Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

John89001

chippylisa wrote: »

I need to get home from the Leeds festival back to Bristol (either station) on 31st August (Bank Holiday Monday:eek:) the cheapest fare I can find at the moment is the standard £79.

There are Advance fares from Leeds to either Bristol station via London at http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/ for £52.50. There's even one for £40.50 if you don't mind arriving at Temple Meads just after midnight.

These fares are only at the NXEC site and include their online booking discount.

For a slightly cheaper option, split at London. For example,
1840 Leeds - Kings Cross 2103 £25.35
and 2145 Paddington - Temple Meads 2333 £10

John

AirlieBird

There are only two trains that have cheap Advance singles from Leeds to Bristol on 31st August. These are the 19:11 and the 20:11 and are currently priced at £19.

Bogof_Babe

Could any of the rail personnel with insider knowledge please clarify for me whether there has been a change to the Advance tickets policy?

I've been trying to find a Hereford to Southport trip for 30th September, but all there is all day is £42 standard one way tickets. I would normally assume that perhaps they haven't been loaded onto the system yet, except that on Saturday 3rd October there is one solitary Advance ticket (at £19.50 not £11) departing 0755 a.m. and not going on the route I prefer (via Chester/Liverpool Moorfields). This would indicate that they are simply not offering any weekday Advance tickets now, and that the cheapest Advance one on a Saturday will be £8.50 more than it used to be.

Has their financial difficulties caused them to severely prune the cheap Advance ticket availability, or is there a chance that more might appear if I leave it a bit longer?

rich_shot2003

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Could any of the rail personnel with insider knowledge please clarify for me whether there has been a change to the Advance tickets policy?

I've been trying to find a Hereford to Southport trip for 30th September, but all there is all day is £42 standard one way tickets. I would normally assume that perhaps they haven't been loaded onto the system yet, except that on Saturday 3rd October there is one solitary Advance ticket (at £19.50 not £11) departing 0755 a.m. and not going on the route I prefer (via Chester/Liverpool Moorfields). This would indicate that they are simply not offering any weekday Advance tickets now, and that the cheapest Advance one on a Saturday will be £8.50 more than it used to be.

Has their financial difficulties caused them to severely prune the cheap Advance ticket availability, or is there a chance that more might appear if I leave it a bit longer?

The weekday Advance Tickets have not been put on yet so give it another couple of weeks and they should be on.

They are selling Advance Tickets up to Mid sept at the Moment.

Bogof_Babe

Thanks for clarifying that rich_shot, I'm so glad I didn't commit to the £19.50 one on the wrong day and the wrong time! I'll be patient then .

adamtrainman

chippylisa ive just looked on nationalexpresseastcoast.com and you can catch 19:11 or 20:11 from Leeds to Bristol for £19, journey time of 3hrs30mins.

Bogof_Babe

Well National Express are now booking up to 9th October, and still no sign of any Advance fares for 30th Sept or any weekdays, so it looks like they might be a thing of the past . There are Advance (£19.50) fares on Saturdays, one a day departing 0755, so it looks like they have been severely pruned.

So, changing tactics, I'm looking at splitting at Chester (Hereford to Chester £36.60 open return - not ideal but better than two £42 singles), and then local Mersey Rail service Chester to Southport. Now for the mad bit - a single for that leg of the journey is £7, but a day return is £4.40. No brainer really is it? They are not going to know if I don't come back!

So what once cost me £22 for my return trip is now going to be £45.40, more than double. Doesn't seem fair (no pun intended) .

Quentin

Think you need to hang on. They do have £11 advance fares available up to 18/09, so give them time!

Bogof_Babe

Quentin wrote: »

Think you need to hang on. They do have £11 advance fares available up to 18/09, so give them time!

Well I might as well give it longer now, as buying the ones I mentioned above can be done on the day, so no panic.

I have actually already got an Advance back from Southport to Hereford (via Manchester) for £11 on the 19th Sept. It's just that they seem to have fizzled out since I bought that one about three weeks ago. I wish they would get a move on!

What puzzles me is that they are showing the crack of dawn £19.50 ones as far ahead as 3rd Oct, so it looks as if the previous week has been missed out.

rich_shot2003

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Well I might as well give it longer now, as buying the ones I mentioned above can be done on the day, so no panic.

I have actually already got an Advance back from Southport to Hereford (via Manchester) for £11 on the 19th Sept. It's just that they seem to have fizzled out since I bought that one about three weeks ago. I wish they would get a move on!

What puzzles me is that they are showing the crack of dawn £19.50 ones as far ahead as 3rd Oct, so it looks as if the previous week has been missed out.

Hang on for another couple of weeks and they will be on there.