CrossCountry: Train Tickets, Schedules, and Routes

Buy CrossCountry tickets conveniently and easily at Omio

Are you looking for CrossCountry tickets to travel across the UK? Then Omio is the right place for you. With Omio, you'll find the best conditions when it comes to finding affordable tickets for your CrossCountry train travel. CrossCountry is a British train operator that takes you to numerous places all over the UK. Take advantage of CrossCountry's offers and promotions and book your tickets at low prices with Omio. Whether it's from London to Birmingham or from Glasgow to Edinburgh, CrossCountry's route map offers you unimagined possibilities and Omio helps you enjoy maximum savings. Omio is an innovative booking portal that offers you many advantages around the purchase of tickets for your train journeys with CrossCountry. You will get an overview of all available timetables and find out which connection offers you the cheapest price and which train will get you to your destination the fastest. You can buy your tickets online and also manage or cancel your booking.

Find affordable tickets for CrossCountry with Omio

With Omio you can find many different fares and ticket types that you can easily compare. This way, you always have the possibility to get the ticket that exactly fits your needs at the best price. Need to find out what you need to do to get your tickets for CrossCountry? Just enter your departure city and destination in the search mask, choose the date you want and you will get an overview of all available routes. After you have selected the offer that suits you best, you can easily pay with your credit card, Paypal or Sofort. Omio will send you a confirmation e-mail immediately after your payment. Your e-tickets are immediately available online or offline. By booking your CrossCountry tickets with Omio, you can save time, money and the hassle of searching for the best deals. Book your tickets for your train rides with CrossCountry with Omio and start your vacation relaxed.

Everything you need to know about CrossCountry

CrossCountry was launched in 2007 as the brand name of the British rail company XC Trains Limited. The rail provider from Great Britain is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains. Thus, CrossCountry is also associated with Deutsche Bahn. The route map includes connections between various cities throughout the UK. There are not too many intermediate stops. As the name already suggests, CrossCountry attaches great importance to transporting its passengers as quickly as possible across the UK. If you want to travel by train through England, Wales or Scotland, you can look forward to short journey times. The trains stop only at the most important and larger stations along the route, which saves a lot of time. CrossCountry's central station is Birmingham New Street station, where all the company's trains either stop or end. The routes from Birmingham to Newcastle, from Birmingham to Manchester and from Birmingham to Stansted Airport are among CrossCountry's most important core connections. Trains here run every hour. Trains also run every hour from Cardiff Central to Nottingham and from Sheffield to York. Some of the other important and popular stations on CrossCountry's network include Edinburgh Waverly, Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter St. Davids, Plymouth and Bath Spa.

CrossCountry trains offer different classes. The Standard Class and the First Class. CrossCountry trains travel at speeds of up to 124 mph (200 km/h). For the most part, these are high-speed trains that give you a fast and reliable travel option. CrossCountry operates the longest train service in all of Great Britain, with a connection from Penzance in Cornwall to Aberdeen in Scotland. In total, CrossCountry serves 119 stations. The main line is the so-called CrossCountry Route. The East Coast Main Line is a branch line.

A CrossCountry train at King's Cross station in London. Source: Pixabay

Train ticket types at CrossCountry

With Omio you can find the latest CrossCountry schedule but also all the ticket types available to you. Depending on availability and demand, you can use all fares offered by CrossCountry. CrossCountry currently offers you many different options. For example, the Off-Peak ticket, the First-Class ticket, the Season ticket and the Advance ticket. Find out here how you can save with each type of ticket:

The Anytime ticket

With the Anytime ticket you can travel whenever you want. With this flexible ticket you can use the train at any time of the day. You can choose between an Anytime Day Single for a one-way trip, the Anytime Day Return ticket for a round trip or the Anytime Return ticket. If you're not quite sure when you want to use the train, this ticket option is just right. You can travel when and where you want.

The Off-Peak ticket

Off-Peak tickets are only valid at certain times. You are generally only allowed to use trains that do not operate during peak hours. At CrossCountry, your Off-Peak tickets are available after 9:30 a.m. and outside the hours of 3:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

First-Class tickets

If you are looking for a little more comfort, then you should book a First-Class ticket. First Class offers a number of amenities, including more comfortable reclining seats, larger tables, and complimentary food and beverages. With a First-Class ticket, you can sit back, relax and enjoy your trip with all your senses. The upgrade is especially worthwhile on longer routes!

