If you enjoy my videos, please subscribe, 😊 as this helps me keep creating more: ua-cam.com/users/renatapereira_EN?sub_confirmation=1 Thank you! спасибо! ¡Gracias! Obrigada! Merci! Danke! Grazie! 😉😊
You can often save a lot of money on UK trains by splitting the train ticket. For example I travelled from Birmingham to Oxford recently. The normal price is £41. But by buying a ticket from Birmingham to Banbury which was £21, and another ticket from Banbury to Oxford for £7, it only cost £28 instead of £41. As long as the train stops at Banbury, this is okay to do. That's just one example. There are websites that help you find out how to split the ticket between different destinations.
Virgin trains were the main operator on the West Coast mainline in the UK at your time of filming. All in all, Virgin were one of most popular train operators on the British rail network. They lost their franchise at the end of 2019 when the reins were handed over to Avanti West Coast (owned by Trenitalia (Italian train operator)). Don't ask me why, because I like many others thought that Virgin should have kept the franchise but unfortunately not.
Bring back memories - thank you so much 🙏. I am from Malaysia, I studied at Aston University Birmingham 1971 to 1975 - its city campus at Gosta Green only about 10 minutes walk from the New Street Station. I took bus 48 from my digs in Moseley with a stop near the Station and walked through it almost every morning on the way to my university throughout those four years.
Aston? Must have been close to Villa Park. Aston also sounds like the name of a very exclusive brand of car, the Aston Martin which is also supposed to be from the West Midlands. The name Aston I know obviously relates to a part of Birmingham but it's also a name that seems to exude a bit of class.
@@neilburns8869 Not too far to Villa Park, about 7 minutes by car during my days there. Aston exuding class? Oh yes 😁🤗 though I have to admit Birmingham University is the bigger and older uni in Birmingham.
I am a British watching this video and I loved the positivity in you while exploring the UK. I was feeling proud of my country while watching this. Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!
A nice watch! As someone who works for a UK train operating company you seem to know more than 90% of the British public when it comes to savings with railcards, ticket pricing and how to board the correct train. Just a couple things to mention though- you mentioned how booking tickets through chiltern railways made the tickets cheaper however any train company’s website will have given you the correct price. This is because you can buy pretty much any national rail ticket from any company’s website interchangeably. Another thing to say (less of a mistake more of just a bit of guidance to anyone else watching) but London Northwestern Railway operates slow services which may be cheaper but I would still almost always recommend travelling on the faster trains, which are now run instead by Avanti, not virgin. Again, a great watch! Thanks for sharing.
My father was a driver on the LMS railway in the days of steam and drove trains from Birmingham to London. It used to take 1 hour 55min to cover 110 miles with one stop at Coventry or Rugby. Keep in mind they had to start breaking 10 miles from the station and build up speed after a stop. 2 tons of coal was shoveled, work shared between fireman and driver. It took great skill to bring the 400 odd ton train to a gentle standstill at the dead end buffer stops in Euston.
This is a very minor point but it might be helpful for someone: when collecting train tickets from the ticket machine in a station you do not need to use the same credit card, a credit card just activates the machine, it doesn’t verify any purchase details, so you can use any card (even someone else’s if you lose your wallet! Just ask them to activate the machine for you). That’s a very common misunderstanding because the ticket companies all say you need to use the same card, I don’t know why they say that.
They ask for the same card because if there a single ticket it can identify the booking without the code. Used to work a lot but hasn’t for a couple of years at least for me. I think maybe they deactivated the feature but didn’t update the words.
My father was a driver on the LMS railway before during and after WW2. He drove express steam trains from Birmingham to London. In those days they started in New Street with one stop at Coventry or Rugby. The journey took 1hour 55min and between the driver and fireman they shovelled 2 tons of coal. Given the breaking technology in those days they would start to apply the breaks 12miles outside London in order to coast to a gentle stop at the dead end platform in Euston station. It's 110 miles from Birmingham to London, dad estimated they hit max speeds of around 90/100mph in places.
If you're travelling a lot by train in the UK, it's worth getting to grips with split-ticketing too. sometimes by breaking up the tickets for your journey into chunks, it can be cheaper than buying one for the whole journey. The only rule is that the train has to stop at the station where the ticket splits. (So for example, if you were going from Newcastle to Leeds, you could get a ticket from Newcastle to York, and a ticket from York to Leeds, and as long as the train stops in York, the tickets are valid (you don't actually have to get off)). It's often good if travelling at peak times, which are more expensive, because it may make only part of the journey peak price. There are split ticketing websites that do all the work for you.
I agree, however as an employee of a UK train operating company, more specifically in a role of checking tickets, my number one problem is people who have split tickets however are not using them correctly. Sure, splitting tickets is a great option for the savvy train traveller, but to those new to the system and it’s quirks it can make a lot of other things difficult, such as flexibility of travel, delay compensation and routing.
Thanks for the video. I even found some discount for buying the rail tickets. It's always good to look out for deals that can make travel more affordable.
Don't worry, rail travel is just as confusing to most of us Brits! Ah for the days when there was just one rail company(British Railways commonly known as BR). I used to live in Birmingham and travelled to London maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I never managed to work out the ticketing system.
You could have done it quicker on Virgin Trains. You get the Edinburgh via Birmingham it's Milton Keynes, Coventry, Birmingham International and New Street. Don' t bother with London Midland again unless you want to die of boredom.
It's Virgin if you want to pay top prices. Midlands for a slower but cheaper journey. Virgin will also oversell trains. If you can't get a reservation don't buy, otherwise you risk having to stand for the whole journey. It happened to me from Euston to Liverpool one time.
@@MaMu-fv8uo It's good that there's choice. Not everyone can know in advance when they'll need to travel and some people with lower incomes may wish to prioritise low cost fares over time of journey.
Renata did acknowledge that in her video. But you can still pay around £40 or £50 for a weekday morning advanced fare on Virgin. A big difference from the £3.95 each advanced railcard fare on LNWR. I was getting a 1st class single to Crewe for £13 with LNWR on the 7.46. Okay, you don't get a breakfast, nothing a trip to Sainsbury's just outside the station can't fix, or a muffin and coffee from Burger King on the concourse. I did get Wi fi and a charging point too.
Rugby station, my home town. If you're ever waiting for a train at Rugby, it doesn't matter what the weather is, you'll be freezing cold because of the breeze. It also has the worst road junction in Rugby just outside as there is a single road under the bridge controlled by traffic lights & to get through it can take ages.
Oh wow! Yes, I was wondering about weather conditions as I we saw the stops... realizing that almost all of them are out in the open! Thank you for visiting my channel 🤗😊
@@RenataPereiraTV if we are going to solve the massive problems of air pollution in the country then we need to take people out of their polluting cars and vans and into cheap, reliable rail services. I can't see it happening however because the railways are in a mess and will take years to fix and lots of finance. Being a small country , railways should be the first mode of intercity travel but it isn't. Tram networks in the towns and cities could then transport commuters and then they walk the rest of the way. Instead we have towns and cities jammed with traffic everyday especially during the rush hour which is leading to poor air quality.
To avoid confusion, Chiltern don’t run from London Euston but London Marylebone. I would have taken Chiltern service as they are quicker than the one you selected and more comfortable.
