Originally Posted by
Scots_Al
No, this is not something which happens in the UK.
As the OP says their tickets are "in hand" there should be no problems.
But if you buy certain UK train tickets via a mobile app, including Virgin Trains app, then you do need to take the separate step of "activating" them before you have a valid ticket.
Originally Posted by
Ldnn1
Indeed - and is something that often catches Brits out when travelling in Europe as we are not at all used to it.
And some Europeans are caught out when buying UK tickets online as they don't realise they still need to pick them up before travelling.