The PlusBus tickets

With the practical PlusBus tickets you can use the train, but also buses and trams. You can use the PlusBus ticket before the start or after the end of your train ride. The inexpensive PlusBus tickets save you the trouble of having to buy tickets for other means of public transport. Just change trains and you're done. PlusBus tickets are also much cheaper than individual tickets. PlusBus tickets are perfect for a day trip or a city break.

The Season tickets

Season tickets are valid for a longer period of time. With the Annual Season ticket from CrossCountry you can travel 52 weeks a year at a low price. It costs just as much as a 40 Weekly Season ticket. The Monthly Season ticket is valid for one month and is cheaper than four Weekly Season tickets. Weekly Season tickets are valid for a total of seven days and cost less than five daily tickets. Thanks to the discounts for Season tickets, you can save a lot.

The Advance ticket

CrossCountry Advance tickets are available up to twelve weeks before your scheduled departure. In contrast to a regular ticket, Advance Tickets, which you have to buy in advance, are much cheaper.

Classes at CrossCountry

CrossCountry offers you two different classes: Standard Class and First Class. First Class offers you, among other things, more legroom and better comfort than Standard Class. For example, you can enjoy a selection of complimentary snacks and beverages.

The Standard Class on CrossCountry train rides

Comfortable seats that invite you to relax await you in CrossCountry's Standard Class. You can use free Wi-Fi to work or stream a movie during the journey. There's plenty of space for your luggage, and for your physical well-being, you'll be offered delicious on-board catering on most routes.

First Class on CrossCountry train rides

In First Class, you can enjoy complimentary beverages and snacks from a seat service. On longer routes, you'll even be served complimentary sandwiches. First Class on CrossCountry means traveling in style. Among the many extras offered to you are the ultra-comfortable larger reclining seats with extra legroom. Table space makes for perfect utility, and free Wi-Fi gives you room to get important work done or have some pure leisure time fun. Make yourself at home on the comfortable seats and enjoy the quiet atmosphere to take a little nap or dedicate yourself to your work. With CrossCountry First Class, you can sit back and relax.

Train types: discover Great Britain in different ways

CrossCountry – a train that gets you there fast. The high-speed trains of the CrossCountry rail company travel at top speeds of up to 124 mph (200 km/h) on a well-developed route map. CrossCountry operates three different types of trains on its network. 

The British Class 170, often referred to as the Turbostar, is a diesel-powered train that reaches up to 99 mph (160 km/h). The older British Class 43 trains can even reach up to 124 mph (200 km/h) with their diesel locomotive. The Class 220 and 221 trains, also known as Voyager, also travel at up to 124 mph (200 km/h). These trains feature diesel-electric propulsion.

CrossCountry's high-speed trains operate on the Southwest–Northeast routes and in Scotland. The Turbostar trains operate between Cardiff and Nottingham, Birmingham and Stansted Airport, and Birmingham and Leicester.

Timetable information: timetables and timetable changes at CrossCountry

The CrossCountry route map stretches from Aberdeen to Penzance and offers you a wealth of opportunities to get to know the UK in all its facets. Visit one of the many towns along the route. Thanks to a well-established timetable, you are always guaranteed a good connection. CrossCountry designs its timetable six months in advance to offer its customers the highest possible reliability. Nevertheless, even CrossCountry may experience schedule changes at short notice. Technical problems or even a strike cannot be planned for and can upset even the best-designed timetable. Unfortunately, Omio cannot guarantee that the arrival and departure times on the CrossCountry timetable will be adhered to. Of course, we will always inform you about all current changes.

If everything runs according to schedule, you can travel by train from Oxford to Manchester in less than three hours. There are about five trains a day on this route. The journey from Plymouth to Edinburgh takes a little longer, around eight hours. There are about three trains a day. On other routes, there are considerably more trains, some of which even run every hour.

Radcliffe Library in Oxford. Source: Pixabay

Across the UK: By train through England, Wales and Scotland

Want to get inspired for your trip through the UK? CrossCountry takes you from Scotland in the north to Cornwall on the southwest coast. Want to explore Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham and other cities? CrossCountry also takes you to Cardiff and Birmingham! At CrossCountry, hundreds of train connections await you every day, taking you across the UK by direct route.

The most popular routes here include, for example, the train journeys from Glasgow to Edinburgh. You want to travel from Manchester to Birmingham? No problem! Whether from Bristol to Cardiff, from Newcastle to Edinburgh or from Leicester to Birmingham – with CrossCountry you can reach your destination comfortably. Travel from Leeds to York, from Nottingham to Birmingham and back or from Sheffield to Leeds – there are countless connections that allow you to reach many cities in the UK quickly and easily by train.

