By: Melissa Burdick Harmon

A bit bleary-eyed after the short night flight from JFK to London Heathrow, my initial task is to get my First Class BritRail FlexiPass validated. The good folks at the BritRail window in Heathrow are used to overnight travelers functioning on a few hours of sleep. They make it easy. Next, the Heathrow Express zooms me into Paddington Station, where I switch to the Cardiff train.

Once ensconced in a First Class car en route to Wales, I happily accept the offered cup of tea, the complimentary packet of shortbread and the always wonderful London Times. But who wants to read? The scenery is glorious. Red-and-white vacation barges float along the Thames. Fluffy spring lambs, some so new they look like they are taking their first steps, dot the extraordinarily green fields. Once into Wales, vivid yellow daffodils appear everywhere, punctuating the landscape with blasts of color.

If the scenery delights, my fellow passengers entertain. The four men seated across the aisle from me are returning from a rugby match in London, and happily discuss everything from who made the big mistake in the game to their wives to which of them really lost one of their train tickets, needed to exit the station. It is all good fun, I think, as I sip my tea, contentedly eavesdrop, and watch this green and lovely Wales roll by.

With an extra travel day on purchases between April 9 and May 10, 2012

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!

Travel to Brussels, Prague, Venice and select cities in Austria and Italy

A German Rail Pass Extension is now available to German Rail Pass holders who wish to travel beyond Germany to the likes of Brussels, Prague, Venice and select cities in Austria and Italy.  Customers who purchase the German Rail Pass also have the option to purchase the German Rail Pass Extension.  The German Rail Pass Extension enables German Rail Pass holders to travel beyond Germany to popular destinations by using trains and buses operated by DB, including travel to:

• Brussels on ICE International trains
• Prague on DB Expressbus from Munich and Nuremberg
• Austria (Kufstein and Innsbruck) on DB-ÖBB Eurocity trains
• Italy (Bolzano/Bozen, Verona, Bologna and Venice) on DB-ÖBB Eurocity trains

To note: The German Rail Pass Extension is sold as an additional coupon, is always valid for 1 person, is valid only in conjunction with a German Rail Pass and allows travel on the entered travel days of the corresponding German Rail Pass. The German Rail Pass Extension must include the information (name, country of residence, passport number) of the traveller and the number of the corresponding German Rail Pass. For a German Rail Twin Pass, 2 German Rail Pass Extension coupons are required.

On sale from April 1st to May 30th 2012

Simply create your Eurail Select Pass by choosing 3, 4 or 5 bordering countries in Europe – take your pick among 24 countries to create the perfect trip!

Participating countries include: Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Rail passes already offer up great value and now enjoy even better value with a free travel day on 6, 8 or 10 day Eurail Select Passes! That’s either 7 days for the price of 6, 9 days for the price of 8 or 11 days for the price of 10.

Rail travel days may be used non-consecutively within a 2-month period up to 6 months after the purchase date.

Please note: the extra day is non refundable.

With a Historic Royal Palaces Pass visit Kensington Palace, Tower of London and more!

Kensington Palace unveils a palace of secret stories and public lives following a £12m major project to create a palace for everyone.  Visitors to Kensington Palace arrive through newly landscaped gardens and entrance hall to journey through the magnificent Kings and Queen’s State Apartments as a courtier.  Filled with stories of two royal courts; the House of Stuart and the House of Hanover 1698 -1714.

Victoria Revealed, an exciting new permanent exhibition set within the rooms Victoria grew up in as a child, explores her life and reign through her own words.  Imagine how she felt at just 17 years old on her first day as Queen at Kensington Palace, discover her romantic side through letters and gifts exchanged with Prince Albert and take a peep at moments of family life with her children.

In addition, Diana, glimpses of a modern princess is a small, yet elegant and evocative new display of dresses worn by the princess that includes items which have never before been exhibited in the UK.  This display is open from March 26 until September 2, 2012.

Opening May 24, 2012 – Jubilee, a view from the crowd.  This is the story of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897 from the point of view of millions who joined in the festivities from dukes and duchesses to street sellers and soldiers. This temporary exhibition to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee will be included until October 31, 2012.

