British train conductor here! You can book your tickets through trainline and they generally cover all the different companies without having to sign up to all the individual ones. Generally luggage racks are available on long-distance trains or ones that go via an airport (eg Gatwick Express). Book trains in advance to save money. No trains on Xmas Day and very limited service on 26th December (boxing day). I'd avoid travelling on Sundays if possible as it's a reduced service and can be pretty slow. Here in the UK the correct term is 'railway station' not 'rail station' or 'train station', but most people use the latter. Similar to calling the conductor a 'trainman' or 'ticketman' 😅 If you have your ticket on a mobile device, make sure it's charged up. Not all trains have chargers. Use the toilets in the stations rather than trains if possible as train toilets can get pretty gnarly. Feet on the seats is annoying. You do have quiet zones on some trains. If you're going to do a lot of travelling by train in the UK it might be worth looking at a BritPass. One thing I'd add is to not leave it to the last minute to get on the train. The doors close 30 seconds before the time of departure, and the later you get there, the less chance you have of finding a seat, and the more likely you'll be in the busiest carriage

Brit here. We definitely do call it a train station, or railway station, but I've never heard "rail station".

Train Driver here. When asking information about the train you wish to catch, tell us the ACTUAL station you want. I had an American gentleman getting on at Brockenhurst, ask if my train went to Waterloo, I replied "Yes it does". We got to Waterloo & he then barrated me as the train didn't stop at Clapham Junction! The train I was working was not booked to stop at Clapham Junction! If he had said Clapham before boarding, I'd have been able to tell him to change at Woking for a connecting service to Clapham Junction.

5:34 I’ve lived in England my entire life and I have never heard it called a rail station - we call it a train station or a railway station

The traditional term is "railway station", not "rail station". Never heard that. With the increasing Americanisation of British English, a lot of people now say "train station". Both will be understood.

I honestly love the fact you put a shot of London Euston Station when talking about the rush to platforms. London Euston is famous for people rushing for the train when the platform is announced. So much so that they now have signs that says "don't rush, everyone wants to get home in one piece" One tip I'd give is that not every train in the UK has the ability to charge mobiles/cell phones. So definitely have a power bank to charge your phone en route especially if you have your ticket on your phone, they don't accept that you have no battery as an excuse for not being able to show your ticket.

Lived in the UK my whole life and I’ve never heard anyone use the term “rail station”, I’ve always called it a train station but also hear people call it a railway station.

Advice when having a coffee in a London railway station. People WILL bump into you! Find a seat or a quiet corner to drink it safely.

Great tips....an American here and I rode trains all across Scotland. I did look like a lost confused tourist my first day! But the railway station crew was always helpful and kind, even when it was early and I was frazzled, jetlagged and uncaffeinated. And it was true about the tiny villages and just the front carriages fitting on the platform.

I went from Brussels to Edinburgh by Train (2 trains) it was absolutely beautiful.

One thing I don't think Mark covered (unless I missed it) was that you can get a group discount on train tickets. I travelled with a party of 4 and the window ticket agents were very helpful in getting us the discounted group rates rather then paying 4 individual rates. In our case, one person did have to pay for all 4 group rate tickets (your party can pay back the purchaser). I also discovered the group discount taking the Heathrow Express, but was travelling alone. It might be worthwhile if arriving at LHR and going into the city as a group. Another don't: Dont expect your reserved seat to be unoccupied. You may have to ask the occupier to move.

When my family and I took a train ride from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland last summer, we enjoyed the ride and the train service was excellent.

For the Caledonian Sleeper between Scotland and London the bookings are available 12 months in advance - unlike for other companies where you can only do it 12 weeks in advance.

The railway/train station point was incorrect, both terms are used.

We Brits don't 'ride' by train, we go on the train or travel by train. Some may take the train, but I think that's an Americanism. And I've always called it the railway station.

Just a heads up about the first tip, you can buy tickets for ANY train operator using one train company's website, as it is them who sell the tickets and not National Rail. For example, if you have the Northern app or are using the Northern website, you aren't just limited to buying tickets on Northern trains. Rather, you can buy any train ticket with that one app, such as London to Brighton on Thameslink which have nothing to do with Northern whatsoever.

