Britain by Britrail: How to Tour by Train

I like this book for the suggested itineraries it has to offer. The prices and timetables will be out of date, but the visitor information is still good. If you are not on a tour and making your own plans this book would be invaluable. I have the 15th edition and there may be newer ones. I suggest it because it's practical information never goes out of date - things like traveling light,keeping costs down, conquering jet lag and understanding "British". It's day trips by rain will work well if you are staying in a central locational and want to branch out for the day. It is well-written, well-organized and does contain information on Channel and Chunnel Crossings to the Continent or Irish Sea Ferry crossing to the Republic of Ireland.

Britain by Britrail 1999 seems to me to be a welcome addition to the field of travel books. As we all know, the train has all but disappeared from the travel scene in the USA; in the United Kingdom, however, the train is alive and well. In using this book, you come away with the impression that not only is the train a viable alternative to other forms of intra-Britain travel, but it the preferred way to go in most instances.Following an introductory chapter giving lots of valuable information on train travel in Britain, the rest of the book is divided into chapters by country by "base city". For each base city reachable by nonstop flights from the USA, the book provides some very useful information about the airport of arrival, including the location and hours of things like the banks or foreign exchange counters, baggage storage facilities, and most importantly, the different means of transportation between the airport and the center of town (time, cost, etc.) In point of fact, the entire cost of the book can well be amortised by using public transit, rail link, or shuttle service rather than taxis. The heart of the book is found in the sections about rail travel, and the rail stations which the tourist is likely to use. If one is the type of traveler who needs very precise and specific directions to find things, this book does it all for you. Detailed information for each station is provided, including the location of the tourist office (if there is one), the currency exchange facilities, the location of baggage lockers and/or baggage check room, where to have one's Britrail pass validated, etc.Furthermore, the author suggests, for each base city, a brief description of the major places to be visited, as well as a certain number of one-day sidetrips to points of interest easily reachable by train from the base city. Finally, the book provides train schedules for trains between different base cities. While these are, of course, subject to change over time, they do provide useful information for the traveler, in particular the length of any given trip (in hours and minutes).A useful book for anyone planning a trip to Britain.

I truly enjoyed and constantly used the 16th edition, 1996-97. I used it constantly, and it never let me down. The discriptions of areas to see were lucid and enjoyable. Never missed a train, and only bought the newer edition in case the time tables had changed. Now I shall have to compare time tables, and if the same, or almost the same, I shall take the old tried and true edition back to Britain with me. This newer edition would give me a hernia if I have to carry it about with me.