Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

Livingthedream

epm-84 wrote: »

One, example, that’s recently been shut down is that while Chester to London peak time cheap fares weren't usually available, for some journeys starting in Wales, going via Chester, they were, meaning absurdly it was actually substantially cheaper to travel further.

Sounds good, but it's banned

Martin's on about ending your journey short, not really a good example you've detailed, I'm on about catching your train later on. I will admit it's technically against the rules but can be used to the travellers advantage.

epm-84 wrote: »

Yes the ticket is valid for a change of train at Crewe but if you're caught leaving the station you've got an invalid ticket so it's a £10 charge plus what ever the cheapest on-the-day London to Crewe fare is.

So station staff are going to stop you leaving the station for a smoke and then coming back in? or if my change of train was at Chester I would buy a Chester to Bache Single (£1) to gain access to the station via the barriers then jump on the Chester to London train using my Colwyn Bay to London Advance Single.

epm-84 wrote: »

I think you're seriously confusing what's right and what you think you can get away with. What you're saying is virtually the same as saying it's legal to use someone else's unsecured wireless internet, when it isn't legal but you may get away with it.

What? think you need to post this on the techie sub forum

I'm now going to jog on and watch the Ghana match would advise you to aswell

hstudent

Livingthedream wrote: »

Martin's on about ending your journey short, not really a good example you've detailed, I'm on about catching your train later on. I will admit it's technically against the rules but can be used to the travellers advantage.

That example was one where people were travelling from Chester to London in the morning peak period with Wrexham to London Advance tickets (which required a change at Chester and were £20 cheaper than a Chester to London Advance) and people got away with it for a while until they put up ticket barriers at Chester then they all made to buy new tickets. If you're from the Chester area you will have seen it in Chester First.

I can easily see you leaving a station one day with British Transport Police someone on here's has told you what's right and even quoted the National Rail website and you keep saying that they're wrong when you're in the wrong. If you protest like this when station staff say you have an invalid ticket you will get arrested for fare evasion full stop. What's worse you're encouraging people to do things that they could get in to trouble for and saying it's OK to do.

I would buy a Chester to Bache Single (£1) to gain access to the station via the barriers then jump on the Chester to London train

Don't try that in reverse as Merseyrail operate a penalty fare policy and you'd pay £20 penalty for not buying a ticket from the machine at Bache station, as well as your £1 ticket.

epm-84

Livingthedream wrote: »

Martin's on about ending your journey short, not really a good example you've detailed, I'm on about catching your train later on. I will admit it's technically against the rules but can be used to the travellers advantage.

No. He says Chester to London not London to Chester.

So station staff are going to stop you leaving the station for a smoke and then coming back in?

In short - yes they can. Advance tickets are just the same as airline tickets - you travel on exactly what's shown unless they're are delays or cancellations. If you say you need a smoke and there's only two minutes until the train shown on the ticket departs they can stop you from leaving the station. If the connecting train's delayed for 30 minutes they certainly wouldn't stop you but under normal circumstances they can and I've seen station staff at Liverpool Lime St doing this.

Livingthedream

hstudent wrote: »

What's worse you're encouraging people to do things that they could get in to trouble for and saying it's OK to do.

Yes, you are correct there I will stop adding further postings on how to use a valid ticket, as someone could do this incorrectly and get in trouble.

epm-84 wrote: »

In short - yes they can. Advance tickets are just the same as airline tickets - you travel on exactly what's shown unless they're are delays or cancellations. If you say you need a smoke and there's only two minutes until the train shown on the ticket departs they can stop you from leaving the station. If the connecting train's delayed for 30 minutes they certainly wouldn't stop you but under normal circumstances they can and I've seen station staff at Liverpool Lime St doing this.

Where's that quoted please?

bigbeff

Hi, Just a question, I have a railcard (network one) and have looked at fares in advance - I often go from Weymouth to Brighton...and doesn't seem to make a difference to buying on the day, is this because of the railcard?

dzug1

bigbeff wrote: »

Hi, Just a question, I have a railcard (network one) and have looked at fares in advance - I often go from Weymouth to Brighton...and doesn't seem to make a difference to buying on the day, is this because of the railcard?

No, nothing to do with the railcard - it's because advance fares do not exist from Weymouth to Brighton

You could split at Southampton* and maybe save a ££ or two - but still 'normal' tickets, no reduction for advance purchase.

(*Works on singles - haven't checked returns)

epm-84

Livingthedream wrote: »

Where's that quoted please?

The wording is:

no breaks are permitted at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s)

and the rail staff can interpret that as you aren't allowed to leave the station as you don't need to leave the station to do that unless your train is replaced by a bus. However, if you have a long wait or delayed train they are more likely to let you leave.

Bogof_Babe

epm-84 wrote: »

Train tickets and football tickets can't be resold under their respective terms and conditions and so any listed on eBay will be removed as soon as they spot them and anyone bidding on an item listed in the tickets category is warned of this prior to bidding.

I suspect they are Advance tickets which you can't get a refund on, neither can you change your journey plans. You can't for instance board at Crewe if the tickets are for Colwyn Bay and doing so could result in you having to buy a valid £60 ticket.

Just out of interest, are you allowed to offer an unwanted Advance ticket on Freecycle? I sometimes have a change of plan and can't use one I've already bought, and it seems a shame to waste it if someone could use it.

hstudent wrote: »

Don't try that in reverse as Merseyrail operate a penalty fare policy and you'd pay £20 penalty for not buying a ticket from the machine at Bache station, as well as your £1 ticket.

I don't understand that. You can buy any ticket in advance via a train operator's site, e.g. I often buy a Southport to Formby (Merseyrail) day return while I'm online buying something else, and collect it at Hereford station before I leave home, just because it saves me queuing at the ticket desk or machine at Southport on the day I want to use it. They can't stop you buying a Chester to Bache in advance can they?

terryw

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Just out of interest, are you allowed to offer an unwanted Advance ticket on Freecycle? I sometimes have a change of plan and can't use one I've already bought, and it seems a shame to waste it if someone could use it.

The ones that tend to get pulled quickly from Ebay are those that show a photo of the actual ticket with details of the train company etc. Ebay listings that are quite general sometimes remain for the duration.

I would imagine that freecycle might be ok but it depends how diligent the train companies are at spotting this.

On my last journey from Newcastle to London, I had a spare ticket and merely asked if anyone in the queue wanted it for nothing. A member of the railway staff overheard me and I was told in no certain terms that this was not permitted with the terms and conditions and that if I persisted I would be escorted from the premises.

Bogof_Babe

terryw wrote: »

On my last journey from Newcastle to London, I had a spare ticket and merely asked if anyone in the queue wanted it for nothing. A member of the railway staff overheard me and I was told in no certain terms that this was not permitted with the terms and conditions and that if I persisted I would be escorted from the premises.

:eek: What on earth are they worried about? It's already paid for fgs.