Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

dzug1

sandydog wrote: »

I'm wondering about this 12 week rule, too. I would like to travel one way with my 2 children (both 7) from Hinckley to Barnstaple on Saturday, 11th July. I will have a Family Railcard by then (waiting for a new discount code). The cheapest I can find is an Anytime Single for £77.45, which is a good price, I can't complain! But could I get it any cheaper? Is it likely that there won't be Advance tickets available for this route?

Thanks for any help!

There should be advance singles for the journey. On Saturday 16 May for example it's £26.50 (one person, no railcard). Might be a little while before they are released for July but it's extremely unlikely there won't be any.

(If you get that price a family railcard won't be worth it just for the one trip - only if you intend to travel more)

sandydog_2

Thanks Dzug. So would you say it's worth waiting - are the Anytime Singles likely to be available right until the last minute?

debjay

Trying to get cheap fare from Plymouth to Birmingham on 14th July returning on 17th July. According to the website advance tickets are available on FGW up to 18th July.
However I can get £19.50 advance single on 14th but none on the 17th. What am I doing wrong? Also can I use the FGW £5 off PIN code with these fares?

KeithP

sandydog wrote: »

Thanks Dzug. So would you say it's worth waiting - are the Anytime Singles likely to be available right until the last minute?

Anytime singles are always available. You can buy them right up until just before the train departs.

Sammie_

gner_ex wrote: »

For advance tickets, you must travel on the complete journey. Whether you could get away with it is another matter (but its expensive if you don't).

There ARE first class advance fares from Southampton Central to Stafford - £56 and £71.50 single (aswell as groupsave fares). These are on Cross Country (i.e. via Birmingham).

There are standard class advance fares from Portsmouth to Stafford starting from £11.50 single (Virgin West Coast) and £20.00 (Cross Country).

Yeah thanks for that.. I didn't specify that it was on 24th April.. for that day there were/are no advanced fares for morning trains out and evening trains back from Southampton. Interestingly though there are still some £29.50 1st advanced single still available from Brockenhurst on sale today!

I'll go to Brockenhurst and catch the train from there, I like the New Forest anyway! :beer:

dzug1

sandydog wrote: »

Thanks Dzug. So would you say it's worth waiting - are the Anytime Singles likely to be available right until the last minute?

Definitely worth waiting - you can't lose. Anytime singles you can buy at the station at the same price just before you travel.

dzug1

debjay wrote: »

Trying to get cheap fare from Plymouth to Birmingham on 14th July returning on 17th July. According to the website advance tickets are available on FGW up to 18th July.
However I can get £19.50 advance single on 14th but none on the 17th. What am I doing wrong? Also can I use the FGW £5 off PIN code with these fares?

Yes you can use the FGW PIN code - as long as it's the FGW site you book on. It doesn't have to be their trains. And it won't be - it's a Cross Country route you will be on

This site http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html says 10 July is the latest release date for Cross Country. If you are getting patchy availability the following week it suggests they are not fully released yet.

John89001

eBayaddict wrote: »

People who want to travel:
3 adults(aged 50, 41 and 16)and 2 children aged 14 and 7
When: Friday 29th May
Return: Sunday 31st May
Can be flexible with times there and back (not dates)
Journey: Leicester to Letchworth
We have a Family Railcard.
The cheapest I can find is £134

A Family & Friends Railcard treats a 16-year-old who was under 16 when the Railcard was purchased as a Child for the whole (12-month) duration of the Railcard. See "Special notes regarding children's tickets" in the terms and conditions at familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk

That may allow you to buy tickets for 2 Adults and 3 Children.

At current prices, this gives
Origin: LEICESTER
Destination: LETCHWRTH GN CTY
Route: NOT LONDON
Discount: FAMILY & FRIENDS RCD
Ticket Type: THE WEEKENDER RETURN
Validity: OUT: Any train on date shown on ticket. Friday or Saturday ONLY
Validity: RETURN: Return travel is NOT permitted on the Friday. Return journeys are otherwise valid at any time within four days.
Availability: Tickets can be purchased in advance or on day of travel.
Price: 2 Adults @ £22.75 = £45.50. 3 Children @ £6.55 = £19.65. Total £65.15

John

Jurg

There are a few of us looking at getting from Leamington Spa to Leighton Buzzard and back on Saturday 25th.

Looks to me like our only bet is paying the full whack of £19.60. I've looked at splitting the ticket at Coventry, and the London Midland services offer a £12 return from Coventry but that would seriously limit our options for getting back as we want to leave after about 5.30pm and the only valid train would be at about 8.30pm. We're not waiting that long!

Anyone got any suggestions? We'd like to leave Leamington about 11 or 12, and return about 5.30pm.

Jurg

Re. The above, would a route from Leamington Spa to Leighton Buzzard or Coventry to Leighton Buzzard allow for groupsave (4 for 2 tickets)? The groupsave website is very vague.