By: Ruth J. Katz  (Style and Travel Editor / Promenade Magazine / New York City)

Just in time for an upcoming trip to London, BritRail has sent me, in my inbox, a missive touting a promotion on rail travel.  How lucky am I?  It’s not enough that I adore traveling on comfy and cozy BritRail, but now I can do more of it for less, getting one day’s travel free!

My last ten days of excursions on BritRail included, among other journeys, a lovely, restful sojourn from Manchester to Leeds. Resting my head against the window, with a simmering cuppa’ and biscuits—provided by my steward, and perched on my table—I  was startled suddenly to see a huge “Hollywood” sign in bold, white letters, embedded in the side of knoll.  WHAT?  As I said to a friend, “Hooray for Holly wood!”  The train was gliding by the sleepy village of Dewsbury and suddenly “Hollywood”?  Well, it didn’t take long to do a little sleuthing and discover the origins of that charmingly incongruous sign:  A local publican erected the big letters in an effort to coax tourists to his town, to encourage them to drop by and perhaps stop in for a pint. Well, the pub is long gone, but the sign remains…and that is just one wonderful, curious, intriguing thing that you see when you’re lolling through the countryside by train.

I’ve traveled extensively on BritRail on my many trips to the UK, although I have a great many more cities to tackle by train if I am to hit all 2,500 destinations that are reachable by coach—what with the company’s 19,000 daily departures!  I wish I could do it all: I was fascinated by (and jealous of) Bill Bryson’s meanderings, recounted in Notes from a Small Island, as he hit the byways and walking paths of the U.K., using his trusty Ordnance Survey maps, trekking the length and breadth of Great Britain, relying on public transport for all but two hops.  But, alas, I doubt I have enough lifetimes to do all of BritRail’s kilometers. Bryson recounted that there are 445,000 historical buildings, 12,000 medieval churches, and 190,000 kilometers of footpaths.  And when you travel by rain, you can see so much of it, things that you’d never see on a highway or autobahn.

I have gone up to Scotland, west to Wales, down to Bath, north to the potteries, the Lake District, York, and more…. And each trip has netted me stunning pictures, new friends, and interesting experiences. And to be able to do it all for a reasonable sum is a real boon…and now, to do it all for less than is the regular tariff, is even better: Now through April 15th, BritRail is on sale!  I always recommend to my readers buying passes here in the States first, as there are many different types of passes you can purchase here that represent a big savings, so it is worthwhile to pay attention, which is why I took the time to read about this latest promotion, you receive a free day of travel on the most popular passes: The BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail England FlexiPass and BritRail England Consecutive Pass, in either First Class or Standard Class—and I gotta’ say, if you can go First Class, do it.  And do ask whether the free day of travel can be combined with other discounts. www.acprail.com; 1 866 938 RAIL And fortunate moi, I will be in the U.K. in two days…with BritRail pass in hand.

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).

By: Shelly Steig

They are hosting the Olympics in 2012, but that’s not the only fun and games in the UK. The normally buttoned-down Brits let loose in unexpected ways, especially when it comes to unusual competitions. Take BritRail across England to discover some of these more unusual events.

Gurning World Championships, Egremont, Cumbria, third Saturday in September: With a horse harness draped around his neck, a young man distorts his face; twisting his jaw sideways and drawing his bottom lip over his top lip. He’s “gurnin’ through a braffin’,” at the World Championships. The saying, “Don’t make that face or it will stick” certainly applies to some contestants who’ve gone so far as to have their teeth removed—all in hopes they’ll make the most gruesome expression during their face-off.

Haxey Hood, Haxey, North Lincolnshire, 12th day of Christmas: Players in extravagant costumes dressed as a Lord, a fool and 11 “Boggins” participate in a pub crawl, singing traditional songs. This is followed by the fool leading a procession where he is allowed to kiss any woman along the way. After making a speech and being “smoked” with a fire lit in damp straw, he proclaims, “Hoose agen hoose, (house against house), toon agen toon (town against town), if a man meets a man knock ‘im doon (down), but doan’t ‘ot ‘im (hurt him)”—and the mayhem begins. A two-foot leather “hood” is tossed, then teams “sway” crowds toward participating pubs. The game is won when a landlord on the stoop of the designated pub touches the hood. He then serves a round of drinks, pours beer over the hood and hangs it in the bar until New Year’s.