Another brilliant video from Wolter. Re: Railcards, if you buy a ticket online, say, using a Railcard, *always* ensure you take your railcard on the actual train journey because the "Revenue Protection" staff or ticket checkers are quite likely to ask to see that. And you could get a ££ hit if you don't have it with you

I found it helpful to check the news to see if there would be an "industrial action" (aka strike) on my day of travel, so I could make alternate plans if I needed to. If you're taking the train the day after a strike day, expect for them to have run out of some food items and be ready to have a second or third choice of meal if you're in first class. It never hurts to pick up some snacks before you board.

As an English person, I can confirm that there is a lot of good advice in this video! Another don't - don't expect to be able to travel across London on your train. For many journeys that are routed through England's capital, you'll need to get off at a terminus station then travel across the city by other means (often via the Underground railway network, known as the "Tube") to another terminus. There are quite a few termini in London!

Two things to remember about ticket pricing (especially when doing advance purchase), you may be offered a discounted ticket only available on the specific train you have a reservation for (companies operating express long-distance trains include free reservations) or what is called an 'anytime ticket' valid on any train on that route at a higher price, and there can also be 'split ticketing' which can be multiple tickets for one journey but at a further saving (but again restricted to the trains you chose at the time of booking). If you have accessibility issues, you can contact the train operator in advance to book assistance at the stations you are travelling from/to.

A good thing to note also is that alternative to trains can be coaches, eg National Express/Megabus, worth checking these as well as trains as they can be a fraction of the price while not being too much slower depending on the route. Especially coming to/from London, there are buses going to every major town/city for £15 or less

2:20 One exception - the Caledonian Sleeper . Booking window for that is an entire year in advance but personally most I've done it is probably around 2 months. They need it as the seats for the portion heading for Inverness are already sold out! can usually

Railway Station is the normally used term. Another 'do not' is to forget to check the seat status and accidently sit in a reserved seat (it is very possible that it could be reserved from the next station meaning that you will have to move again when the train arrives at that station).

I'd say this is all sound advice - although the thing about us not saying "train station" is inaccurate. We absolutely do say "train station", you'll also hear "railway station" sometimes, but I've never heard just "rail station" in my life.

You can call it a train station although usually railway station. Never rail station, that’s weird.

Loved the fact that you didn’t mention the heritage railways and I’ve lived in Britain all my life here and never herd rail station only train station station and railway station

Brilliant as always Wolter! Thank you 😀

I had the best trip to Scotland and south eastern England a couple years ago. I attribute that to the trains! Everything was so easy

Great advice! My experience is that you can book tickets from 12 weeks ahead of travel.

Chester is great. I lived there from age 4 to 17.

I really appreciate you discussing etiquette, ranging from volume of voice to patience and consideration, which is so rare lately. Thank you for kicking ass :)

For local trains, you don't save much (if any) by buying in advance. It's the long distance journeys where there are big savings to be made. You can buy a physical ticket at the ticket office at most stations, and they will do advance bookings for you, too. There are almost no trains on Boxing Day (26th December) as well as Christmas Day.

Very informative, Thank you.

Many years ago, I had to travel from York to a town in Wales on a Sunday, which involved taking at least three trains. On the phone, a very patient rail agent described each of the transfers so clearly that I had no trouble at all, and all the trains were on time! I was impressed.

Most trains leave at the EXACT time shown..so a 7.39 train will actually start moving at 7.38 once the doors are closed. So get settled in early. It's not worth waiting at a Costa line cuz the barriers will close well before departure.

Great tips! Thank you! :D

you are charged a commission to use trainline dont use then , use the TOC or trainpal for no commission

I love you man. Been watching your videos for nearly 15 years. You're never wrong in my opinion. Always spot on. It's been a pleasure watching u progress all these years. I still love the video of u freezing in Bratislava lol

I loved the UK trains so convenient and people are so helpful.

Actually we do call them "Train Stations"..... I've never really heard it called a "Rail station" in the UK.....

Mark I've always called the place you board a train a train station.

Another good thing to note is that on Sundays and Bank (public) holidays there's a much smaller schedule with a lot less wiggle room if you miss a connection or your train is late so I'd advise you to try not to plan any long journeys on these days!

Hey Mark, great video and I love trains.

Great info!

Something ese to remember is that on the night before a public holiday it is quite common for the last bus/train to be much earlier than the last time listed in the timetable. For example Christmas eve it is common for the last bus/train to be 1700 or 1900. With regard to talking loudly on public transport I wish Spanish and Italian visitors to our country would take note of that point. The loudest travelers I've ever come across. If you can hear a foreign language from the other end of the carriage or bus you can bet they are Spanish or Italian.

