By Sharon Whitley Larsen “You must go to St. Ives!” our British friend in Yorkshire told us. My husband Carl and I, longtime Anglophiles, have toured most of the United Kingdom — mostly by train, which we love. Recently, after revisiting North Wales and Liverpool and with our eight-day BritRail Flexi-Passes in hand, we were...Read More

By Carl H. Larsen I didn’t know my BritRail Pass allowed me to walk back in time, so it was a surprise to learn that pass holders can receive substantial discounts on a wide number of “heritage railways” throughout the UK, many of which run trains operated by steam locomotives.Heritage railways are abandoned rail lines...Read More

by Sharon Whitley Larsen “Is this your first time on a sleeper train?” asked affable David, the ScotRail lounge car attendant, as he poured me a glass of wine, the lights of a small town passing fleetingly by in the dark window. I assured him that I had been on numerous overnight trains: from London...Read More

Favorite European combos When selecting a rail pass for travel in Europe, you’ll soon discover that there are so many inviting options.  From the Eurail Global Pass covering travel throughout 22 countries, to a variety of multi-country combinations.  Here are some of our most popular rail pass pairs: France & Italy With the France –...Read More

Explore its rugged coastal & lush green landscapes Ireland draws visitors from around the world thanks to a number of reasons…all of which are uniquely Irish!  Whether it’s to hike along Ireland’s rocky cliffs, converse in a cozy pub while enjoying a pint of Guinness, walk the Giant’s Causeway, dance a jig to traditional music,...Read More

E-tickets now available for all domestic rail routes Planning a trip to Spain this summer?  Travelers will be happy to know that booking transportation around this vibrant country just got easier as ACP Rail International now offers domestic train routes as e-tickets.  Spain’s popular train routes are numerous, whether it’s travel aboard the high speed...Read More

May 24, with an early start to the day we were ready to continue our journey south from Cardiff, Wales to St. Ives, England.  We had originally planned to stop in Bath along the way but were informed there was a service interruption – not a problem, as the beauty of traveling with a BritRail...Read More

May 17, we woke up to breakfast made to order at Shalimar B&B and contemplated what to do for the day.  When staying in Mallaig, it’s popular to take a ferry to the neighbouring islands, including the Isle of Skye, Eigg, Muck or Rum.  The last three being smaller with tiny populations of 30 people...Read More

May 16, we spent the night on ScotRail’s Caledonian Sleeper train where we each had a ‘berth’ and woke up to the green landscapes of Scotland. Here’s the deal on sleeping on the move and what to expect : • From London Euston we had the choice of arriving in either Glasgow or Edinburgh. There...Read More

You will depart from London Euston and arrive at Glasgow Central train station.  Depending on the train, the trip duration ranges from approximately 4hr 8min to 4hr 30min on direct routes.  On average a train departs every hour but during peak times the frequency is as often as every 30 minutes.  Virgin Trains service this...Read More