access to over 2,500 destinations on Great Britain’s National Rail Network we leave it up to you to map out your ideal UK adventure.  This includes access to Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Express trains – the quickest way from London’s airports to central London. Plus, BritRail invites you to keep a flexible schedule, where on many popular routes trains depart as often as every 15 minutes, making worries of missing your train a thing of the past. So whether you want to ride the rails through the lush Highlands of Scotland, journey to culture-rich cities such as London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Cardiff or tour old historic castles, a BritRail Pass can take you there.

Get your BritRail Pass by visiting BritRail.com, ACPRail.com or by calling 1 866-938-7245 (North America).

*When buying this promotional pass, European residents will see the BritRail Euro Flexi Pass, which is valid for 4 or 8 days in a 1 month period.

In honor of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, BritRail is offering up a promotion that transports visitors beyond the City of London and allows them to experience more of England’s coastal beauty and historic charm: from June 1st to June 30th, 2012 get an extra travel day when you purchase a BritRail London Plus Pass and, for those looking to get a glimpse into the royal life, get a Historic Royal 4 Palaces Pass for the price of a Historic Royal 3 Palaces Pass. What better way to enjoy London and beyond this summer for events such as The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics?!

The BritRail London Plus Pass is ideal for travelers who would prefer to stay outside of busy London, and travel in for daytime touring, or for London-based travelers who want to venture into the countryside, but return to their London hotel in the evening. Great day trips from London include stops in Oxford, Bristol, Cambridge, Brighton, Bath, Canterbury, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Stratford-Upon-Avon and more. We invite you to refer to the detailed rail map where the highlighted yellow area provides a complete view of where you can go with a BritRail London Plus Pass. Simply select your flexi pass from 2, 4 or 7 days of unlimited rail travel – plus for a limited time only, add an extra day for free!

For added convenience visitors will be happy to know that the BritRail London Plus Pass also includes 2 Airport Express coupons valid on the Heathrow Express, Stansted Express or Gatwick Express, making airport transfers to central London hassle free (please note, for European residents, the BritRail Euro London Plus Pass does not include 2 Airport Express coupons which is reflected in the price).

To complete the royal experience, a visit to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace & gardens, Kensington Palace and Banqueting House is also in order. While at the Tower of London, marvel at the new display of the Crown Jewels and don’t miss the new exhibition “Victoria Revealed” at Kensington Palace. Admission to all 4 of these royal properties is made possible with a Historic Royal 4 Palaces Pass, now on sale for the price of the 3 palace pass.

And don’t forget – you have up to 6 months from the purchase date to begin travel with a BritRail Pass, so you can take advantage of this promotion for fall travel too!

“You must go to St. Ives!” our British friend in Yorkshire told us. My husband Carl and I, longtime Anglophiles, have toured most of the United Kingdom — mostly by train, which we love. Recently, after revisiting North Wales and Liverpool and with our eight-day BritRail Flexi-Passes in hand, we were trying to figure out where to go after our London stop.

We had never been to Cornwall and had heard wonderful things about its gorgeous green scenery and beaches.

“We could take the overnight train there,” Carl pointed out.

And that’s just what we did. For about an extra $100 each, we reserved our own first-class accommodations on the First Great Western Night Riviera Sleeper from London to Penzance, about an eight-hour trip.

The sleeper train is a win-win: Tourists can use every valuable moment of daylight to sightsee and save on the cost of a hotel room while journeying to their next destination. And, especially with train travel, often the journey is as much fun — if not more — than the destination.

We arrived at the first-class waiting lounge at London’s Paddington station around 9 p.m. to relax before boarding the train. The modern room, with a flat-screen TV, tables and black leather chairs, also had complimentary snacks and magazines. (In an earlier era this same room had served as Queen Victoria’s waiting room.)

At 10:40 p.m. an attendant announced that we could board. Carl took our larger luggage to a separate car as I followed several businessmen and retired couples to Carriage F with our carry-ons. The attendant then took wake-up call times (“We arrive before 8 — would you like a call after 7-ish?”) and complimentary breakfast orders: “Cereal, croissant or bacon roll; coffee, tea or orange juice.” We ordered the bacon rolls, Carl asked for tea and I requested coffee.

My blue-carpeted, compact, air-conditioned, nonsmoking, first class cabin — about 9 feet by 6 feet — had a single berth (another above folds down bunk bedlike so the compartment can house two passengers). It was made up with cotton sheets covered by a blue blanket and two comfy pillows. There was a countertop underneath the window that lifted up to reveal a small stainless-steel sink; above the window was a shelf with a plastic cup, bottled water (train tap water is not for drinking), emergency alarm and window cutter. There were also shaver and electric outlets, a reading light, attendant call switch, temperature control, a couple of hangers, a full-length mirror behind the door, a towel and a toiletry kit that included soap and toothpaste. Toilets are located at each end of the cars.

There was also a flat-screen TV above the end of the berth with VOLO In-Train Entertainment System. Headsets (audio) were available for purchase in the Lounge Car. Available for viewing were several dramas, documentaries, comedies, children’s and sports shows. Among the choices were “Downton Abbey,” “Grand Designs: Isle of Wight,” “The Hotel Inspector” and “Designer Travel: Hong Kong.” No train travel features, I was amused to note.

A nice young man passing in the corridor told us, “You’ll have to get the attendant to lock the door if you go to the Lounge Car.” Normally Carl and I are trusting on train trips and have never locked the door when we leave — or have had any possessions stolen. (Of course, we always carry our passport and money with us.)

At 11:20 p.m., Carl and I closed the door to our cabins and headed to the Lounge Car, where we could order food in a small galley area to eat at a table in the dining section or take back to the cabin.