No one in the UK calls it a rail station. Train Line app will get around head ache of multi apps, but you may miss out on cheap advance fares for mainline intercity routes

At the moment in Scotland there is no peak fare surcharge, all prices are the same with Scotrail no matter when you travel. They do not have that in England or Wales I think.

Watch your luggage at stops. My friend had her large bag taken from the end luggage rack of the carriage a while back. I use a flexible bike lock to fasten my bags to the rack so I can rest easy.

Depending on how much you are going to travel and where, you might find a ranger or rover ticket good value. Day ranger tickets give unlimited travel (usually after 09:00 or 09:30 on weekdays) in a specified area. I often use the Cheshire Day Ranger, which covers well outside Cheshire, but there are others. Rovers are usually for a longer period, or 4 days out of 8 etc. These cover various areas. There are also tickets like the Greater Manchester Wayfarer, which offer rail, bus and tram travel for a day in a specified area.

Thanks Mark

Rail Station? Never heard anyone call it that. Railway station perhaps, train station often.

Great video! 😁

Important tip. Buy your tickets online from Trainline. Also advance booking saves you money.

Also, young people/students are super-smart at getting the cheapest tickets. Because often they don't own a car & are much more reliant, having a Student or Young Person's railcard. And being phone-app savvy. So talk to the "yoof" 🙂

Awesome tips Mark! Specially regarding buying tickets. I vem though I’m experience travel I took an advice from a friend and waited to buy the tickets. When I got to buy it was so expensive that I decided to change the cities I would be visiting!

Hi, very nice video!

I've never heard "rail station" being used haha. Train station, the station, or just the name of the station is far, far more common.

People very rarely say Railway station, maybe more on a heritage railway.

Yay, my home town on here !

In York I was having a beer at the trackside bar thinking I could easily find my train. I couldn't, and was dashing all around. I barely made it.

AS mentioned in the video .... there are no trains running on Christmas Day ... however, in addition to this, most trains don't run the following day (26th December/Boxing Day) either. There are a few exceptions, notably the London Underground, but in general things don't return to anything approaching "normal" until 27th December.

Fun fact about Chester. The majority of Chester FC's stadium is in Wales, the Anglo-welsh border goes through the car park. I think this is really cool

Good advice, thanks.

A good tip is to understand that it is possible to pre-book seats on trains and to always check the digital display above the seat to make sure your seat has not been pre-booked as you will be asked to move and if it is a busy train that can be devastating. Also nobody calls it a rail station. We call it a train station.

My biggest tip to any visitors here in the UK is Don't expect to pay a reasonable price for a train journey. You will get absolutely ripped off. Also don't expect to actually be able to get the train. They will either all be on strike, there will a replacement rail service due to engineering work, "cancelled due to inclement weather", or just "cancelled due to staff shortages"

Don’t travel (weekday) between the hours of 7 and 9 am and 4 and 6 pm unless you want to be packed on a train like a tin of sardines. Rush Hour traffic, it’s when people go to work. Saturday (if you time it wrong) you might find your in the presence of a bunch of travelling football fans. Do not engage (ie tell them to be quiet) if you are not willing to take banter or at worse threatening behaviour. Do not have on display the team rivals or the team they are playing that day football shirt.

London Stansted Airport: Within the London area you can travel by swiping your bank card or your London Transport Oyster card. These options do not apply to Stanstead airport. Even though you can get through the barriers at London Liverpool street or Tottenham Hale (Victoria line) with the card mentioned before, These forms of payment are only available as far as Broxbourne (about 15 miles up the line). You will find you have no valid ticket at Stansted Airport and they have permanent revenue staff at the airport waiting to hand out expensive fines.

I have visited the UK a few times and I always choose to take the train. It's so convenient and easy to ride on.

I travel through Chester train station almost every day. Surprised I didn't bump into you!

Be warned that in some of the smaller stations the shop or cafe can close really early and sometimes when the weather is freezing there is no waiting room!!! This can make travelling a not so fun experience sometimes!!! So be prepared👍👍

Unless I missed it, you didn't mention Britrail passes (not the same as a Railcard). I always get a 15-day one when I go over, and save hundreds of dollars each time. Important tip: it's not available for UK residents, so you need to buy it before you leave your home country. Although you can make a free reservation if you know when you'll be travelling, you also have the option to hop on at the last minute for no extra charge and hope there's a seat available.

goodvideo, but I was a bit puzzled when you said that we Brits call it the 'Rail Station'....that's new to me lol. I've called the Train Station the Train Station, all my life lol!