Andrew Long oh no no no no. Virgin use to do about 32 pounds for first class and 15 pounds for standard but I was lucky enough to get first class for 18 pounds virgin train is better if it was express services calling at Coventry Birmingham international Birmingham new st it tak less then hour 15 min
That's Euston station. When they rebuilt in late 60s I think they didn't put a single seat in the station - genius idea! It was deliberate which seems even more strange Since then they have added some seating but not much
I love seeing your video on the city I worked in which is London going to the city I was born in, BIRMINGHAM ! It's great ! I was always on the 6.30am train commuting daily 2 hours to London.
@@RenataPereiraTV Yes it certainly was quite a trip to London in the morning and then evening train back to Birmingham ! I eventually decided it was better to use my car , .big mistake I got my wheels clamped a couple of times, when I was busy in.meetings and couldn't come out to put more money iñ the parking metre. Lol
Basically, you can book tickets for any train operator in the UK on any of their websites. This is handy because some companies charge booking fees, so you can book the same ticket with someone else. Virgin Trains run the express route, whereas London Northwestern run a local stopping service.
Possibly the slowest rail option, hope it was cheap! Other trains tech Birmingham in a fraction of the time by cutting out most of the intermediate stops.
Hi Spencer, yes, it was super cheap compared to any other option. If I'm not mistaken it was less than 8 pounds for both of us together! As we were not in a hurry, we enjoyed the ride 😉
I rode the bus going to the opposite direction, Birmingham to London Heathrow Airport. It was a year ago before the whole lockdown came. It's like I came home in time.
Wonderful! Hey Renata, when back home spread the world to your fellow Americans about my city Birmingham. It get such bad press here in the UK but if only the detractors got to know the 'new' Birmingham they would be pleasantly surprised! Please come back soon and keep posting your fantastic vlogs.
Thank you so much! Really? I didn't know it gets bad press in the UK... With so many renovation projects going on downtown, I bet Victoria and Centenary squares will be amazing when it's all done! 😍
ive been on numerous trains in the Birmingham area renata mainly to Coventry Sutton Coldfield Birmingham international Walsall cradley heath and Stourbridge junction and of course Birmingham new street and dorridge on the snow hill line
Renata Pereira Yeah very nice indeed Renata I think you should have a go at wolverhampton because you can catch a site on what was the site of wolverhampton low level station
You can buy any ticket with any operator, but there are all sorts of different tickets for different purposes with certain rules that you have to follow when using them
Renata - Nice video, even for those of us living in the UK - Your viewers might be interested to know that Euston Station (at the beginning of your video) is going to be completely rebuilt, and will be the London terminus for the first phase of the new HS2 (High Speed 2) line that is going to initially be built between London and Birmingham - and subsequently carry on northwards
opalfruitcake Yeah, for that price I knew I couldn’t expect much! 😂😂 It was so much cheaper than Virgin that the extra hour it took was even worth it 😉✌️
Genial video renata como nos tienes aconstumbrados a todos tus seguidores. me gusta mucho como hablas el ingles, ojala algun dia lo pueda hablar como vos, saludos desde argentina
Ezequiel Nicolas Arnes ¡Hola Ezequiel! ¡Muchas gracias! Sólo necesitas practicar... Cuando uno empieza no le gusta mucho, pero con el tiempo te acostumbras. Un gran abrazo 🤗😊🙌
you've forgotten to say that this station is Birmingham new street which has a slightly busy concourse than London Euston this is where you get off here for the town centre and Birmingham moor street on the snow hill line is nearby which takes a few minutes to get there which is what I done
As a UK train commuter your so lucky lmao my local commuter train gets delayed by 30 mins all the time the fact your trip worked with no issues is amazing and also sadly not all trains are cheap trust me stick to the main lines that are cheaper taking less used routes is a nightmare
Yeah I must say sometimes the cheapest trains are the worst not only in time but the runners themselves. The one you took is ok but can be a bit unreliable but just avoid London commuter trains there some of the worst trains in the country and most of them are pending investigation by the government to see if there fit to run or poorly managed
Thank you for posting this video. Many rail travellers in the UK still have fond memories of their journeys on board Virgin trains. Although Avanti has now taken over (end of 2019). Your enthusiasm is contagious & a brilliant advert for Sir Richard Branson's train operator.
You should have got off in Northampton, gone and visited Sulgrave manor, ancestoral home of the Washington family, and Ecton, ancestoral home of Benjamin Franklin.☺️
I'm from Tuscaloosa which is 60 miles south of Birmingham, AL USA. I went to London earlier this year. Next time I go I visit the UK I want to ride a train from London to Birmingham UK. That way I can fly out of Birmingham, Alabama and end up in Birmingham, UK. I would fly BHM - BHX but it's not worth the extra time and stops.
I have come across your channel through this video and I quite liked your style Renata. Hope to see all your UK videos. Good that you are covering cities away from London. I live in Leicester 50 miles from B'ham and visited the city many times. Watching B'ham through your eyes will be interesting. UK train tickets are complicated. But as you said, if you are flexible and book in advance you can strike a bargain. The train company lures leisure traffic away from peak times. Regards
One tip when collecting your tickets. Make sure you get all your tickets. The machine will spit out tickets, seat reservations, and receipts. The machine should say how many stubs it is printing. Make sure you get all of them.
The ticket should come first. When the display says ‘printing ______’ check what is coming out. Definitely check that the stubs you scoop out tally with what it says on the display. If you get on the train and you find that you are missing a ticket, the conductor will understand what has happened but will still charge you a full-fare standard class ticket for that portion of the journey. Good journeys, (well the destinations): Down to Penzance, emerge onto Mounts Bay and in the distance is St. Michael’s Mount. Penzance itself is not much but it does have a beautiful setting. St. Michael’s mount - check their web site. East coast (LNER?) several stops: York. Extremely historical. Durham - Durham Cathedral. Newcastle - (had) great nightlife. Edinburgh - tourist central. arrive into Waverley at the foot of Edinburgh castle. Dundee - discovery centre, V&A museum ( not that much inside) but the journey from Edinburgh to Dundee takes you over the Forth railway bridge, and the Tay railway bridge. Both great views.
Hélio Barbosa Oi Hélio! Que ótimo, obrigada! 🤗🤗 Tenho também outro canal totalmente em português onde coloco estes mesmos vídeos. Na semana que vem ou na próxima vou conseguir equiparar a este (estou correndo aqui na edição pra conseguir, kkk). Se você preferir, é este: UA-cam.com/renatapereira. Bjs e tudo de bom!
Hi Renata, I just found your channel here. Wow!! Riding a train from London to Birmingham. Absolutely awesome. How far is that? The tickets look interesting. My father-in-law actually came from England. Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. I have just subscribed to your channel. All the best from Robert in Melbourne Australia.
1:20 you can book tickets with any company and they will accept them on any other company unless it specifically says otherwise on the ticket. This is all about to change though with the new national ‘great British railways’ operator which will run the ticket operations.
