Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

KeithP

silvercar wrote: »

Thanks for that.

Odd that if I go to the main virgin site and look for tickets, a return ticket gives me a cheaper outward journey than the single. Whereas your link (ie best fare finder - virgin trains) gives me the higher outwards matched with a cheaper return part.

Glad you like it.

Outward? Return? You're confusing me.
Which direction is 'out'?
You only asked for a single price.

"a return ticket gives me a cheaper outward journey than the single"
What does this mean?
Are you saying that it would be cheaper to buy a Return ticket for a one-way trip than to buy a Single?

silvercar

KeithP wrote: »

Glad you like it.

Outward? Return? You're confusing me.
Which direction is 'out'?
You only asked for a single price.

"a return ticket gives me a cheaper outward journey than the single"
What does this mean?
Are you saying that it would be cheaper to buy a Return ticket for a one-way trip than to buy a Single?

Not exactly. I'm saying that when I look for London to Manchester return, buying as two singles rather than a return, it gives me a cheaper price for the London to Manchester part of the journey than if I look for London to Manchester single. Which is odd because it is pricing the return as two singles, so I would expect the London to Manchester part of the return to show up exactly the same options as London to Manchester single.

Of course, it then won't let me "proceed to buy" the single part of the journey because I've requested a return, so it wants me to choose my return part - which does make the total of two singles more than the price of the single I want to buy.

daleuk_3

Ok.. From Preston, I need to go to Peterborough, friday evening 23/10. Then Monday morning 26/10 to arrive in Milton Keynes before 11am. Then depart Milton Keynes for Preston after about 2pm.

Now the Off-Peak Return, goes from Preston to both Peterborough and Milton Keynes. It says that this ticket allows a Break of Journey... What does this mean?

Can I buy one ticket for say Preston to Milton Keynes and stop at Peterborough along the way and then continue my journey to Milton Keynes monday? Returnign to Preston Monday afternoon. or do I have to buy 2 tickets?

Please Help!

geordieracer

daleuk wrote: »

Ok.. From Preston, I need to go to Peterborough, friday evening 23/10. Then Monday morning 26/10 to arrive in Milton Keynes before 11am. Then depart Milton Keynes for Preston after about 2pm.

Now the Off-Peak Return, goes from Preston to both Peterborough and Milton Keynes. It says that this ticket allows a Break of Journey... What does this mean?

Can I buy one ticket for say Preston to Milton Keynes and stop at Peterborough along the way and then continue my journey to Milton Keynes monday? Returnign to Preston Monday afternoon. or do I have to buy 2 tickets?

Please Help!

doesnt Milton Keynes come before the train gets to Peterborough? If so then you have to buy a ticket to Peterborough and then break your jouney at Milton Keynes.

a break of journey is just stopping off somewhere then carrying on to your destination but if the train does not stop at milton keynes first then you cant even go to Peterborough as its further than your destination on the ticket

KeithP

daleuk wrote: »

Ok.. From Preston, I need to go to Peterborough, friday evening 23/10. Then Monday morning 26/10 to arrive in Milton Keynes before 11am. Then depart Milton Keynes for Preston after about 2pm.

Now the Off-Peak Return, goes from Preston to both Peterborough and Milton Keynes. It says that this ticket allows a Break of Journey... What does this mean?

Can I buy one ticket for say Preston to Milton Keynes and stop at Peterborough along the way and then continue my journey to Milton Keynes monday? Returnign to Preston Monday afternoon. or do I have to buy 2 tickets?

Please Help!

You cannot buy a ticket from Preston to Milton Keynes via Peterborough.
Nor can you buy a ticket from Preston to Peterborough via Milton Keynes.

One way to do this trip is by buying three singles...
Preston to Peterborough
Peterborough to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes to Preston

daleuk wrote: »

Now the Off-Peak Return, goes from Preston to both Peterborough and Milton Keynes.

An Off Peak Return can be had from Preston to Peterborough, and an Off Peak Return can be had from Preston to Milton Keynes.
But there is not one ticket that combines both destinations.

KeithP

daleuk wrote: »

Ok.. From Preston, I need to go to Peterborough, friday evening 23/10. Then Monday morning 26/10 to arrive in Milton Keynes before 11am. Then depart Milton Keynes for Preston after about 2pm.

Now the Off-Peak Return, goes from Preston to both Peterborough and Milton Keynes. It says that this ticket allows a Break of Journey... What does this mean?

Can I buy one ticket for say Preston to Milton Keynes and stop at Peterborough along the way and then continue my journey to Milton Keynes monday? Returnign to Preston Monday afternoon. or do I have to buy 2 tickets?

Please Help!

Or...
Train to Peterborough on Fri evening.
Stagecoach bus X4 from Peterborough to MK Mon morning.
Train from MK to Preston Mon afternoon/evening.

23 Oct
Dep Preston16:54, arr Peterborough 20:37. Advance Single = £26.25*.
26Oct
Bus dep Peterborough 07:05, arr Milton Keynes 10:30.
Dep MK14:40, arr Preston 16:51. Advance Single = £37.00.

I cannot find the X4 bus fares, but here is the timetable.

*Buy this train ticket from the NXEC website for this fare.

stuhp

I'm trying to get a cheap one-way train fare from London to Edinburgh on 22nd November, leaving after 1pm. Cheapest I've noted so far is on National Express East Coast site for £85.40 (2 tickets).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

KeithP

stuhp wrote: »

I'm trying to get a cheap one-way train fare from London to Edinburgh on 22nd November, leaving after 1pm. Cheapest I've noted so far is on National Express East Coast site for £85.40 (2 tickets).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dep Euston 09:45, arr Edinburgh 16:22. Advance Single = £34.90 each.
Therefore total (2 tickets) = £69.80.

You can find this fare on the Virgin site,
or on the NXEC website by choosing "show slower routes" and ticking "Virgin trains only".

Edited to add...
Ooops... just noticed you want to leave after 13:00. Sorry cannot help.

pb1982

Hi,

I'm looking for rail tickets for 3 adults from newcastle (or chester-le-street, preferably) to any manchester stations, leaving on 13th Nov (arriving midday onwards), returning on 15th Nov (leaving after midday). The cheapest I can find are £52 pp for an off-peak return. Has anyone got any advice on getting these cheaper?

Thanks

KeithP

pb1982 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm looking for rail tickets for 3 adults from newcastle (or chester-le-street, preferably) to any manchester stations, leaving on 13th Nov (arriving midday onwards), returning on 15th Nov (leaving after midday). The cheapest I can find are £52 pp for an off-peak return. Has anyone got any advice on getting these cheaper?

Thanks

I don't think that price can be beaten.
Unless you use a railcard.
Sorry.