A tip when booking in advance: always read the small print on the ticket as it may say "valid only on East Midlands Railway", as I got caught out by that, as it was not obvious, and also don't think older steam trains stop everywhere here,, as they are only for special tours, not normal train rides.

First don't: Don't use them because they're ruinously expensive. Second don't: Don't use them anywhere north of Greater London as they get progressively shitter.

Don't forget Ranger and Rover tickets. The All Line Rover would be ideal for someone wanting to tour the whole of the UK.

I took the Euro Star from St. Pancras to Paris. It was very pleasant.

Great run down of a lot of the basics here- but a couple of things to add. You did show briefly the readout above some seats which stated whether they were available or pre-booked by someone. PLEASE take note of these to save embrarassment later when someone hoves up after you've settled in to demand their pre booked seat. It's one of the times Brits can become quite assertive! On some trains they don't have these displays, but attach cardboard tickets to a bracket in the top of the seat. Again take note! It may be that the seat is only booked for part of the journey, in which case you are free to take it outside that segment (details are on the cardboard marker or the electronic display). The other addition is that if accessibility is an issue for you, you can book 'Passenger Assist' up to 24 hours before you travel. (You can ask for it on arrival, but it may not be available if they are short staffed). Someone will meet you, take you to the train, help you with luggage, and put down a ramp if you need one to board the train. They then call ahead to your destination station. to ensure you are collected from the train.

when we went to the UK, we got a britrail pass, which is purchased by the day, either consecutive or nonconsecutive days. if you're planning to do a lot of train travel, it's worth looking into - and it also covers the Heathrow express from Paddington station. note that it is only available to people who aren't resident in the UK. also note you still have to sign up for tickets, for each trip - but the pass pays for them.

In general, "station" without qualification is always a railway station. If you ask for directions to the station it means you want to catch a train. For other modes of transport, "bus station" and "coach station" are always qualified as such. If you say "train station", everyone will understand you, but it is unnecessary. "Railway station" is a formal term that nobody ever uses in normal conversation.

Great tips, as always. Something i do on trains here is if you are travelling with a connecting train make sure you leave enough time as some connections are short and although long delays are not common these days in my experience, some shorter delays definitely occur and i missed connections before. Definitely book early where possible as same day prices are expensive, more than driving especially if there is more than one person so thats biggest way to save. Trainline app should offer different companies tickets. Seems a few comments about “rail station”, dont worry in the Uk we will still know what you mean.

Coffee places near train stations: Chester (City Road, CH1 3DR) Liverpool (Central Station, Ranelagh Street, L1 1QE) Lancaster (Station Road, LA1 5NL) Manchester (Victoria Station Approach, M3 1WY) Manchester (Piccadilly Station, M2 4PX) Liverpool (Lime Street, L1 1JG) Warrington (Bank Quay Station, WA1 1LW) Sheffield (Sheaf Street, S1 2BP) Wakefield (Railway Station, WF1 1XP) Liverpool (South Parkway Station, L19 5NE) Doncaster (Railway Station, DN1 2PE) Derby (Railway Station, DE1 2RU) York (Railway Station, YO24 1AB) Wolverhampton (Railway Drive, WV1 1LE) Nottingham (Nottingham Railway Station, NG2 3AQ) Darlington (Railway Station, DL1 4AA) Lincoln (Railway Station, LN5 7EZ) Durham (Railway Station, DH1 4RB) Leicester (Platform 3, LE2 0QB) Retford (Platform 1, DN22 7DE) Gloucester (Railway Station, GL1 1DE) Perth (Railway Station, PH2 8RT) Norwich (Railway Station, NR1 1EF)

I've lived in the UK for my whole life and never heard it being called a 'rail station', I have heard 'railway station' but I think most people use 'train station'. Other than that this is a great video.

