How to get a refund for a UK train or bus ticket

It's easy to refund your UK train or bus ticket in your Rail Europe account, as long as the ticket you bought permits it. Following is everything you need to know about how to claim a UK train or bus ticket refund.

Please note that if you are seeking a refund for an unused train or bus ticket, you are still bound to the fare conditions. Rail Europe doesn’t charge any fee to process your refund. Part of your ticket price may not be reimbursed depending on the fares conditions of your ticket.

Refunds conditions

Refund policies vary depending the type of fare purchased:

Advance fares	Non-refundable. If the train the client purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, special arrangements will be made to accommodate the client on another train (although a seat cannot be guaranteed).
Anytime and Off-Peak fares	Refundable There is a £5 fee, deducted from each amount refunded, no matter what is the total refund amount. Thus, if the ticket value is less that £5, then it is useless to apply for a refund/exchange. For instance: An Off-Peak Ticket at £100 will be refunded £95 maximum. An Anytime Return Ticket at £180 will be refunded £175 maximum. A booking at £200 composed of two Anytime tickets at £100 each, will be refunded £190 maximum (the £5 fee applies for each ticket).

Advance fares

Non-refundable. If the train the client purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, special arrangements will be made to accommodate the client on another train (although a seat cannot be guaranteed).

Anytime and Off-Peak fares

Refundable There is a £5 fee, deducted from each amount refunded, no matter what is the total refund amount. Thus, if the ticket value is less that £5, then it is useless to apply for a refund/exchange. For instance:

An Off-Peak Ticket at £100 will be refunded £95 maximum.
An Anytime Return Ticket at £180 will be refunded £175 maximum.
A booking at £200 composed of two Anytime tickets at £100 each, will be refunded £190 maximum (the £5 fee applies for each ticket).

How to refund your ticket

You can request a refund via your Rail Europe account. It only takes a minute and you'll get instant confirmation!

Even if you didn't register for an account when you placed your order, if you sign up with the same email address later you'll find previous orders stored in the new account.

1: Find the journey you want to refund under Your trips in your account.
2: Review its fare conditions to see the options and any fees. Select "Cancellation options" to specify the changes you want to make and request a refund.
3: Select which journeys and passenger(s) you wish to cancel, and select "Calculate refund".
4: You'll see a breakdown of your ticket price, cancellation fees and refund due. Click "Confirm" to proceed with the refund.
5: Once you confirm your refund, we'll send an email confirming the details. You'll also see a note alongside the cancelled ticket. Your payment card will be credited immediately and the refund will show in your account within a few days.

Refund requests for UK tickets

UK rail operators will ask you select a refund reason. Be careful to select the correct one!

For some UK tickets you can request a refund for cancelled trains or exceptional circumstances (medical reasons or bereavement). These refunds require proof, so please don't choose this option if you can't provide evidence.

Claims for non-flexible tickets

If you chose a non-refundable ticket, you won't be able to cancel it via your Rail Europe account. We are bound by the fare conditions that are set by the rail operator, so we can only change or cancel your order if the fare conditions permit it.

Under some exceptional circumstances, for example, the hospitalisation of a passenger on the date of travel, or death of a close relative, we may be able to obtain a refund on your behalf by submitting a claim, click here to contact us.