Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

ticketcollector

pompeyrich wrote: »

Not sure about everywhere but from my local station, Cosham, tickets to Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour are sold as "Portsmouth Stations". If you break your journey at P&S, the barrier will keep the ticket, even though it could be used for onward travel to the Harbour, so I am always cautious of using barriers mid-journey.

It really does depend on the station your using. I know Luton Parkway used to take Luton Airport Parkway and Luton and Luton Airport (only) Tickets.

Most of the times it should come up with an error code 116/ 126/125 (on the tube style gates).

gner_ex

pompeyrich wrote: »

Not sure about everywhere but from my local station, Cosham, tickets to Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour are sold as "Portsmouth Stations". If you break your journey at P&S, the barrier will keep the ticket, even though it could be used for onward travel to the Harbour, so I am always cautious of using barriers mid-journey.

I would actually suggest this as a mistake to South West Trains. As you correctly say, the ticket may well be valid for break of journey at P&S, to be used later for (valid) onward journey to PH.

At Kings Cross, all London Terminals ticket are given back (as in a special case, all tickets are valid for a journey on the underground from Kings Cross to Moorgate to cover a service that was withdrawn in c.1976).

dzug1

yorkie2 wrote: »

"Where the fare specifies a particular route, you may choose only those routes listed in the Guide which pass through the station shown in the route description. "

So, if you are taking it to that extreme, if there is no route from Euston to High Wycombe to Birmingham shown, then it isn't a valid route for "Any Permitted" tickets either!!

In any case it is irrelevant - it may not be a permitted route, but it's a direct train, and direct trains are always valid!

Yes but.

IIRC the validity of these super off peak tickets is (in terms of trains that can be used rather than route) expressed in terms of arrival at or departure from London Marylebone. Therefore there is no validity to/from Euston whatever the route.

The online journey planners (well the one I checked anyway) do not show the Virgin trains if route High Wycombe is selected, they do if the route is left blank. Therefore 'officially', if not in reality, they do not run via High Wycombe.

Sounds like a grey area that wasn't really thought of when these trains were planned. I suspect the cheap tickets were not intended to be valid; it's just possible that loopholes in the wording might make them so.

yorkie2

dzug1 wrote: »

Yes but.

IIRC the validity of these super off peak tickets is (in terms of trains that can be used rather than route) expressed in terms of arrival at or departure from London Marylebone. Therefore there is no validity to/from Euston whatever the route.

This logic is flawed .

Tell me this: are you saying a London Terminals to York is not valid out of Moorgate?

Also, what about a London Terminals to Birmingham Stations route High Wycombe Standard Open Single? It has no restrictions by definition, yet would be valid.

dzug1 wrote: »

The online journey planners (well the one I checked anyway) do not show the Virgin trains if route High Wycombe is selected, they do if the route is left blank. Therefore 'officially', if not in reality, they do not run via High Wycombe.

Which ones have you checked? The paths may not be in the system yet.

Even if they are, online journey planners are not authoritative.

dzug1 wrote: »

Sounds like a grey area that wasn't really thought of when these trains were planned. I suspect the cheap tickets were not intended to be valid; it's just possible that loopholes in the wording might make them so.

ORCATS will give Virgin their fair share of revenue of High Wycombe tickets for for trains that go through High Wycombe so they are obliged to accept them regardless of intent.

KeithP

yorkie2 wrote: »

This logic is flawed .

Tell me this: are you saying a London Terminals to York is not valid out of Moorgate?

Also, what about a London Terminals to Birmingham Stations route High Wycombe Standard Open Single? It has no restrictions by definition, yet would be valid.
<snip>

Dzug is talking about a ticket specifically to/from London Marylebone, he is not talking about a ticket to/from London Terminals at all.

yorkie2

KeithP wrote: »

Dzug is talking about a ticket specifically to/from London Marylebone, he is not talking about a ticket to/from London Terminals at all.

What ticket is it that is "specifically" to/from London Marylebone?

The "Route High Wycombe" tickets that are being discussed are to/from London Terminals.

troubleatmill

Iangrayson wrote: »

Has anyone been able to actual get any of these tickets? I am trying to arrange for 2 adults and 3 children to travel to London for a couple of days in July. Received the special offer flyer today from school and yet the site seems to show no availability for any of the trains that I am trying to get. Anybody know of tricks or a search technique? ???

I was informed by a very nice ticket man on a train that I had paid over the odds for my ticket. Apparentl you can claim for something called a group discount when buying rail tickets when travelling in groups of three or more. It seems that this is never offered as a discounted fare but only goes to those that ask. Try that one.

troubleatmill

Has anyone ever tried asking for a group discount on rail tickets. I was reliably informed by an on-train ticket collector that groups of three or more are entitled to a discount but its not something that can be offered by ticket sellers. The customers need to ask for it.

Might be worth a try?

yorkie2

Not available on all routes by any means, here is the info http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/groupsave.aspx

Frances_K_2

I'd be grateful for any advice on a journey in July from Oxford to Penrith. There are so many options for a split ticket but I get different prices everytime I try! It's for one way, and as a senior railcard holder I'd would like to know both standard and first class fares - like someone else who posted a comment, it's a luxury - but it's my summer holiday!

Many thanks for any help.