Can't wait because that was your very first time taking the train in the UK I believe? Also nice to know you saved 100 pounds if not more. I will keep that in mind as I would like to fly into Heathrow and fly out of Manchester back to the states when I do go visit, so I will for sure take the rail. :)
Ah Manchester looks cool. Maybe we will meet up in the sky one day! I mostly fly American but looking to branch out. I want to experience British Airways. Excited! Your channel is looking great. I can see your passion. :)
Chris Potts Thanks! Yeah, you never know 🙌🙌. I fly a lot of American too, mostly domestic. Out of the US I recently found better deals on United and Delta. All the best!
Welcome to the crazy world of UK rail ticketing prices. I used London North Western to Liverpool. I use split ticketing. 1st leg, LNWR Euston to Crewe. Separate off peak return Crewe to Liverpool that enabled me to use either Virgin or LNWR from Crewe. If you just put in London to Liverpool, you only get Virgin fares, as they're the only operator to do the route in a single leg. I too get 34% discount with a Disabled Railcard. Even the 1st class fare on LNWR is quite competitive in advance. Their trains are usually busy, and just 4 coaches on this route. You'll notice the experienced travellers run for the train as soon as the platform is displayed, as they know seating is limited. Also beware, sometimes you will have similar fares for the same journey. Both could be for example off peak day returns, but one is for a single operator, say Virgin, the other for any operator running that route. In Epsom you can get two different off peak travelcards. The cheaper is for Southern services only, while the slightly more expensive allows use on both South Western Railways and Southern to the start of TfL Zone 6. Just watch out you and any other visitors don't get tripped up. They can fine you, or make you buy a new ticket on the train for the journey because the one you have is technically void for that journey or operator.
Renata, you should have visited the area they call the Black Country, very rich cultural and industrial heritage. Also there are areas close by with Roman ruins. All interesting stuff but not well known.
My next video is exactly about Birmingham ❤️. I visited as much as I could, I'm just not sure about the Black Country... I didn't hear this expression before 🤔. Maybe I did and don't even know... Hope I don't disappoint with the next video then 😉
@Hammer 001 As they said, Birmingham is not part of the Black Country. Most people from the other towns and cities are not too happy with the fact that Brum gets all the £££.
Hammer 001 Sandwell and Dudley are no more a part of Birmingham than Brighton is London or Sunderland is Newcastle. Black Country folk and Brummies are proud of their heritage and wouldn't take kindly to you saying they are the same.
Renata Pereira To get to the Black Country you need to get the train from Birmingham Snow Hill To Cradley Heath where the merry hill shopping centre is nearby
The last time I was in New Street station was in 1963. It was dirty, cold and smokey. I was in the Army waiting for the Devonian to take me northwards. Wonderful old steam trains but very, very dirty and smelly. A bit like me and the other soldiers I suppose !
Originally from Liverpool and now living in Scottsdale, AZ, I take the train from London to Liverpool when visiting home. Oh yes it’s 8 pounds sterling
im glad you enjoyed it love I've been on the British trains a couple of times mainly to either go on the snow hill line to Birmingham international or even to Sutton Coldfield or even stations I have never been to before
Should have visited the black country. Only about a 15/20 minute ride from Birmingham. It’s very hard working area and we are very proud of our history. But you probably wouldn’t understand our accents😉
Hi Renata, thank you for the informative video! I will be heading London to Birmingham in a week's time. Will be travelling with my husband and we have two mid to large size luggage. Are there proper storage space onboard for these? Did you travel with the Virgin train? - Andrea
Andrea Tan Hi Andrea! We also had 2 large suitcases and everything was fine. In most trains there’s a storage area in each wagon, right by the door. Only 1 train during our trip didn’t have it, but there was a large empty area by the bathroom and we left the suitcases there. No, didn’t use Virgin because they were the most expensive, but I heard it’s considered the best and fastest. Enjoy!
@TheRenaissanceman65 Thanks for your reply. I went on the Virgin train and it was all good and comfy. I am now back home. Times flies when you are on a holiday. Sigh! Missing the cool (but not the wet) weather in the UK.
@@RenataPereiraTV Hopefully sometime in this century they will have long, double decker , high speed trains like those on mainland Europe in order to reduce overcrowding on the trains.
The tickets usually allow you to travel via any route BUT there are restrictions on whether that route can include london or not. It does not matter who's trains you get on as long as you get to your destination even if you must change trains multiple times. You wont be allowed to break your journey if it isnt a direct one, which means you have to stay on the station when changing trains. Usually they only let you break the journey on the return ticket anyway. You probably wouldn't get away with taking a VERY indirect route, depends on who is checking the tickets and if they care lol. Its basically up to them. So if there are 2 operators using the same lines and stopping at the same destination, you can use whichever you like. But sometimes there is a line going directly to the destination and another line that goes off to somewhere else that has a service going to the same destination. You can take that route as well but change at the other station. On the return journey you usually can "break" your journey. That means if you wanted to take a look at Milton Keynes on the way back to London they would normally let you through the barriers and out of the station.
BEWARE, however! dlarge6502's comments above do NOT apply to Advance tickets of the type you were using. The regulations for Advance tickets say: "Sold in limited numbers and subject to availability, these tickets are only valid on the date/train specified". (You will notice that the machine gave you seat tickets as well as travel tickets.) You did well to purchase such tickets, being quite sure of which day and on which train you wanted to travel. But if you want or need the kind of flexibility dlarge6502 was talking about then you do have to pay more -- for an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket (these are not train-specific). If you buy an Advance ticket and then miss the train for which it was valid you lose your money ...but if, as in your case, you paid only £3.95 for a rail journey of around 120 miles that was a risk well worth taking, I'd say!
@@YnysmydwrTHIS! I was hoping someone cleared up some of the misinformation in OP’s post. Not only advance tickets, but specifically: - Route-Specific Tickets (eg “Valid only via Rugby”, or “valid only via (changing trains or passing) Westbury - TOC-specific tickets (eg Northern Only, TPE Only, SWR only) And less commonly, but still a worthy mention- - “Split” Tickets (the act of buying multiple tickets that covers a full journey which work out cheaper than buying the inclusive ticket) as these are often **strictly** route-specific, time-specific (even if not obviously mentioned) or TOC-specific (as mentioned earlier, and also often not obviously mentioned) The easiest rule to go by is this: If you’re unsure if the ticket is correct, buy a different one or ask a qualified member of staff (ticket office, ticket ambassadors, revenue protection, gateline, guard)
In the 90s, train stations were just open. There were no ticket barriers and you didn't need a ticket to enter them. You could just walk onto a train with no ticket and no id. I live in America now but England looks much more regulated than it was before I left. It was always a tough place to live day to day.
@@3506Dodge Why is it nonsense? ...because it's just not true. I've been travelling regularly on the British rail network since the 1960s and almost always have had my ticket checked. Your experience of UK rail travel is obviously very limited.
@@ericthemauve I didn't say that tickets weren't checked. I said there were no ticket barriers. I traveled all over. You could physically go anywhere without a ticket. The ticket was checked on the train, not at a barrier at the entrance to the station.
nice videos it reminds me a lot of my travel to london with the same train! love how you presented your video! and one more thing, you look alike younger version of Celine Dion :)
You can get some great deals if you are prepared to be flexible. I once got a return to Manchester Piccadilly leaving Euston on Saturday morning and returning on Sunday evening for £22
You should have followed Brad Pitt's lead & taken the Virgin trains service all the way up to Glasgow. Many a beautiful sight and sound up in Scotland. Hope that you thoroughly enjoyed your vacation anyway.
