Bath is 90 minutes west of London by train, 2.5 hours by car

This London rail station was catapulted to fame as the location of Platform 9 3/4 in the Harry Potter books and movies

This redbrick Victorian castle is London's prettiest rail station—and home to the Eurostar to the Continent

Major train stations in London

Rail travel in the U.K.

Is the Britrail pass—good for unlimited travel on the national rail network—worth it in the U.K.?

The Caledonian Sleeper and other overnight trains between England and Scotland

Sleeping on an overnight train is a relatively safe endeavor, but take a few sensible precautions to avoid pickpockets and thieves and sleep more soundly

A cheat-sheet of the most important things to know when riding the British rails

The U.K.'s main train lines

Like the trains themselves, European train stations tend to be clean and user-friendly—with tourist info, hotel booking service, left luggage lockers or offices, and decent snack bars (in case you forget to pick up train picnic supplies in town)

How to get the cheapest fares on British trains

Connecting London to Paris, Brussels, and the rest of Continental Europe at high speeds though the Chunnel

Young adults, families, seniors, and couples can get 1/3 off all trains with a £30 railcard

Trains to Oxford take 60–70 min (£5–£32) from London's Paddington Station

Trains to Bath take 90 min (£17–£95) from London's Paddington Station