ACP RAIL, All Country Passes

The Flexi Pass is valid for a specific period of validity and can be used for travel on the days of your choice within the period of validity. A Consecutive pass is valid for a number of days regardless of how many times you use your pass. A good rule of thumb when selecting which pass is best for your travel plans is:

• A Consecutive Pass is ideal for those travelers whose time is restricted and will be 'on the move'
• A Flexi Pass is ideal for those travelers who wish to linger several days or more in one location.

First Class has larger seats, picture windows, more space both for you and your baggage and is usually less crowded. On many routes First Class offers extras, including free tea and coffee. Some routes even offer free snacks and newspapers. Certain long haul routes have table or buffet services.

You can count on all principal routes having First Class accommodations but please note that some rural routes offer Standard Class accommodations only. First Class Pass prices do reflect the fact that not all trains have First Class.

(For any additional products please refer to their respective product information pages for pass specifics.)

Child Discounts:

• With the BritRail Family Discount, one child between the ages of 5 and 15 travels for free when accompanying select Adult or Senior BritRail Pass holders on select passes. Additional children get up to 50% off the regular adult fare. Children under 5 years of age travel for free.
• With Eurail or InterRail Passes children between the ages of 4 and 11 get up to a 50% discount on the adult fare. Some passes offer the child rate for children up to the age of 15; please refer to respective product information for pass specifics. Children under 4 travel for free.
• For the Japan Rail East Pass children 6-11 pay up to half the adult fare.

Youth Discounts:

• With the BritRail Youth Discount youths between the ages of 16 and 25 (inclusive) receive up to 20% off the regular adult fare on select passes.
• Eurail and InterRail Youth Passes offer a discount for travelers who are 25 or younger on their first day of travel, usually in second class only.
• For the Japan Rail East Pass youth ages 12-25 receive up to 20% off the adult fare.

Senior Discounts:

• With the BritRail Senior Discount seniors 60 years and older receive up to 15% off the regular adult fare in first class on select passes.
• Eurail Senior Passes can be used by travelers who are 60 years or older on their first day of travel. Please note a very limited number of Eurail Passes offer a senior discount.

Having a pass does not guarantee a seat, therefore it is advisable to reserve a seat especially if you plan on travelling at peak times, during holidays, on long haul trains or are on a tight schedule. Seat reservations and supplements are especially required for high speed trains and night trains; they differ per country, per train, per route and per departure date.

• Reservations for Eurail/InterRail: seat reservations are optional on some of the trains in Europe however they are mandatory for traveling on high speed trains and night trains. On some trains the number of seats available for Pass holders may be limited. It is highly recommended to make reservations in advance.
• Reservation for BritRail: seat reservations for BritRail are rarely obligatory, but for busy trains are advisable. Reservation fees guarantee space on a particular service, but not always a specific seat assignment. If you have a BritRail Pass or a point to point ticket, then you can make seat reservations per person, per train for a nominal fee.
• Reservations for Japan: for the majority of Japanese trains, seats can be reserved without extra charge. If a passenger boards a train without a reserved-seat ticket, or if the reserved-seating area of the train is full, the passenger will have to travel in the non-reserved-seating area. When travelling on trains where a seat reservation is mandatory, such as the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayate, Akita Shinkansen Komachi and Narita Express, the passenger will not be permitted to board without a seat reservation.

The majority of passes offered by ACP Rail are only for sale to foreign passport holders and therefore are not readily available once you arrive.

For example:

• BritRail Passes must be bought before you arrive in the UK and are only available to those who do not reside in the United Kingdom, unless sharing a BritRail Guest Pass.
• A limited selection of Eurail Passes are for sale in Europe and prices are often 20% higher than online, so we strongly recommend you buy your Eurail Pass before arriving in Europe.

The pre-booking time varies depending on the pass chosen.

• BritRail Passes and JR East Passes can be bought up to 180 days before the first day of validity of your pass.
• Eurail Passes and Australian passes can be bought up to 6 months before the first day of validity of your pass. For additional products please refer to their respective product Information page.

