Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

miller

wealdroam wrote: »

By splitting at Newton Abbot and Cheltenham, it can be done for £64.00.

For the outward leg...
dep Plymouth 12:33, arr Newton Abbot 13:01. Advance Single = £3.50.
dep Newton Abbot 13:03, arr Cheltenham Spa 15:11. Advance Single = £17:00.
dep Cheltenham Spa 15:12, arr Birminghan NS 15:56. Advance Single = £8.00.
That is all on the same train. No need to change, though I suppose you might have to change seats.

Fortuantely this problem might be able to be mitigated by using the crosscountry website so you can change the booked seats. I added the first two legs and got allocated a seat in B, C respectively. Tried to force the second leg to coach B, but no seats come up as available. Moving the first leg to (the same seat in) coach C was successful.

So I'd advise adding all the legs to the shopping basket then tinkering with the "change seat" options from there.

Several train operating companies now offer this facility to change seats where you are travelling on their services and book via their website (e.g. East Coast).

fostertom

Ticketysplit on MSE - great - but will it become a website? Not everyone has a mobile.

Stompa

fostertom wrote: »

Ticketysplit on MSE - great - but will it become a website? Not everyone has a mobile.

It appears to be usable from a PC.

bobweston

As an aside -
I think you get varying train times depending on which site you use; for instance you look up the same journey on Trainline, National Rail enquirers, Virgin Trains and mytrainticket.co.uk and don't get all the trains/prices.

I certainly don't think NRE shows all journeys automatically, unless you do an 'Advanced' search for VIA London etc. Bit of a mess really.

bobweston

Hi there,

I wonder if you can help. I'm looking to travel from Huntingdon (Cambridgeshire) to Ascot on Monday 4th June - aiming to get into Ascott at 10/11am. The single tickets are all £32.80. I can get that down to £27.90 if I get two singles to London then Lon > Ascot, saving £4.90

Any cheaper way to do it?

Thanks.

wealdroam

bobweston wrote: »

Hi there,

I wonder if you can help. I'm looking to travel from Huntingdon (Cambridgeshire) to Ascot on Monday 4th June - aiming to get into Ascott at 10/11am. The single tickets are all £32.80. I can get that down to £27.90 if I get two singles to London then Lon > Ascot, saving £4.90

Any cheaper way to do it?

Thanks.

Don't forget to add your cross London travel cost to your £27.90 tickets.

An alternative might be...
Huntington to Finsbury Park Anytime Single = £16.40,
Finsbury Park to Ascot Anytime Single = 13.40 which includes cross London travel.
Total = £29.80.

bobweston

Thanks wealdroam. I'd not thought about the additional tube costs through London!

I suppose as the tickets are singles this misses out the tube fare/journey.

wealdroam

bobweston wrote: »

Thanks wealdroam. I'd not thought about the additional tube costs through London!

I suppose as the tickets are singles this misses out the tube fare/journey.

Yes, with those tickets you're only buying travel from Huntingdon to Kings Cross, and from Waterloo to Ascot.

davenport151

I may be wrong but I think the underground travel is included.
Also what time are you leaving? A one day travel card may be the answer.Especially If you are going just off peak (check for trains that count as off peak)
Sorry just seen above post but price of travelcard is still worth comparing.

bobweston

I'd see the logic in the tube price not being included as the first single terminates in London (Kings Cross) and the second leg commences in London (Waterloo/Victoria). The Finsbury Park journey misses out the Underground altogether.