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 can be bought up to 11 months before the first day of validity of your pass. For additional products please refer to their respective product Information tabs.
Yes, 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.
A FlexiPass is best for travel on the days of your choice within the period of validity. A consecutive pass is best for travel on days that follow one another. 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.
(For any additional products please refer to their respective product information pages for pass specifics.)
Children:
– 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. 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:
– 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 27 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:
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.
Select Tickets and Reservations and “Reserve Now”. Please note that having a pass does not guarantee a seat so pass holders can also make seat reservations. When purchasing train tickets, a seat reservation may be included in the price, otherwise a seat reservation must be booked separately.
Generally the seat reservations are available 12 weeks prior to departure. However, since the seats are released directly from the railway, if they are not available, unfortunately, it is beyond our control.
It is important to note that a separate seat reservation is required for every leg of a journey. For instance, a journey from Bath to Birmingham will require two separate seat reservations, one from Bath to Bristol and a second from Bristol to Birmingham. These must be booked separately as they are often with different rail operators.
Alternatively, you can make seat reservations at any National Rail ticket office free of charge when in Britain. If you would prefer this option, we kindly suggest that you contact the National Rail Ticket office to make your reservations as soon as you arrive in Britain.
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.
Please contact groups@acprail.com with your request.
Shipping charges and delivery time are dependent on your country of residence.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On board, train carriages have overhead luggage racks, space between the seats and a storage area in the entrance vestibules for larger items. All principle stations have luggage trolleys and affordable, secure luggage facilities. Usually there are no weight limitations on baggage, except on high-speed trains, such as Eurostar, Thalys and TGV where each passenger may take along 2 large pieces of luggage and one piece of hand luggage.
The Safeguard Plan protects Pass or ticket holders against theft or accidental loss of the Pass or ticket. Please refer to the Rail Pass Safeguard Plan for a complete list of conditions and exclusions.
Pass/ticket holders must file a police report within twenty-four (24) hours of the loss and submit a copy with the claim.
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
