BritRail Spirit of Scotland Pass

• Q. Are lockers and luggage storage services available at the train station?

  A. Most major train stations have a left luggage facility offering either self-serve luggage lockers or staffed luggage facilities.

  Keep in mind that there is a fee to store your luggage at a train station. Typically, stations will charge a flat rate to rent a luggage locker that you’re free to fill. For staffed luggage facilities, you may incur a “per bag” fee. In either case, the fee is usually under 10 Euros. If you do leave your bags, be sure to keep some money in your pockets for the luggage lockers.

• Q. If my train crosses a border, will I need to show my passport to the conductor?

  A. If you’re traveling between countries participating in the Schengen Agreement, you will not need to show your passport at the border crossings. If you are traveling between countries not part of the Schengen Agreement, you will have to show your passport at border crossings. Please note that not all countries of the EU participate in the Schengen Agreement (e.g. Great Britain, Ireland). On the other side, there are countries which are not part of the EU but which participate in the Schengen Agreement (e.g. Switzerland, Norway).

• Q. How do I use a Rail Europe Gift Card?

  A. Simply use the Gift Card code that was provided by Rail Europe on your certificate. Enter this code on the delivery page during checkout. Note: the full dollar value of the Gift Card doesn’t need to be used all at once; you will be sent a new Gift Card code for any remaining balance.

• Q. Can I book group fares online?

  A. Due to the nature of group inventory, group fares are not available online. To receive a quote from one of our dedicated group consultants, please fill out the quick and easy Group Quote form and an agent from our group department will contact you within 48-72 hours.

• Q. What happens if I board a train with my rail pass but forgot to purchase a reservation?

  A. We suggest advising the conductor as soon as possible of the situation and purchase the required reservation. If you’re traveling on a train that requires a reservation you could be fined.

• Q. What should I do If I've already bought my rail pass, and now want to add another country?

  A. Once your rail pass has been printed, it is not possible to modify it. If you absolutely need to do it, you can pay a 15% penalty and a 7% processing fee to exchange it. Depending on how much you plan to travel in the additional country, it may be more cost effective to purchase regular train tickets for those trips.

  The only exception is if you bought the Rail Protection Plan™ when you ordered your rail pass. In this case, you can exchange your original pass at full value and use it towards the new one, with no fee or penalty incurred. Read more about the Rail Protection Plan™ coverage and how to file a claim.

• Q. How do I use the bonuses that come with rail passes?

  A. Rail Pass travel bonuses must be redeemed locally.

  There are two types of bonuses. Free bonuses (such as a free airport transfer) require the use of a travel day on your pass. If all travel days have been used on your rail pass you will not be able to take advantage of any more free bonuses. Discount bonuses do not require you to use a travel day, but do require that your pass still be within its validity period. In other words, even if you’ve used up all your days on a pass, you can still claim discounted bonuses as long as the pass validity period has not expired.

  The exception to this rule is the Swiss Travel Pass. Although a discounted bonus doesn’t require you to use a travel day on your Swiss Travel Pass, the pass must still be valid and you must not have used up all your travel days.

• Q. What do I need to show to the conductor when traveling by train with a rail pass?

  A. While traveling with a rail pass, you will need to show the conductor your pass. Be sure your pass is activated prior to boarding the train. For trains that require reservations, be sure to have your valid reservations ready to show the conductor, as well. Lastly, it is not uncommon for a conductor to request to see your passport, best to keep it handy.

• Q. How do I find my train?

  A. Finding your train is fairly simple. You’ll see large Departure and Arrival boards located in the center of most stations. Some stations also have TV monitors listing upcoming departing trains.

  If you have a train ticket or rail pass with a reservation, simply match the train number and departure time on your reservation or ticket to the train number on the departure board. The platform number where you should go will be listed right next to it.

  If you’re traveling with open train tickets or a rail pass and no reservation, then you don’t have a specific train and seat assigned to you. If you’ve done your research in advance, you probably already know the time and train number of the train you want to take, so just look for it on the board. If you decided to show up at the station with the intention of taking the first train departing for where you want, make sure to check with a station agent and find out if that train requires a reservation.

• Q. Does my train ticket include a seat reservation?

  A. Rail Europe tickets include a reservation whenever possible. To tell if you have a reservation, see if you received one or two travel documents for your trip. If you received two travel documents, you probably received an open ticket and a reservation. The reservation portion will show a train number, car number and seat number assigned to you personally.

  If you received only one document, you should also see if it indicates a seat number and car number. If so, your ticket includes a reservation.

  The only case where you may not have a reservation with your ticket is if you received an open ticket. With these tickets, you can simply hop on any non- reservable train that travels on the route for which you bought your ticket.

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