By Train
In the recent past Britain's rail network has suffered a foolhardy privatization process and a chronic under-investment, resulting in a severe decline in services. With the ownership of the track and stations put into the hands of Railtrack, but the trains and services run by a tangle of private companies, there has been no little confusion when it comes to trying to figure out routes and prices. Spiralling prices and unreliable services had already caused many passengers to run for their cars, but it was the train disasters at Paddington in 1999 and Hatfied in 2000 that brought the crisis on the privatized railways to a head; an urgent and long overdue overhaul of the tracks followed, but public confidence in the privatized system - and Railtrack in particular - hit an all time low. At the end of 2001, the government finally pulled the plug on troubled Railtrack, and a re-evaluation of how the privatized network shall be run in the future is currently underway. Despite this bleak picture, it is fair to say that most trains run more-or-less to schedule (except on Sundays when maintenance work takes place) and that there are but a few major towns that cannot be reached by rail. Travelling across country - or reaching remote corners - can be more tricky, however, and at best will involve connections with several different services. You can buy tickets at the train station on the day of travel, but it should hardly come as a surprise to find that booking as far ahead as possible ensures the cheapest fares - or that travelling most places on a Friday, or just turning up at the station to buy a ticket, are the most expensive ways to go. In all instances, an essential first call is National Rail Enquiries (we've listed rail contacts), which can advise on booking, routes and services throughout the country. Credit-card bookings are made through the privatized rail companies; if you're booking three or more days in advance, you can do this through any of the companies, otherwise you will need to contact the network that covers the station you depart from. National Rail Enquiries will supply the necessary contact name and number. At the time of writing, there were four types of reduced-fare ticket - Saver, SuperSaver, SuperAdvanced and Apex - all with byzantine restrictions which are often different from route to route and company to company (for instance, it's often cheaper to travel return from the north to London, than it is from London to the north). Apex tickets are issued in limited numbers on certain intercity journeys of 150 miles or more, and have to be booked at least 7 days before travelling; a seat reservation is included with the ticket. To give you an idea of the differing fares, using the London-Manchester service as an example, an open return fare costs GBP164, a Saver GBP49, a SuperSaver GBP47 and an Apex GBP30, with special deals bringing the fare as low as GBP15 at certain times of the year. For all special-offer tickets you should book as far in advance as you possibly can - many Apex tickets are sold out weeks before the travel date. Children aged 5-15 inclusive pay half the adult fare on most journeys - but there are no discounts on Apex tickets. Under-5s travel free, although they are not entitled to a seat. At weekends and on public holidays, many long-distance services have a special deal whereby you can convert your second-class ticket to a first-class one by buying a first-class supplement , which costs between GBP5 and GBP15 and is well worth paying if you're facing a five-hour journey on a popular route - every Brit has a horror story about having to stand all the way from London to Glasgow in a smelly second-class carriage. If the station's ticket office is closed - which is likely at rural stations at weekends - or does not have a vending machine, you may buy your ticket on the train. Otherwise, boarding without a ticket will render you liable to paying the full fare to your destination
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Your Tip for England
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