Hi, today I subscribed to your channel you are doing a fantastic job I am also a travel blogger recently I start that I am going to the UK in the new year your blogs are very helpful for me. Whenever you will planning to come to Pakistan I live to be your host
Thank you! We would love to visit your country. I like your content. Work hard, produce many videos and success will come your way. I hope our paths cross in the future.
@@RenataPereiraTV the distance to Birmingham is just over 170 km. That means the average speed was just over 80 kmph, or less if there were disruptions on the railways like signal failures or power failures.
In 10 years time, it'll take only 40 minutes to get from London to Birmingham, when the new HS2 line is opened - they're just starting to build it now. So, 10 years and 40 minutes...
@@danensis You mean like th £3bn spend on upgrading the Great Western Line, and the £1b on the Northern Hub? Or hundreds of millions spent on the railways in Scotland? Sure, not everyone wants to travel to London, and they should have started building HS2 in the North, but it will link Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds and reduce a huge amount of capacity for freigh to come from the south eastern ports to the midlands and north. So both are happening now, both should continue to happen and, oh, not a white elephant: it will be used.
@@simhedgesrex7097 - Yes, just imagine 70 schemes like that instead of one vanity scheme that doesn't even link up with HS1. As for freight, why was the Central Railway scheme scrapped? It would have done all that and more.
Virgin Trains are a lot faster if you want to go to Birmingham New Street. Although you could take an express from London Marylebone on Chiltern Railways.
If you enjoy my videos, please subscribe, 😊 as this helps me keep creating more: ua-cam.com/users/renatapereira_EN?sub_confirmation=1 Thank you! спасибо! ¡Gracias! Obrigada! Merci! Danke! Grazie! 😉😊
Renata Pereira f
just a quick question about the train did u have a reserved seat or did you just pick were u wanted to sit on the west Midlands train
You can often save a lot of money on UK trains by splitting the train ticket. For example I travelled from Birmingham to Oxford recently. The normal price is £41. But by buying a ticket from Birmingham to Banbury which was £21, and another ticket from Banbury to Oxford for £7, it only cost £28 instead of £41. As long as the train stops at Banbury, this is okay to do. That's just one example. There are websites that help you find out how to split the ticket between different destinations.
Virgin trains were the main operator on the West Coast mainline in the UK at your time of filming.
All in all, Virgin were one of most popular train operators on the British rail network.
They lost their franchise at the end of 2019 when the reins were handed over to Avanti West Coast (owned by Trenitalia (Italian train operator)). Don't ask me why, because I like many others thought that Virgin should have kept the franchise but unfortunately not.
I wish that more people from overseas travelling in the UK would be as informative, positive and enthusiastic as you. Thank you.
Hi Nic! Thank you very much! I looooove the UK and love to share what I learn 😍❤
She definitely had the "Knowledge" 💪😁
I agree, great to see a 'Yank' whose up to using our public transportation to best effect.
Yeah,actually there is a discount that you can apply for buying train tickets now
Bring back memories - thank you so much 🙏. I am from Malaysia, I studied at Aston University Birmingham 1971 to 1975 - its city campus at Gosta Green only about 10 minutes walk from the New Street Station. I took bus 48 from my digs in Moseley with a stop near the Station and walked through it almost every morning on the way to my university throughout those four years.
Aston?
Must have been close to Villa Park.
Aston also sounds like the name of a very exclusive brand of car, the Aston Martin which is also supposed to be from the West Midlands.
The name Aston I know obviously relates to a part of Birmingham but it's also a name that seems to exude a bit of class.
@@neilburns8869 Not too far to Villa Park, about 7 minutes by car during my days there.
Aston exuding class? Oh yes 😁🤗 though I have to admit Birmingham University is the bigger and older uni in Birmingham.
I am a British watching this video and I loved the positivity in you while exploring the UK. I was feeling proud of my country while watching this. Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!
You are most welcome. You have a great country to be proud about and I look forward to discovering more of it in the future. 😀👍
@@RenataPereiraTV So are u going to make a trip of London once more?
The video is very nice. Actually there is a discount that you can apply for buying train tickets now
A nice watch! As someone who works for a UK train operating company you seem to know more than 90% of the British public when it comes to savings with railcards, ticket pricing and how to board the correct train. Just a couple things to mention though- you mentioned how booking tickets through chiltern railways made the tickets cheaper however any train company’s website will have given you the correct price. This is because you can buy pretty much any national rail ticket from any company’s website interchangeably. Another thing to say (less of a mistake more of just a bit of guidance to anyone else watching) but London Northwestern Railway operates slow services which may be cheaper but I would still almost always recommend travelling on the faster trains, which are now run instead by Avanti, not virgin.
Again, a great watch! Thanks for sharing.
My father was a driver on the LMS railway in the days of steam and drove trains from Birmingham to London. It used to take 1 hour 55min to cover 110 miles with one stop at Coventry or Rugby. Keep in mind they had to start breaking 10 miles from the station and build up speed after a stop. 2 tons of coal was shoveled, work shared between fireman and driver.
It took great skill to bring the 400 odd ton train to a gentle standstill at the dead end buffer stops in Euston.
Oh wow! It’s impressive how far we came, huh? Thanks for sharing your story ❤️
Birmingham is my second fav city in the UK after London. And that New Street Station is probably my fav modern train station!
@@thery__guy9361 Boring !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The video is very nice. Do you need an offer on train ticket?
This is a very minor point but it might be helpful for someone: when collecting train tickets from the ticket machine in a station you do not need to use the same credit card, a credit card just activates the machine, it doesn’t verify any purchase details, so you can use any card (even someone else’s if you lose your wallet! Just ask them to activate the machine for you). That’s a very common misunderstanding because the ticket companies all say you need to use the same card, I don’t know why they say that.
Oh wow! How interesting! Yeah, they mentioned the same credit card in the email. That’s great to know, thanks! 👍
They ask for the same card because if there a single ticket it can identify the booking without the code. Used to work a lot but hasn’t for a couple of years at least for me. I think maybe they deactivated the feature but didn’t update the words.
That’s very helpful. Actually there is a discount that you can apply for buying train tickets now
My father was a driver on the LMS railway before during and after WW2. He drove express steam trains from Birmingham to London. In those days they started in New Street with one stop at Coventry or Rugby. The journey took 1hour 55min and between the driver and fireman they shovelled 2 tons of coal. Given the breaking technology in those days they would start to apply the breaks 12miles outside London in order to coast to a gentle stop at the dead end platform in Euston station.
It's 110 miles from Birmingham to London, dad estimated they hit max speeds of around 90/100mph in places.
If you're travelling a lot by train in the UK, it's worth getting to grips with split-ticketing too.
sometimes by breaking up the tickets for your journey into chunks, it can be cheaper than buying one for the whole journey. The only rule is that the train has to stop at the station where the ticket splits. (So for example, if you were going from Newcastle to Leeds, you could get a ticket from Newcastle to York, and a ticket from York to Leeds, and as long as the train stops in York, the tickets are valid (you don't actually have to get off)).