Olney Pancake Race, Olney, Buckinghamshire, Shrove Tuesday: Women dressed in skirts, aprons and head covers sprint with a frying pan filled with a pancake, which must be flipped while crossing the finish line.

Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, Brockworth, Gloucestershire: Participants chase an eight-pound round of Double Gloucester cheese down a hill with a 1:2 gradient. This cheese is served with rolls—but not the bread variety— as contestants tumble head-over-heels.

World Gravy Wrestling Championships, Rossendale, Lancashire, Monday bank holiday in late August. On the night prior to the 2011 competition, planner Andy Holt mixed up 440 gallons of brown Lancashire gravy from a family recipe. Each match lasted two minutes, with the two wrestlers slipping and sliding in the oily sauce.

Olympic fans will want to visit Much Wenlock, Shropshire, where the modern Olympics began.

(Photo: gravy wrestling parade of costumes)

By Carl H. Larsen

Progress has taken a few steps back to yesteryear in Porthmadog, the Welsh town that has become one of the world’s top steam-railway centers. Each year about 300,000 steam-locomotive enthusiasts and day-trippers from around the globe make their way to this town of 4,000 on the Welsh coast. They come to travel on the oldest operating railway in the world — the Ffestiniog Railway — or its newly opened companion, the 25-mile-long Welsh Highland Railway.

Visitors can ride behind the most powerful narrow-gauge steam locomotives in the world, visit an iconic castle dating to the 13th century, enjoy the wild and spectacular scenery of north Wales, or “train hop” from station to station, stopping at a track-side pub or taking a short hike before climbing aboard again.

Both railways operate on 2-foot-wide narrow-gauge tracks. The narrow cars and engines pull up cheek to jowl at Porthmadog’s Harbour Station, departure point for the two lines. The Welsh Highland route was completed with much fanfare in the spring of 2011. Founded in 1832, the 15-mile-long Ffestiniog Railway originally carried slate from the mountains near the tongue-twisting town of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the Porthmadog docks.

In Britain, such lines are called heritage railways — abandoned routes that have been brought back to life as tourist railroads. But there’s a difference here. Unlike many of these isolated rural railways, both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland offer connections to Britain’s mainline rail network at Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog, allowing easy access for travelers without cars.

Closed to passenger trains in 1936, the Welsh Highland Railway cost $45.3 million to rebuild with financing coming from the Welsh government, lottery proceeds and private fund-raising efforts. It was a job well done, bringing modern improvements to a right-of-way that had languished for many years.

Today, the trains carry passengers on a coast-to-coast run from Porthmadog to the imposing walls of Caernarfon Castle, a World Heritage Site that was the setting for Prince Charles’ investiture on July 1, 1969, as the Prince of Wales. For passengers making the approximately $52 round-trip from Porthmadog, there’s enough time to tour the Norman-style castle, which dates to 1283, and the nearby town before heading back. Some outings can be done in reverse, starting at Caernarfon and heading south.

Full of switchbacks and horseshoe curves, the route puts the 60-ton steam engines through their paces as they make their way from sea level to the line’s highest point at 650 feet. I saw this first-hand from the footplate of Engine 138, a 62-ton NG/G16 Beyer Garratt, in technical terms, which formerly worked for South African Railways. Inside, both the engineer and fireman were kept busy minding a confusing array of dials, valves and a throttle as well as a whistle cord. A tiny window on each side looks out over the engine’s boiler, giving an obstructed view that required crew members to alert the other as to what they were seeing down the line.

“Clear,” shouted the fireman as he surveyed an approaching grade-level crossing. The same dialogue came with every trackside signal, as each shouted to the other above the throbbing steam engine that the way ahead was clear. Top speed is 25 mph.