I had the cheese ploughman’s sandwich, chips and a Chilean sauvignon blanc; Carl ordered a whiskey and chicken salad sandwich — total cost about $25. The blue-carpeted Lounge Car, with several tables and comfortable seats, soon filled up. Passengers chatted, read newspapers or looked out the window.

“I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep,” one older man commented as he yawned. And I agreed.

At 11:45 p.m. the train conductor’s whistle blew. All aboard!

“There we go,” said Carl, and we slowly departed, the lights of London gradually dimming as we headed west toward the dark countryside.

After eating and sipping our drinks, we headed back to our cabins. I closed and locked the door, washed my face, put on comfy pajamas and got into the beckoning berth. I flipped on the TV, but since I hadn’t purchased the headset, I had no sound as I watched a rerun of “Downton Abbey.” But I especially enjoyed seeing it again since we had just toured Highclere Castle outside London where it was filmed.

Due to the late night and train swaying, I quickly fell asleep, occasionally waking to passing lights and train sounds. The next thing I knew the train was stopped and I could hear people outside. I was so relaxed, I didn’t want to get up. But I went to the window to open the shade. Sunrise, and we were in Plymouth.

Some 90 minutes later, after dressing, having our morning tea, coffee and bacon rolls (brought to us by our cabin attendant), we arrived in Penzance. Since we had booked a hotel conveniently located across from the train station, we just rolled our luggage across the small street.

Over the next two days, again with our BritRail Flexi-Passes in hand, we boarded the local train for the 20-minute scenic ride to St. Ives, a lovely, artsy beach town where we relaxed and relished our time. We strolled along the water, people-watched, attended a church bazaar, browsed in art galleries, dined on wonderful seafood and vowed to return — on the sleeper train, of course.

WHEN YOU GO

Important: BritRail Passes, which can be bought up to six months in advance, must be purchased before departure from North America and are available only to those passengers residing outside the United Kingdom. Be sure to have your BritRail Pass validated at a train station prior to using it.

For information on purchasing the BritRail Pass or reserving a sleeper berth supplement, please see BritRail, www.britrail.com; ACP Rail International, www.acprail.com; or call 1-866-BRITRAIL (1-866-274-8724). Booking prior to leaving home (up to 12 weeks in advance for a sleeper berth) is a good idea during the peak season.

We stayed at the Longboat Hotel in Penzance: www.thelongboathotel.net., which is ideally located across from the train station and features reasonable prices, good food and a friendly staff.

In St. Ives we dined at the Loft Restaurant and Terrace on Norway Lane, highly recommended by locals. Great food and views from the deck.

For more information on St. Ives: www.stives-cornwall.co.uk

British Airways has direct flights to London from several U.S. gateways: www.britishairways.com.

For additional information on U.K. travel: www.visitbritain.com

{photo of St.Ives}

In honor of Scotland Week, BritRail is joining in the celebrations with an exciting promotion!  Get an extra travel day for free when you purchase a BritRail Freedom of Scotland Travelpass between April 9th and May 10 th, 2012. This pass is the perfect companion to explore Scotland far and wide, from Edinburgh, to Glasgow, to Stirling, to Aberdeen, to Inverness and beyond.

Visitors will love the flexibility enjoyed when traveling with a BritRail Pass, including the option to take multiple train journeys on the same day and keeping an open schedule while boarding any train on the National Rail Network in Scotland.  Plus getting around Scotland by train is a great opportunity to stop off en route and visit places less traveled; let’s say if you wanted to hike through the Highlands or tour historic castles. Not to mention rail travel throughout Scotland provides for some of the best scenic experiences available.  For example, imagine the view from your window as you journey along The West Highland Line complete with rolling green hills and the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct crossing.

The BritRail Freedom of Scotland Travelpass extra day promotion will extend your pass by an additional day of rail travel, valid in standard class, adult and child fares, for either 4 days within 8 days or 8 days within 15 days, plus one of course!  Passengers will enjoy great value and convenience, with frequent train service between popular destinations.  Take Edinburgh to Glasgow for example; with trains departing every 15 minutes, simply hop on the train of your choice and arrive in just 50 minutes!

Britain is a top travel destination this year hosting some big events, namely the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics, as well as its usual array of inviting cities and numerous attractions appealing to visitors worldwide. With so much to see, Britain is truly best explored with a BritRail Pass, which includes access to all trains on this extremely well connected National Rail Network. Especially as BritRail Pass holders can take unlimited train trips on each travel day making it a pleasure for visitors to travel throughout England, Scotland and Wales – scenic views and all. And now for a limited time only BritRail is giving away a FREE travel day on select BritRail passes.

With over 2,500 destinations, we leave it up to you to map out your ideal UK adventure. Just keep in mind that on many popular routes trains depart as often as every 15 minutes; perfect for keeping a flexible schedule and hopping on and off trains en route. So whether you want to ride the rails through the lush Highlands of Scotland, journey to culture-rich cities such as London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Cardiff or tour old historic castles, a BritRail Pass can take you there.

Receive your free travel day on BritRail’s most popular passes: the BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail England FlexiPass and BritRail England Consecutive Pass, in either First Class or Standard Class. Just purchase between March 15th and April 15th, 2012 to take advantage of this promotion and note passes are valid for six months from the date of purchase so travel dates can extend anytime from now until well after the peak summer months.

To further sweeten the deal, this promotion can be combined with BritRail’s range of discount Passes, including the BritRail Party Pass (up to 50% off on the third through ninth passengers), BritRail Family Pass (one child per adult travels free), BritRail Senior Pass (up to 15% off in first class), BritRail Youth Pass (up to 20% off in first or standard class), Eurail Pass Holder Rate (up to 50% off for youth with a valid Eurail Pass) and the BritRail Guest Pass (up to 25% off for you and a British resident).