It's often good if travelling at peak times, which are more expensive, because it may make only part of the journey peak price.
There are split ticketing websites that do all the work for you.
I agree, however as an employee of a UK train operating company, more specifically in a role of checking tickets, my number one problem is people who have split tickets however are not using them correctly. Sure, splitting tickets is a great option for the savvy train traveller, but to those new to the system and it’s quirks it can make a lot of other things difficult, such as flexibility of travel, delay compensation and routing.
just had a look at split tickets, still the same price, no saving!
Thanks for the video. I even found some discount for buying the rail tickets. It's always good to look out for deals that can make travel more affordable.
You are most welcome. Yes, look high and low as there are deals to be had.
Another tip get the train from Marylebone to Birmingham slightly longer but better trains and more comfortable.
Scenery's nicer as well IMHO
Don't worry, rail travel is just as confusing to most of us Brits! Ah for the days when there was just one rail company(British Railways commonly known as BR). I used to live in Birmingham and travelled to London maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I never managed to work out the ticketing system.
*from 1965-1997 it was known at British Rail
You could have done it quicker on Virgin Trains. You get the Edinburgh via Birmingham it's Milton Keynes, Coventry, Birmingham International and New Street. Don' t bother with London Midland again unless you want to die of boredom.
Victor King 😂😂😂 It was soooo much cheaper though!
It's Virgin if you want to pay top prices. Midlands for a slower but cheaper journey. Virgin will also oversell trains. If you can't get a reservation don't buy, otherwise you risk having to stand for the whole journey. It happened to me from Euston to Liverpool one time.
@@heliotropezzz333 Book in advance and you can get decent deals on Virgin. I'd rather pay a bit extra than have to suffer all those stops anyway.
@@MaMu-fv8uo It's good that there's choice. Not everyone can know in advance when they'll need to travel and some people with lower incomes may wish to prioritise low cost fares over time of journey.
Renata did acknowledge that in her video. But you can still pay around £40 or £50 for a weekday morning advanced fare on Virgin. A big difference from the £3.95 each advanced railcard fare on LNWR.
I was getting a 1st class single to Crewe for £13 with LNWR on the 7.46. Okay, you don't get a breakfast, nothing a trip to Sainsbury's just outside the station can't fix, or a muffin and coffee from Burger King on the concourse. I did get Wi fi and a charging point too.
Rugby station, my home town. If you're ever waiting for a train at Rugby, it doesn't matter what the weather is, you'll be freezing cold because of the breeze. It also has the worst road junction in Rugby just outside as there is a single road under the bridge controlled by traffic lights & to get through it can take ages.
Oh wow! Yes, I was wondering about weather conditions as I we saw the stops... realizing that almost all of them are out in the open! Thank you for visiting my channel 🤗😊
@@Robert_DeVille 😂😂😂 We loved the trip! Just didn't try driving...
On a freezing Friday night in January it took one family over 6 hours to get home to Birmingham from London due to technical problems on the railways.
Oh! Not good. We do hear of the problems with British rail....we hope they make improvements for its customers
@@RenataPereiraTV if we are going to solve the massive problems of air pollution in the country then we need to take people out of their polluting cars and vans and into cheap, reliable rail services. I can't see it happening however because the railways are in a mess and will take years to fix and lots of finance. Being a small country , railways should be the first mode of intercity travel but it isn't. Tram networks in the towns and cities could then transport commuters and then they walk the rest of the way. Instead we have towns and cities jammed with traffic everyday especially during the rush hour which is leading to poor air quality.
As always with Renata. everything is very interesting and positive! 👍Thanks
Линия Горизонта I’m so glad you like it! 😍😍 Thank you so much! 😘😘
To avoid confusion, Chiltern don’t run from London Euston but London Marylebone. I would have taken Chiltern service as they are quicker than the one you selected and more comfortable.
How interesting! So funny that as I bought the ticket with Chiltern I really thought I’d travel with them 😂😂
Are they frequent?
Doesn't
Andrew Long oh no no no no. Virgin use to do about 32 pounds for first class and 15 pounds for standard but I was lucky enough to get first class for 18 pounds virgin train is better if it was express services calling at Coventry Birmingham international Birmingham new st it tak less then hour 15 min
Andrew Long chiltern railway is annoying to hot in there it screek a lot and yh
I love there train but I want them to sort out a few things with it
Really good shot selection and editing....and a charming personality. Thank you.
That's Euston station. When they rebuilt in late 60s I think they didn't put a single seat in the station - genius idea!
It was deliberate which seems even more strange
Since then they have added some seating but not much
How funny! Now that you say it I realized... there’s some only in the upper floor, close to the restaurants
I love seeing your video on the city I worked in which is London going to the city I was born in, BIRMINGHAM ! It's great ! I was always on the 6.30am train commuting daily 2 hours to London.
Wow, that is a commute for everyday
@@RenataPereiraTV Yes it certainly was quite a trip to London in the morning and then evening train back to Birmingham ! I eventually decided it was better to use my car , .big mistake I got my wheels clamped a couple of times, when I was busy in.meetings and couldn't come out to put more money iñ the parking metre. Lol
I love the train station its very beautiful and looks modern
Really is modern and great for getting out of town. Thanks for watching
Basically, you can book tickets for any train operator in the UK on any of their websites. This is handy because some companies charge booking fees, so you can book the same ticket with someone else.
Virgin Trains run the express route, whereas London Northwestern run a local stopping service.
one query..is it safe to keep the luggage near train door ? or should i keep it locked with some chain ?
Possibly the slowest rail option, hope it was cheap! Other trains tech Birmingham in a fraction of the time by cutting out most of the intermediate stops.
Hi Spencer, yes, it was super cheap compared to any other option. If I'm not mistaken it was less than 8 pounds for both of us together! As we were not in a hurry, we enjoyed the ride 😉
Very interesting video and I love it. Look forward to more of your travel videos in UK. Thank you, Renata.
pathfinder54321 Thank you! I really appreciate it! 🤗😊😉
Thanks for your sharing. 👍🏼 👍🏼 Great job !
Excellent. Thanks a bunch for sharing. :D
I rode the bus going to the opposite direction, Birmingham to London Heathrow Airport. It was a year ago before the whole lockdown came. It's like I came home in time.
Train maybe is better. Do you need a discount on train tickets?
Wonderful! Hey Renata, when back home spread the world to your fellow Americans about my city Birmingham. It get such bad press here in the UK but if only the detractors got to know the 'new' Birmingham they would be pleasantly surprised! Please come back soon and keep posting your fantastic vlogs.
Thank you so much! Really? I didn't know it gets bad press in the UK... With so many renovation projects going on downtown, I bet Victoria and Centenary squares will be amazing when it's all done! 😍
@@RenataPereiraTV Yeah they cant get pass the accent lol, although it is changing with the influx of people moving up from the south.
ive been on numerous trains in the Birmingham area renata mainly to Coventry Sutton Coldfield Birmingham international Walsall cradley heath and Stourbridge junction and of course Birmingham new street and dorridge on the snow hill line
How nice!