At one station, the thirsty engine was serviced with a long fill-up of water from an overhead pipe. Engine 138 had been converted to an oil-burner, saving the fireman the strain of shoveling a ton and a half of coal into the firebox during the run. However, coal has returned to power some of these steam mammoths as oil prices soar.

The tracks run through the heart of Britain’s Snowdonia National Park. One of the stops, Snowdon Ranger Halt, is next to a youth hostel and a path leading to the summit of 3,560-foot Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales and England. (A separate narrow-gauge line, the Snowdon Mountain Railway, runs to the summit from the town of Llanberis, Wales.)

Along the way, the trains run across the tidal flatlands next to the River Glaslyn and then along the rapids of the river through the Aberglaslyn Pass.

There are tunnels and villages springing out of nowhere, the most pretty of which is Beddgelert, which offers cafes, shops and paths along the river.

“It’s the only way to go,” my wife, Sharon, said as she rode in the Glaslyn, an extra-fare observation car with stuffed armchairs and a large curved glass window at one end. Indeed, she was sitting on the very seat that Queen Elizabeth II had sat on when she rode the line in 2010 with Prince Philip. Aboard the train there is a buffet trolley service and a restroom.

“This railway is quite different from any other railway in the country,” said Paul Lewin, general manager of the parent Ffestiniog company. “We wanted to make it a very different experience. And with the observation car with the big glass end, the idea was that you could get as close as possible to the scenery of Snowdonia.”

As we pulled into each station, I caught a sight not often seen along Amtrak routes. Squadrons of men and women were tending to immaculately kept platforms and shelters. Some were sweeping, others were watering flowers. Bridges, culverts, signals and platforms all appeared new. In fact, the only thing showing any hints of age were the well-maintained engines and cars.

There’s a secret to this army of caretakers, I found. Many are volunteers who are members of the Welsh Highland Railway Society, formed to support the railway. The two railways have 8,000 such members, of whom 1,000 regularly come to work on jobs ranging from crossing guards to on-board staff. Some stay for a week or two in a railroad-owned bunkhouse.

“I can’t get him to take out the garbage at home,” said one woman of her husband, a long-time volunteer who was dutifully polishing a brass plate on the side of one of the engines.

Well, he can be forgiven. After all, he’s in the enviable position of keeping the past alive on a railway that has brought travel by steam up to date.

WHEN YOU GO

Located in North Wales, Porthmadog is on the British mainline railway network, requiring one change of trains for travelers from London. The full journey, coursing through scenic central Wales and along the coast of the Irish Sea and past Harlech Castle, takes about six hours. The mainline rail station in Porthmadog is a 15-minute walk from the Welsh Highland Railway’s Harbour Station. Holders of BritRail passes are entitled to a discount on both the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog railways: http://www.acprail.com/britrail-teams-up-with-heritage-railways

The Welsh Highland Railway and its older line, the Ffestiniog Railway, operate year-round from Porthmadog’s Harbour Station, with limited service in the winter months. In summer, it’s possible on a well-planned trip to travel on both lines in a single day. Diesel engines occasionally replace steam service, depending on maintenance needs. Check the schedule. A gift shop and Spooner’s Cafe and Bar are located in the station: www.festrail.co.uk.

In Porthmadog, we stayed at Yr Hen Fecws, 16 Lombard St. This highly rated B&B in a Welsh slate building offers seven en-suite bedrooms and a small cafe-bistro. A pub is nearby. Harbour railway station is a five-minute walk: www.henfecws.com.

For information on events, travel and lodging in Wales: www.visitwales.com

For information on planning a journey to the United Kingdom: www.visitbritain.com

This bag is great for traveling!  Not only does it fold up nicely, making it easy to slip into your suitcase, but it’s also very versatile.  Pack it for a day trip, us it as a lunch bag, bring along your beach wear, carry around a change of shoes or use it as a laundry bag.

One free bag will be included with rail pass or train ticket orders made during the month of March.  One bag per order.  Only applicable on orders that require shipping, thereby excluding any e-ticket products.  No additional shipping fees will be incurred by the customer.  Not applicable on orders being shipped to Russia.