Rail Tickets
You can buy tickets for FirstScotRail trains at stations, from major travel agents, or over the phone and online with a credit card. If the ticket office at the station is closed, you can usually buy a ticket on board from the inspector using cash or a credit card. However, the inspector cannot always issue discounted or special-offer tickets.

Discount Fares and Passes
FirstScotRail trains offers an extensive range of ticketing options with discounts available over a huge array of categories based on for example, age, numbers travelling, advance booking and time of travel, and combining train travel with other transport options. It's all explained on the First Scotrail website and there's bound to be something for most travellers.

FirstScotRail also offers a couple of travel passes worth considering. The most flexible is the Freedom of Scotland Travelpass, which gives unlimited train travel within Scotland. It's also valid on all CalMac ferries and on various buses in the remoter regions, and gives discounts on Northlink ferries to Orkney and Shetland. Various versions of the pass are available with discounts for national rail card holders. The Highland Rover is more limited in scope, allowing unlimited travel on trains within the Highland region, plus the West Highland Line, travel between Aberdeen and Aviemore and a few connecting bus routes.

For details of all the numerous discounted national rail passes running to, from, and around Scotland, visit the National Rail enquiries website.

If Scotland is only a part of your itinerary, more flexible - if more expensive - options are the various national rail passes which allow unlimited travel across mainland Britain. The only one that can be bought in the UK is the All-Line Rover, which allows 7 or 14 consecutive days' travel (with discounts for national rail card holders). BritRail passes are only available for purchase before you leave your home country, through local travel agents or online. There are various discounts available for those under 26 or over 60, and for those with children.

If you've been resident in a European country other than the UK for at least 6 months, an InterRail pass, allowing unlimited train travel within Britain might be a cost-effective way to travel, if Scotland is part of a longer European trip. This can also be purchased online at the RailEurope website.