Renata Pereira Yeah very nice indeed Renata I think you should have a go at wolverhampton because you can catch a site on what was the site of wolverhampton low level station
Thanks as allways for good guide!
Саша Левин Thanks to you, Sacha! All the best! 🤗🤗🤗
If you had brought them with Chiltern, you should really have gone to Marylebone and travelled to Birmingham Moor Street or Snow Hill
You can buy any ticket with any operator, but there are all sorts of different tickets for different purposes with certain rules that you have to follow when using them
I like that she keeps her voice down in deference to those around her . . .
👍
Renata - Nice video, even for those of us living in the UK - Your viewers might be interested to know that Euston Station (at the beginning of your video) is going to be completely rebuilt, and will be the London terminus for the first phase of the new HS2 (High Speed 2) line that is going to initially be built between London and Birmingham - and subsequently carry on northwards
David Holmes Oh wow! That’s nice! Thanks for the info, David! I’m sharing now also on UA-cam Stories 🤗🙌👍
Where it all began 😁
Thanks for watching
Welcome to Birmingham, the city I call home :D
Bear Eats World That’s great! Hope you enjoy my next video, it’s in Birmingham ❤️
@@RenataPereiraTV woohooo so pleased you are nearby xx
@@RenataPereiraTV by the way you took the very slow train to Birmingham! The virgin trains are quicker!! Lol
opalfruitcake Yeah, for that price I knew I couldn’t expect much! 😂😂 It was so much cheaper than Virgin that the extra hour it took was even worth it 😉✌️
Surely it's the city you call Brum !
Again and again nice Videos.
I hope to see a lot more of you.
Have a great day.
Diedrich Saathoff Thank you!!! 🤗😉🙌✌️ All the best!!!
You are my favourite UA-camr) Love your vlog ! BIG THANKS 🙏🏻❤️
Mr. Kyle O'Connell That’s one of the best things I heard recently! Thank you so much! 🤗😉😊❤️
You should try a Northern pacer, with northern your train may break down or not turn up at all!
Respect pacers
@@idonotlikeboats9328 Why? Nasty cheap things that should have been scrapped years ago instead of now!
@@Neitherherenorthere970 respect pacers
I do not like Boats pacers are good train very old train now it's scrap rip pacers
Olá Renata!! I hope y’all doing well and having fun! You are so gracious and very professional. Take care and be safe. Abraços 🤗
Carmen B Olá Carmen!!! Muito obrigada! 😘😘🤗🤗 All the best to you!
It’s odd I’m 39 years old and have never used a train in my life before but will do in 2020.
Never too late! Enjoy!
Genial video renata como nos tienes aconstumbrados a todos tus seguidores. me gusta mucho como hablas el ingles, ojala algun dia lo pueda hablar como vos, saludos desde argentina
Ezequiel Nicolas Arnes ¡Hola Ezequiel! ¡Muchas gracias! Sólo necesitas practicar... Cuando uno empieza no le gusta mucho, pero con el tiempo te acostumbras. Un gran abrazo 🤗😊🙌
Great Video! Thank you for sharing this!
Your most welcome!😀
@@RenataPereiraTV --Thank you! I subscribed. You are a doll.
Brigitte Coffman Aww! Thank you so much 😊
Looking forward to more videos from England
tiger princess That’s great! There are looooots coming up ❤️❤️. I’m here editing the next already
Great to see you travelling around the UK :) hope you enjoyed!
PeepOutside. Absolutely! Loooove the UK ❤️
Урааааааааааааааааааааа, новое видео😊🔆🔆🔆и снова перед сном😊🔆Спасибо большое Рената😊🔆🔆🔆
Сергей Степанов Привет, Сергей! Я так рада, что тебе это нравится! Большое спасибо! 🤗🤗🤗🤗
you've forgotten to say that this station is Birmingham new street which has a slightly busy concourse than London Euston this is where you get off here for the town centre and Birmingham moor street on the snow hill line is nearby which takes a few minutes to get there which is what I done
As a UK train commuter your so lucky lmao my local commuter train gets delayed by 30 mins all the time the fact your trip worked with no issues is amazing and also sadly not all trains are cheap trust me stick to the main lines that are cheaper taking less used routes is a nightmare
Jimbob, thank you for the information. We will consider ourselves lucky and fortunate then.👍
Yeah I must say sometimes the cheapest trains are the worst not only in time but the runners themselves. The one you took is ok but can be a bit unreliable but just avoid London commuter trains there some of the worst trains in the country and most of them are pending investigation by the government to see if there fit to run or poorly managed
Thank you for posting this video.
Many rail travellers in the UK still have fond memories of their journeys on board Virgin trains.
Although Avanti has now taken over (end of 2019).
Your enthusiasm is contagious & a brilliant advert for Sir Richard Branson's train operator.
Thank you very much! I appreciate.
You should have got off in Northampton, gone and visited Sulgrave manor, ancestoral home of the Washington family, and Ecton, ancestoral home of Benjamin Franklin.☺️
Thanks for sharing. I have an offer on train tickets.
I'm from Tuscaloosa which is 60 miles south of Birmingham, AL USA. I went to London earlier this year. Next time I go I visit the UK I want to ride a train from London to Birmingham UK. That way I can fly out of Birmingham, Alabama and end up in Birmingham, UK. I would fly BHM - BHX but it's not worth the extra time and stops.
I have come across your channel through this video and I quite liked your style Renata. Hope to see all your UK videos. Good that you are covering cities away from London. I live in Leicester 50 miles from B'ham and visited the city many times. Watching B'ham through your eyes will be interesting.
UK train tickets are complicated. But as you said, if you are flexible and book in advance you can strike a bargain. The train company lures leisure traffic away from peak times. Regards
One tip when collecting your tickets. Make sure you get all your tickets. The machine will spit out tickets, seat reservations, and receipts. The machine should say how many stubs it is printing. Make sure you get all of them.
Good tip! Do you remember if ticket stub comes first or second
The ticket should come first. When the display says ‘printing ______’ check what is coming out. Definitely check that the stubs you scoop out tally with what it says on the display. If you get on the train and you find that you are missing a ticket, the conductor will understand what has happened but will still charge you a full-fare standard class ticket for that portion of the journey.
Good journeys, (well the destinations):
Down to Penzance, emerge onto Mounts Bay and in the distance is St. Michael’s Mount. Penzance itself is not much but it does have a beautiful setting.
St. Michael’s mount - check their web site.
East coast (LNER?) several stops: York. Extremely historical. Durham - Durham Cathedral.
Newcastle - (had) great nightlife.
Edinburgh - tourist central. arrive into Waverley at the foot of Edinburgh castle.
Dundee - discovery centre, V&A museum ( not that much inside) but the journey from Edinburgh to Dundee takes you over the Forth railway bridge, and the Tay railway bridge. Both great views.
Love Birmingham
😍😍
COME TO BIRMINGHAM ASK FOR DANNY G
Travelled from Euston to Birmingham by train to attend IWE... , held in Birmingham
Muito feliz por ter descoberto esse canal, muito bom!!!
Hélio Barbosa Oi Hélio! Que ótimo, obrigada! 🤗🤗 Tenho também outro canal totalmente em português onde coloco estes mesmos vídeos. Na semana que vem ou na próxima vou conseguir equiparar a este (estou correndo aqui na edição pra conseguir, kkk). Se você preferir, é este: UA-cam.com/renatapereira. Bjs e tudo de bom!
