TRAVELING BY TRAIN:
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I can’t say enough good things about the trains and the entire transportation system in England. The trains are fast, frequent and pretty comfortable. Some even serve refreshments onboard. The best thing about their transportation is the people. The attendants are all incredibly helpful. They will kindly direct you, instruct you, charge you, and they even called for taxis on my behalf because I couldn’t work my phone.
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Train Ticket Types:
Advance ticket fairs are a great value, but only if you know the exact time and route you’ll take. It’s important to note, your Anytime Advance fair only works for the exact route you purchased online. Because we were flying so much, I was reluctant to book train tickets in advance and commit myself to a particular route or time.
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To save money, we purchased a Two Together Railcard Pass. It costs 30.00GBP, but it is a 30% discount on any train tickets purchased. (Note, this is not valid with London Underground travel, only above-ground trains.) This railcard is available to anyone (from the US or UK) but the same two people must always travel together. If you’re from the US you can’t purchase it in advance online (It doesn’t recognize US zipcodes and it must be mailed to a UK residence.) You can print up the paperwork online at home and have it ready. Make sure to print passport-sized photos of each of you and bring them along. Once you’re at the train station in England, there’s a railcard ticket window and they’ll help you complete your purchase.