Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

dzug1

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

I really don't understand the logic of tickets not being transferable, and would love someone to explain it to me.

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One of the reasons is so that people don't buy up all the cheap advance tickets on the day they are released and then sell them on at higher prices

dzug1

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Well that leaves plenty of scope then doesn't it?


I didn't know you could buy Advance tickets at a ticket office . So does that mean that although I can't collect a pre-booked one at most Merseyrail stations, if I find online a suitable one I can go in and demand it? If that's the case is it incumbent on all ticket counter staff to offer the cheapest fare to anyone wanting to purchase a ticket in advance? In practice do they do this?

The cheapest fare - yes (but they may not know what it is if you don't tell them, particularly if it's outside their local area)

And they don't have to tell you about split tickets

And it's possible that Merseyrail don't have access to the full national fares database - don't know about this. You'd need to check next time you are there.

epm-84

dzug1 wrote: »

And it's possible that Merseyrail don't have access to the full national fares database - don't know about this. You'd need to check next time you are there.

Merseyrail are part of the National Rail network, not a seperate light rail franchise like Docklands Light Railway or Manchester Metrolink so a Merseyrail ticket office is just as likely to offer the full range of tickets as a ticket office operated by another company.

Search for station facilities on nationalrail.co.uk and check that
a) there is an open ticket office at the time you wish to purchase an advance ticket.
b) Look out for the wording "Unable to offer full range of products as only Advantix ticket machine available. No aptis machine."

So this station for instance: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/hal/details.html would not be the place to go for an Advance ticket, while this one a short distnace up the line would: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/alt/details.html

Bogof_Babe

Thanks epm. What I don't understand about Merseyrail is why it is not possible to collect pre-booked (online) Advance tickets from most, if not all, of their stations. Even more so now that you say they can provide them over the counter.

They seem to have the same ticket dispensing machinery and card payment equipment, so there doesn't seem to be any reason why they can't offer the full service.

epm-84

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Thanks epm. What I don't understand about Merseyrail is why it is not possible to collect pre-booked (online) Advance tickets from most, if not all, of their stations. Even more so now that you say they can provide them over the counter.

They seem to have the same ticket dispensing machinery and card payment equipment, so there doesn't seem to be any reason why they can't offer the full service.

I **think** operators have to pay to access bookings made with other operators so operators like Merseyrail and Northern Rail that don't offer online booking opt to save money and not pay for access. At Stockport or Manchester Piccadilly station if you've made an advance booking that needs collecting it has to be collected from a Virgin Trains ticket machine and not a Northern Rail ticket machine.

geordieracer

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Thanks epm. What I don't understand about Merseyrail is why it is not possible to collect pre-booked (online) Advance tickets from most, if not all, of their stations. Even more so now that you say they can provide them over the counter.

They seem to have the same ticket dispensing machinery and card payment equipment, so there doesn't seem to be any reason why they can't offer the full service.

Merseyrail just use a different system like Chiltern Railways use and they wont pay ofr the upgrade to be able to do this.. Though im sure that if they have no fastticket machine at the station they will allow you to travel through to that station to pick them up on your day of travel if your starting destination says your local station..

I.E you wanteed to get from Newto-le-Willows to London via Warrington - take your booking reference email with you then you can pick up the tickets at Warrington..

alienwarthog

Had to write to show off the huge saving I've just made on an advance train ticket from Canterbury to Lancaster for 13th September.

Initially the cheapest ticket showing was £91.60 regardless of time of travel. After much mucking around breaking my journey at different places at different times I've got the price down to £24.50 :jby travelling in the evening and changing trains in Preston. It means I won't get home until nearly midnight but I think I can cope for that saving!! Train ticket prices make no sense whatsoever!!

Thanks for all the tips MSE, I'm not keeping track of how much but you save me loads of money x:T

sandking072_2

Hi there. Brand new to the forum so please be gentle with me! I'm trying to travel from Birmingham New Street to Woodbridge on Friday night to return on Monday. I usually take the tube from Euston to Liverpool Street and go on from there. However, as it's a last minute thing, I'm finding that the fares are a lot more expensive than usual. Any help in cutting the cost would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Bogof_Babe

geordieracer wrote: »

Merseyrail just use a different system like Chiltern Railways use and they wont pay ofr the upgrade to be able to do this.. Though im sure that if they have no fastticket machine at the station they will allow you to travel through to that station to pick them up on your day of travel if your starting destination says your local station..

I.E you wanteed to get from Newto-le-Willows to London via Warrington - take your booking reference email with you then you can pick up the tickets at Warrington..

Not sure about that, as Merseyrail are very strict about not being allowed to board a train without a valid ticket. My regular journey is Southport to Hereford via Chester, but even if you can collect tickets at Chester I wouldn't be able to do the Southport to Chester bit with just a booking reference number.

I usually book and collect my tickets at Hereford so it's not a problem, but if circumstances mean I have to change my journey date I am stuck with paying full whack. (Actually I don't pay the full Southport to Hereford fare of £43.90 but split at Chester, so £4.45 Southport to Chester, and Chester to Hereford £23.50, saving nearly £16 on the straight through fare). Crazy isn't it? An Advance single is £12 for the whole journey.

KeithP

sandking072 wrote: »

Hi there. Brand new to the forum so please be gentle with me! I'm trying to travel from Birmingham New Street to Woodbridge on Friday night to return on Monday. I usually take the tube from Euston to Liverpool Street and go on from there. However, as it's a last minute thing, I'm finding that the fares are a lot more expensive than usual. Any help in cutting the cost would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

No idea what you mean by "a lot more expensive than usual".

I can see Advance Singles outward from Birmingham NS to Ipswich on the Friday evening for £27.00. Problem is these miss the last train to Woodbridge. Is bus a possiblity for the last bit?

If you don't mind leaving Ipswich at 07:53 or 08:42, Advance Singles to Birmingham NS cost £21.50 on the Monday morning.

Anytime Single Woodbridge to Ipswich is £3.30