@@RenataPereiraTV pra mim está ótimo esse canal, além de um conteúdo que amo, viagens, aproveito e treino meu listening, hehe
Hélio Barbosa Maravilha então! 🙌🙌🙌
Thank you for sharing. Actually there is a discount that you can apply for buying train tickets now
Thank you for sharing.
I just found 5%off on trainpal. you too?!
2:45 not only you get to see Wembley stadium but you can also Wembley yard
Yes, thanks for pointing that out
@@RenataPereiraTV no worries
Hi Renata, I just found your channel here. Wow!! Riding a train from London to Birmingham. Absolutely awesome. How far is that? The tickets look interesting. My father-in-law actually came from England. Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. I have just subscribed to your channel. All the best from Robert in Melbourne Australia.
RGC198: The rail distance from London Euston to Birmingham New Street is 182 km (113 miles).
Nice content @Renata
Thank you very much
I once went to a fancy dress party in Birmingham where the theme was "spice".
I went as a chilli pepper, but everyone else came as astronauts.
I bet that you had your work cut out finding a seat when the platform was announced. That's certainly the case with the Glasgow Central train.
Lovely
Thank you😀
1:20 you can book tickets with any company and they will accept them on any other company unless it specifically says otherwise on the ticket. This is all about to change though with the new national ‘great British railways’ operator which will run the ticket operations.
Thanks for sharing the information
Great video love it and your first train you got to ride some more trains
Yes 🤗😍! I’m adding all the train videos to this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLUt18OGs5Ho4UygKdEnmRTM8z2cg133ag.html ✌️
muy buen video princesa gracias !
London 😍😋
Fantastic city😃👍
@@RenataPereiraTV 👍🏻👍🏻😁
1.18 " Euston, we have problem"........lol.
That’s a good one! 😂😂😂
Advanced tickets stipulate which train you should travel on.
Ahhhhh! That explains a lot! Thank you! 👍
Now I know how to get around on the train in the UK! Thank you :)
Chris Potts My pleasure! We got other trains after this and each time it was a slightly different experience. Will share everything here 😊😉
Can't wait because that was your very first time taking the train in the UK I believe? Also nice to know you saved 100 pounds if not more. I will keep that in mind as I would like to fly into Heathrow and fly out of Manchester back to the states when I do go visit, so I will for sure take the rail. :)
Chris Potts Yes! My very first time and yes, the trains are amazing and so worth it! I just visited Manchester too 😍😍, so nice!
Ah Manchester looks cool. Maybe we will meet up in the sky one day! I mostly fly American but looking to branch out. I want to experience British Airways. Excited! Your channel is looking great. I can see your passion. :)
Chris Potts Thanks! Yeah, you never know 🙌🙌. I fly a lot of American too, mostly domestic. Out of the US I recently found better deals on United and Delta. All the best!
Welcome to the crazy world of UK rail ticketing prices.
I used London North Western to Liverpool. I use split ticketing.
1st leg, LNWR Euston to Crewe. Separate off peak return Crewe to Liverpool that enabled me to use either Virgin or LNWR from Crewe. If you just put in London to Liverpool, you only get Virgin fares, as they're the only operator to do the route in a single leg. I too get 34% discount with a Disabled Railcard. Even the 1st class fare on LNWR is quite competitive in advance. Their trains are usually busy, and just 4 coaches on this route. You'll notice the experienced travellers run for the train as soon as the platform is displayed, as they know seating is limited.
Also beware, sometimes you will have similar fares for the same journey. Both could be for example off peak day returns, but one is for a single operator, say Virgin, the other for any operator running that route. In Epsom you can get two different off peak travelcards. The cheaper is for Southern services only, while the slightly more expensive allows use on both South Western Railways and Southern to the start of TfL Zone 6.
Just watch out you and any other visitors don't get tripped up. They can fine you, or make you buy a new ticket on the train for the journey because the one you have is technically void for that journey or operator.
St Ives has some beautiful beaches. You could visit St Ives. I'm not forcing you to go I'm just saying.
Or anywhere in the West Country.
It sounds like you are trying to force her tbh
Awesome irmã enjoyed..... did you get (4.05) scared when train crossed you....?
Dharma Raj Yes, totally! 😂😂 I didn’t see it coming! 🤣🤣
@Rosida Andriyana yeah......
Renata, you should have visited the area they call the Black Country, very rich cultural and industrial heritage. Also there are areas close by with Roman ruins. All interesting stuff but not well known.
My next video is exactly about Birmingham ❤️. I visited as much as I could, I'm just not sure about the Black Country... I didn't hear this expression before 🤔. Maybe I did and don't even know... Hope I don't disappoint with the next video then 😉
@Hammer 001 You have no idea what you're talking about. Birmingham is not part of the Black Country. ... 😤😤😤😤
@Hammer 001 As they said, Birmingham is not part of the Black Country. Most people from the other towns and cities are not too happy with the fact that Brum gets all the £££.
Hammer 001 Sandwell and Dudley are no more a part of Birmingham than Brighton is London or Sunderland is Newcastle. Black Country folk and Brummies are proud of their heritage and wouldn't take kindly to you saying they are the same.
Renata Pereira To get to the Black Country you need to get the train from Birmingham Snow Hill To Cradley Heath where the merry hill shopping centre is nearby
The last time I was in New Street station was in 1963. It was dirty, cold and smokey. I was in the Army waiting for the Devonian to take me northwards. Wonderful old steam trains but very, very dirty and smelly. A bit like me and the other soldiers I suppose !
Oh wow! How interesting! Thanks for sharing your story and all the best! 🤗😊
You must be 95yrs now
@@nokeysbooker9632 You can joi the British army from 16 years old. So could be as young as 80. ;)
Well at least you got to see lots of countryside.
You should visit sunny BRIGHTON while you are in UK 😎👍
SERGEJS VISNEVSKIS I heard it’s pretty nice there! ✌️😉
@@RenataPereiraTV Yes, especially if sun is shining 😎👍
Brighton Marina, Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Pier, The Lanes, Brighton i360, a lot to discover 😍
If you like PEBBLE Beaches :)
@@Isleofskye lol
Just discovered . First class!
Just for the record the West Midlands which includes Birmingham is the single biggest influence on Rock music of all time.
Thanks for sharing. And you favorite band from the area?
@@RenataPereiraTV
It's gotta be OG line up Sabbath.
Originally from Liverpool and now living in Scottsdale, AZ, I take the train from London to Liverpool when visiting home. Oh yes it’s 8 pounds sterling
So far away from home. What a cheap price for the train
Is that the first time ever you tried the British trains love
Yes, very first time. That’s why I got confused 😬
im glad you enjoyed it love I've been on the British trains a couple of times mainly to either go on the snow hill line to Birmingham international or even to Sutton Coldfield or even stations I have never been to before
Should have visited the black country. Only about a 15/20 minute ride from Birmingham. It’s very hard working area and we are very proud of our history. But you probably wouldn’t understand our accents😉
I have been to the black country, sandwell! It's a nice clean area with a number of warehouses. I enjoyed my time there!