While most tickets and rail passes are physical documents, we do offer a selection of electronic tickets. Currently, the following products are available in e-ticket format:

• In Great Britain: Trainline Ticket on Departure & Reservations
• In Spain: Renfe E-ticket
• In Italy: Trenitalia E-ticket
• In Japan: JR East Pass, Kyushu Rail Pass

When booking a rail pass, you may be prompted to enter the first day of use. This refers to the day you plan on boarding your first train. This date will be printed on your rail pass.

For Eurail and BritRail Passes: The first day of use refers to your estimated first day of travel. Travel may commence on or after the first day of use, as long as it's prior to pass expiration. For example, if you leave the first day of use as today you have 6 months to start using your pass. Please note, travel may not commence prior to the first day of use.

For InterRail Passes: The first day of use refers to the actual first day of travel. Your pass validity period will therefore begin on this day whether travel has begun or not. For example, if you select your first day of use as July 1st, a 15 day consecutive pass will expire on July 15th (regardless of if you only get around to activating your pass let’s say on July 3rd).

To validate a rail pass, present it along with your passport to the Railway official at the station of departure. At this time, the first and the last day of validity of the pass, as well as the passport number is entered and the passenger must sign the pass. Under no circumstances is the pass holder allowed to validate his or her own pass. In the case of a Flexi Pass, the passenger must enter the date of travel each day before he/she boards the first train of the day.

A travel day is a 24hr period from midnight to midnight, during which time you can travel on as many trains as you wish.

To find train times that are best suited to your journey, begin the booking process for a point to point ticket by selecting the appropriate departing station, along with the date and preferred time. The results will be customized to your request.

On board, train carriages have overhead luggage racks, space between the seats and a storage area in the entrance vestibules for larger items. Most main stations generally have luggage trolleys often with staff to help you for a nominal charge.

Often smaller pets are allowed on board as long as they don’t take a passenger seat, however the rules differ per country and per train. In some cases there may be a cost involved and other trains may not allow pets to board.

Each country and railway company has specific guidelines for the transportation of bicycles on board trains. At times bicycles may be carried free of charge, at other times a supplement must be paid and sometimes the train may not have the required space for bicycle transportation.

All railway companies have facilities for passengers needing assistance. Examples are special compartments for wheelchair users, lifts or mobile ramps to access the train, assistance boarding by trained staff or toilets suitable for disabled travelers. A passenger needing assistance is requested to contact the relevant train station or train operating company at least one day before their journey.

Shipping times and shipping fees depend on where you live but here are some general guidelines. For more details please visit our shippng page.

The shipping method will depend on your location. We ship worldwide from one of our four distribution centers. For more details please visit our shippng page.

The Rail Safeguard plan protects a rail pass holder against theft or accidental loss of their pass during their trip. Please refer to the Rail Pass Safeguard Plan Ticket Wallet for a complete list of conditions and exclusions.

The pass/ticket holders must file a police report within twenty-four (24) hours of the loss and submit a copy with the claim.

The Pass/ticket holders must submit notice of any claim to ACP Rail International within 30 days of their return home. Claims must include a notarized written report with the claim that includes the holder’s name, the date of validation, a copy of the police report and airline tickets (travel destination to home).

All original receipts showing amounts paid for the rail pass or ticket issued by ACP Rail International or an authorized travel outlet, including replacement pass/train ticket, must be submitted to validate the claim.

Please refer to the Rail Pass Safeguard Plan Ticket Wallet for a complete list of conditions and exclusions.

Refunds will only be granted if the non-validated Pass, unused Ticket or original exchange coupon or voucher is returned to the office from which it was purchased within 6 months from the date of issue (unless the refund time limit is otherwise stated on the product Information page). Unless otherwise outlined, a minimum 15% cancellation fee is imposed on unused Passes or Tickets.

Special offers are not refundable. There is no refund for partially used Passes or Tickets. Passes or Tickets presented on or after the first day of validity are considered partially used. Also, no refund can be made if the Pass or Ticket cannot be produced. Other non-refundable products include the Rail Safeguard Plan, seat/sleeper reservations, Ferry tickets, Europe Global Tickets, UK Tickets on Departure & Reservation, Sweden SJ Just Now tickets and Eurostar On-request. Please refer to the product information pages for specifics.