I remember when me and my Mum were in Preston train station trying to get our train home and at the last minute the platform changed from 3c to 1

Also be aware that engineering work takes place at weekends especially Saturday night into Sunday. Trains may be replaced by buses or diverted taking extra time. If you are from the US then consider a “Britrail” pass (only for non Uk and EU citizens, they have a different one) This covers every train, peak or off peaks, just remember to make seat reservations for long distances or the overnight sleeper trains

Ahh, I'm getting homesick - thanks for a great report, Mark! Couple of things to add: Firstly, the Euston Stampede is the closest you'll get to Pamplona bull run, if you've a taste for energetic sports - marvellous, invigorating, great esprit du corps - but expect no mercy if you're in anything other than tip top athletic form. Secondly, oiks tend not to respect seat reservations. If you find somebody sitting in yours, their refusal to move will only last as long as it takes you to move their bag(s) elsewhere in the carriage, or onto the platform. Thirdly, if you're aged between 30 and 60, expect to be the victim of age discrimination. Everyone outside this group is eligible to purchase national railcards, due to their age. They'll then enjoy significant discounts, i.e. subsidised fares. Guess who provides some of that subsidy?! Incredible that such practices have continued in the UK for this long. Keep this in mind, if the bag you're ejecting belongs to a younger or older person! :P Finally - and as a lifelong train lover it galls me to say this - but don't overlook coaches. Fares and dependability have both moved in horrible directions thanks to labor unions and governmental incompetence; meanwhile the truly private sector provides vastly more affordable, reliable services on the UK's road network. National Express are the main operator but have several very good competitors. Safe travels! :)

Good point at 09:59: definitely DON’T take a “Taxi” ride from anyone offering a “Taxi” just inside the station: the reason being these will almost certainly be uninsured, unlicensed “Taxis” who will rip you off big-time…definitely go to the taxi rank just outside the station… It’s rare for this to happen if you’re in a station of a large town, but it is quite common in some of the major cities, especially the major London stations…(e.g Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, Waterloo etc)

If you want to travel back in time, don't forget we have a ton of preserved railways here from the steam age, even with Victorian and Edwardian locos. Some are accessible from the main network and many have appeared in feature films and TV. Each has its own website.

I worked on the railway for 41 years, never heard it called a rail station

Nice tips and as a Brit make sense. One little thing. I'm pretty sure the English would say railway station, not rail station. Train station is used too. There are also terms that would be odd to Americans. On england trains "set down" at station, not stop. You "alight" from the train. In the country some station platforms are still referred to as Up and Down. Up is towards London and Down away from London. Subway is an underpass to reach the platforms. Trains stop on platforms not tracks. And trains have carriages, not cars.

eurorail card is also valid in the UK

I went to The Queen's School, Chester.

Hearing impaired advice: Don't be shy to ask for help. The PA is pretty useless in a lot of places because of the echo. Stick around the entrances to the platform, let a staff member know that you can't hear the announcements. When you're on the train, conductors are passing through, let them know where you're getting off (or your seatmate if you've struck up a conversation). Everyone is so helpful. Memorize the stop BEFORE yours so you can be ready when you pull out of the one before it. If you're with a friend, get two aisle seats where one is facing forward and one backwards. So you're facing each other across the aisle rather than side by side. Good for sign language.

It’s a train station, nobody in the UK calls it’s a rail station.

Buy snacks and drinks before you get inside the ticket barrier in stations. It's a captive market and you'll easily pay 60-70% more. You can often pick cheap meal deals up in the convenience stores nearby or on the concourses before you go through the barrier with a main, a snack and a drink for less than £5.

You can book any journey on any train companies website. My local one is Greater Anglia and you can book to anywhere in Great Britain with no booking fee. I always say railway station or just station, we don’t say rail station to my knowledge. I commuted into London five days a week for over 10 years so know what travelling by train is like, we don’t say ride! Not sure respect on train journeys is what it used to be though! I’ve never seen Harry Potter but have been to King’s Cross many times and would not queue for 5 seconds at platform 9 3/4 let alone 1 hour!

awesome vid! my only recommendation to tourists is to take the far north line if you're in scotland! achingly beautiful train journey and unique in the uk. also not very well known and fairly cheap.

It’s definitely worth the loss of flexibility to book train tickets well in advance. You have to travel on those specific trains, but I went to Cambridge last year for around £20 round trip and York several years ago for about £30.

I’ve never called it a rail station. Train station.

DON'T - Get a train out of Liverpool after 8pm on a weekend without expecting it to be like a rowdy pub.

Thank you for being so nice about the most expensive and unreliable railway system in Europe.