Shocking the train wasn’t delayed like most trains in the UK
Not really, look up the stats. It’s most likely confirmation bias that’s making you think the system is worse than it actually is.
You have a lovely accent! Hope you enjoyed your time with us
Hi Renata, thank you for the informative video! I will be heading London to Birmingham in a week's time. Will be travelling with my husband and we have two mid to large size luggage. Are there proper storage space onboard for these? Did you travel with the Virgin train? - Andrea
Andrea Tan Hi Andrea! We also had 2 large suitcases and everything was fine. In most trains there’s a storage area in each wagon, right by the door. Only 1 train during our trip didn’t have it, but there was a large empty area by the bathroom and we left the suitcases there. No, didn’t use Virgin because they were the most expensive, but I heard it’s considered the best and fastest. Enjoy!
@@RenataPereiraTV I see... That was very assuring. Thanks again! :)
@TheRenaissanceman65 Thanks for your reply. I went on the Virgin train and it was all good and comfy. I am now back home. Times flies when you are on a holiday. Sigh! Missing the cool (but not the wet) weather in the UK.
Be careful to avoid rush hour trains, heavily packed and standing room only let alone room for luggage. Train capacity is very poor.
@@RenataPereiraTV Hopefully sometime in this century they will have long, double decker , high speed trains like those on mainland Europe in order to reduce overcrowding on the trains.
Hi I was so excited today cause I met her is was awesome
gaming tube It was wonderful to meet you, you are so nice and fun! 🤗🤗 I wish you a great time on UA-cam and all the best for your channel 🙌🙌
Support your channel,have a great time
The tickets usually allow you to travel via any route BUT there are restrictions on whether that route can include london or not. It does not matter who's trains you get on as long as you get to your destination even if you must change trains multiple times. You wont be allowed to break your journey if it isnt a direct one, which means you have to stay on the station when changing trains. Usually they only let you break the journey on the return ticket anyway.
You probably wouldn't get away with taking a VERY indirect route, depends on who is checking the tickets and if they care lol. Its basically up to them. So if there are 2 operators using the same lines and stopping at the same destination, you can use whichever you like. But sometimes there is a line going directly to the destination and another line that goes off to somewhere else that has a service going to the same destination. You can take that route as well but change at the other station.
On the return journey you usually can "break" your journey. That means if you wanted to take a look at Milton Keynes on the way back to London they would normally let you through the barriers and out of the station.
Ohhhhh! Thank you so much for your explanation! I really appreciate it! ❤ That's great to know, it will help me a lot with future planning!
BEWARE, however! dlarge6502's comments above do NOT apply to Advance tickets of the type you were using. The regulations for Advance tickets say: "Sold in limited numbers and subject to availability, these tickets are only valid on the date/train specified". (You will notice that the machine gave you seat tickets as well as travel tickets.)
You did well to purchase such tickets, being quite sure of which day and on which train you wanted to travel. But if you want or need the kind of flexibility dlarge6502 was talking about then you do have to pay more -- for an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket (these are not train-specific). If you buy an Advance ticket and then miss the train for which it was valid you lose your money ...but if, as in your case, you paid only £3.95 for a rail journey of around 120 miles that was a risk well worth taking, I'd say!
@@YnysmydwrTHIS! I was hoping someone cleared up some of the misinformation in OP’s post. Not only advance tickets, but specifically:
- Route-Specific Tickets (eg “Valid only via Rugby”, or “valid only via (changing trains or passing) Westbury
- TOC-specific tickets (eg Northern Only, TPE Only, SWR only)
And less commonly, but still a worthy mention-
- “Split” Tickets (the act of buying multiple tickets that covers a full journey which work out cheaper than buying the inclusive ticket) as these are often **strictly** route-specific, time-specific (even if not obviously mentioned) or TOC-specific (as mentioned earlier, and also often not obviously mentioned)
The easiest rule to go by is this:
If you’re unsure if the ticket is correct, buy a different one or ask a qualified member of staff (ticket office, ticket ambassadors, revenue protection, gateline, guard)
In the 90s, train stations were just open. There were no ticket barriers and you didn't need a ticket to enter them. You could just walk onto a train with no ticket and no id. I live in America now but England looks much more regulated than it was before I left. It was always a tough place to live day to day.
Really? How interesting! Thanks for sharing your perspective. All the best!
I'm sorry 3506Dodge, but that's nonsense.
@@ericthemauve Why?
@@3506Dodge Why is it nonsense? ...because it's just not true. I've been travelling regularly on the British rail network since the 1960s and almost always have had my ticket checked. Your experience of UK rail travel is obviously very limited.
@@ericthemauve I didn't say that tickets weren't checked. I said there were no ticket barriers. I traveled all over. You could physically go anywhere without a ticket. The ticket was checked on the train, not at a barrier at the entrance to the station.
nice videos it reminds me a lot of my travel to london with the same train! love how you presented your video! and one more thing, you look alike younger version of Celine Dion :)
You can get some great deals if you are prepared to be flexible. I once got a return to Manchester Piccadilly leaving Euston on Saturday morning and returning on Sunday evening for £22
What kind of camera do you use?
Ronda Cobb In this video I used mainly the Sony RX100 IV
Thank you
How long does it take to get there
You should have followed Brad Pitt's lead & taken the Virgin trains service all the way up to Glasgow.
Many a beautiful sight and sound up in Scotland.
Hope that you thoroughly enjoyed your vacation anyway.
We did and you gave us a great idea for a return visit. Thank you!
Hi, today I subscribed to your channel you are doing a fantastic job I am also a travel blogger recently I start that I am going to the UK in the new year your blogs are very helpful for me. Whenever you will planning to come to Pakistan I live to be your host
Thank you! We would love to visit your country. I like your content. Work hard, produce many videos and success will come your way. I hope our paths cross in the future.
I'm so glad you called it football
how much time it will take from London to Birmingham in train
Depending what stations...1 hour 20 min to 1 hour 50 minutes
@@RenataPereiraTV the distance to Birmingham is just over 170 km. That means the average speed was just over 80 kmph, or less if there were disruptions on the railways like signal failures or power failures.
In 10 years time, it'll take only 40 minutes to get from London to Birmingham, when the new HS2 line is opened - they're just starting to build it now. So, 10 years and 40 minutes...
Oh wow!!!! That’s impressive!
@@danensis You mean like th £3bn spend on upgrading the Great Western Line, and the £1b on the Northern Hub? Or hundreds of millions spent on the railways in Scotland? Sure, not everyone wants to travel to London, and they should have started building HS2 in the North, but it will link Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds and reduce a huge amount of capacity for freigh to come from the south eastern ports to the midlands and north. So both are happening now, both should continue to happen and, oh, not a white elephant: it will be used.
@@simhedgesrex7097 - Yes, just imagine 70 schemes like that instead of one vanity scheme that doesn't even link up with HS1. As for freight, why was the Central Railway scheme scrapped? It would have done all that and more.
@@danensis Yeah, sure it would. Just like the London to Swansea electrification should have been finished 2 years ago.
Virgin Trains are a lot faster if you want to go to Birmingham New Street. Although you could take an express from London Marylebone on Chiltern Railways.