Virgin Trains Cheap Rate Travel!!!!!!! Need Help!!

djohn2002uk

Don't forget to let us know how you get on at Bangor station...

oap

Well I nearly did not post this, as you will all think I am stark raving bonkers which I am beginning to think I am, talk about senior moments, hmmmmmm.

Did a twenty two mile round trip this pm , went to Bangor Station, told them the story, we want to go one change, Bangor to Crewe, one and a quarter hours wait, (in the warm in the waiting room with our butties!!!) then Crewe to Cheltenham Spa, we are told this cannot be done, oh yes it can says the rather severe clerk with an attitude! Oh good said I, "when do you go, "told him, when do you come back, told him, you need a super saver then £32 return each , what all the way to Cheltenham from Bangor, yes, that is with your senior railcard, great, you know we want to go just one change at Crewe, yes.

We would like to book two seats then, looks at computer, you can book them coming back but not going, why, they are not available, oh. Will leave it then because we want to sit together, funny look!! Of course, I took it not available meant there were none!!

Go out of station ring family, cant come that day, no seats available, missed the bus so an hours wait, go round shops, whilst going round shops methinks maybe there is another train on the outgoing journey we could book seats,
walk all the way back to the station feeling by now knackered, hello again I said, the man with the attitude looked at me and looked up at the ceiling, is there another train we could go on that day that we could book seats, well he said you are going super saver, why not wait until the seats are available, this leaves me pondering ................ I thought there were no seats available," he says, no they have not been released yet, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dawns on me, no seats available meant no seats released yet, you have six weeks yet he says, come back later," when? I said, I dont know he said, when the seats are released, I had to do twenty two miles to speak to you today, have you a phone, he looks at the ceiling again, queue getting longer behind me!! No I have not, its enough doing this without answering the phone as well!! Well how do I know when the seats are released, just come again nearer the time!!

Now you are all up to speed with this and no doubt are rolling around the floor laughing your socks off, my hair is not grey, but today it went a shade lighter, and I have not sworn so much for ages, I still have not got our tickets.

SO, AFTER I GOT HOME ................ I will ring Virgin again and try again,I thought they may have the seats released before the station, go through the computer, tell it all it asks me, get forwarded to a foreign country again, helpful lady, I explain AGAIN where I want to go to from!! Cheltenham from Bangor via Crewe, London to Crewe, no Bangor , right, London to Crewe, no Bangor, NORTH WALES, oh!!

Oh you cannot do that, you have to change at Chester and at Birmingham, no I want a super saver ticket with seats booked (hopefully if you have them) one change at Crewe, no we only have two changes, explain we are old and do not want to change twice, and will wait at Crewe for an hour, sorry we cannot do that, you have to change twice, I hung up, you are all now as wise as me !!!!!!

If anyone is interested I will tell you if and when we get our tickets, with seats booked, from Bangor to Cheltenham via Crewe, if that ever happens!!

Cheers, oap's

sylwright

I'm amazed you haven't given up on going by train. Don't know if its any help but it costs about £62 for you both to go by National Express (with a half hour wait in Birmingham). Just one problem, it takes about 7 hours for the trip.

oap

Thanks for replying, yep, we are amazed too, does not encourage the ordinary folk to try and travel by train instead of car does it?

Well it is some years ago now, but we did go by National Express bus, and yes it took 9 hours actually!! It is 5 hours by car (including a stop of about an hour) and very hairy once you hit Gloucester and Cheltenham as the traffic goes a hell of a lot faster and there is a lot more of it than in Anglesey!!

So we shall plod on, and try and visit Bangor once a week until we can book a seat each.

Cheerio, OAP's

djohn2002uk

You haven't let us know how you got on. Did you get to Cheltenham? Or did you just give up?