Most popular routes with CrossCountry

One of the most popular CrossCountry routes is the connection between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Depending on the train you choose, the journey takes about 60 to 90 minutes. The route from Manchester to Birmingham and back is also one of the most frequently used routes of CrossCountry. For example, you start your journey from Manchester Piccadilly station and travel through green fields, hills and forests until you leave the train at Birmingham New Street station after about 90 minutes. You have a choice of about 20 connections a day.

The route from Bristol to Cardiff takes you past the mouth of the river Severn, your gaze resting on the gently shimmering water and inviting you to dream. You will reach your destination after about 50 minutes.

The sustainable way: climate-friendly travel with CrossCountry

The newer trains used by CrossCountry in particular, which have diesel-electric drive, make a significant contribution to protecting the environment. The ability to use tickets digitally also represents sustainable mobility. In addition, traveling by train is a travel option that does justice to the environment. Traveling by train doesn't just mean enjoying comfort from the very first minute. The emissions of environmentally harmful substances per passenger and kilometer traveled are significantly lower here than when traveling by car.

Tips for train travel with CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a family-friendly rail company. In addition to special family tickets and compartments for families, CrossCountry offers children numerous discounts when purchasing tickets. Children under the age of five even travel for free when accompanied by an adult.

You want to continue your train ride with your bike? You can easily take your bike on board with CrossCountry! On most CrossCountry trains, you will find two reservable bike parking spaces and another space for non-registered bikes. As a general rule, bicycles may only be taken on board if there is sufficient space available. We therefore recommend that you make a reservation. There are no costs for the transport of your bike.

Although there are no mandatory rules on the size of your luggage at CrossCountry, it should still measure a maximum of 34 x 28 x 12 inches (90 cm x 70 cm x 30 cm). The available storage space is limited. Smaller pieces of luggage can be stowed under the front seat. Bags and suitcases can be stored in the luggage compartment. If you exceed the baggage allowance, CrossCountry may charge an additional fee.

If you want to use Wi-Fi, you should be aware that CrossCountry has introduced a so-called Fair Usage Policy. This means that you can be restricted from accessing websites or streaming services that require high capacity bandwidth. This is the only way to ensure that free Wi-Fi use is possible for all travelers.

Discover Great Britain with CrossCountry: the main destinations

Whether you want to explore Birmingham or take a city break to Bristol, the UK has a lot to offer. Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK, has a wide variety of things to do. Explore the many sights, enjoy world-class entertainment, stroll through museums and galleries, or indulge in one of the many gourmet restaurants. Birmingham is a vibrant city full of life. Culture, shopping and trendy bars – there's almost nothing here that isn't. The famous Bullring is one of Birmingham's biggest attractions. It is a true Eldorado for those who like to go shopping. Discover architectural highlights like the Great Western Arcade or visit the Chinese Quarter. For culture enthusiasts, the Theatreland district is an absolute must. To end an exciting day, you can visit bars, pubs and clubs on Broad Street.
Discover more Birmingham attractions in our travel guide The Window Seat.

Are you drawn to Scotland? You want to get to know Edinburgh? Edinburgh inspires with beautiful medieval architecture and fascinating stone buildings. Surrounded by the sparkling blue waters of the sea and beautiful green hills, the city invites you to a trip into nature. With CrossCountry you can easily travel to Edinburgh from Glasgow and many other places. Edinburgh Waverly train station is located in the heart of the city, so you can easily reach most of Edinburgh's attractions on foot.

Don't miss a visit to Manchester or York. In Manchester, visit the famous Old Trafford soccer stadium, the John Rylands Library or the heart of the city – Albert Square. In York you can visit the National Railway Museum or marvel at the old walls of Fountains Abbey. It is guaranteed not to be boring!

Fountains Abbey in York. Source: Pixabay

CrossCountry: offers and deals

Besides special offers for families and groups, CrossCountry offers you many other discounts. There are several discount cards you can take advantage of, for example:

• The Family & Friends Railcard is valid for up to four adults and four children (ages 5-15). Adults receive a one-third discount, while children receive a 60 percent discount.
• Ideal for friends and couples is the Two Together Railcard. If two travel together, they each receive a one-third discount on train travel.
• The Senior Railcard is for people over 60 years of age.
• The Disabled Persons Railcard is for people with a disability. If they travel together with another adult, that adult also receives a one-third discount on their fare.
• For commuters and travelers in the southeast of England, the Network Railcard is ideal. It is valid for up to four adults and four children ages 5-15, with children receiving 60 percent off their fare.
• The 16–17 Saver, 16–25 Railcard and 26–30 Railcard offer some discounts to young people.