Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

wealdroam

bobweston wrote: »

The Finsbury Park journey misses out the Underground altogether.

Not sure how you work that out.

Various routes for those tickets...
1) change at Finsbury Park to Victoria Line to Victoria, then train to Clapham Junc, then train to Ascot.
2) do not change at Finsbury Park but travel on train from Huntingdon to Kings Cross, then tube to Paddington, then train to Reading, then train to Ascot. If you are not changing at Finsbury Park, you must be on a train that stops there.
3) lots of other routes across London, using Vauxhall, or Waterloo, etc.

All those use the tube.
Of course you don't have to use the Underground, buses or walking are good alternatives, but the tube fare is included in the Finsbury Park to Ascot ticket.

bobweston

Ah ok, fair enough. I just assumed that the tickets are to Finsbury Park and from Finsbury Park this'd miss out the underground, but I suppose you're traveling from a different London rail station.

familyman1_2

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.

For the return...
dep Birminghan NS 12:12, arr Cheltenham Spa 12:50. Advance Single = £10.50.
dep Cheltenham Spa 12:52, arr Newton Abbot 15:20. Advance Single = £21:50.
dep Newton Abbot 16:07, arr Plymouth 16:48. Advance Single = £3.50.
You do have to change at Newton Abbot on the return leg.

Many thanks for your help all now booked as per your direction

familyman1_2

miller wrote: »

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).

Thanks also for your help, useful to know about the change seat option.

0c3l07

I would really like to travel 1st class but as cheaply as possible - I know!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been playing around for ages and just can't work this out - can anyone help please?????

Details are:
York to Kings Cross
Thurs 17th May
Arrive KX no later than 12 noon

Kings Cross to York
Frid 18th May
Leave KX no earlier than 12.30 mid day

what is the cheapest standard & 1st class tickets?

HUGE thanks for any help poss!

Livingthedream

0c3l07 wrote: »

I would really like to travel 1st class but as cheaply as possible - I know!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been playing around for ages and just can't work this out - can anyone help please?????

Details are:
York to Kings Cross
Thurs 17th May
Arrive KX no later than 12 noon

Kings Cross to York
Frid 18th May
Leave KX no earlier than 12.30 mid day

what is the cheapest standard & 1st class tickets?

HUGE thanks for any help poss!

Try splitting at Peterborough, just mix and match Advance singles (from £17.20 each way) or an Anytime Return (£131) to Peterborough than get some First Capital Connect only tickets from Peterborough to London, could even treat yourself to some 1st class for £92

Or an easier option would be to get the 08:20 Grand Central service direct for £210 1st class

minimad1970

Hi, Last year my son and his friends went to Excel London, they had all in one tickets that included the train from Southampton to Waterloo, then the tube and then the DLR. I didn't arrange this so I have no idea what these tickets were. They are going again on 26/5 and I need to arrange 10 tickets. I've found good train prices on National rail for group bookings but I would rather get the tickets they had before as then it's all sorted. Can anyone help me with where to look or what these tickets are called? Thanks very much for any help.

miller

minimad1970 wrote: »

Hi, Last year my son and his friends went to Excel London, they had all in one tickets that included the train from Southampton to Waterloo, then the tube and then the DLR. I didn't arrange this so I have no idea what these tickets were. They are going again on 26/5 and I need to arrange 10 tickets. I've found good train prices on National rail for group bookings but I would rather get the tickets they had before as then it's all sorted. Can anyone help me with where to look or what these tickets are called? Thanks very much for any help.

The ticket you are talking about is a One Day Travelcard which offers unlimited travel in London Zones 1-6 (including tube and DLR, also buses and national rail within those zones).

Take a look at the South West Trains Group Travel pages:
http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/groupsave.aspx#grouptravel

Arranging group travel of 10 with SWT offers a 26% discount. So you will pay 74% of full price.

However, "2 Groupsave 4's" and 2 x full fares effectively means you will pay 60% of full price.

These discounts are available from the SWT webpage as "Groupsave 4" under railcards and GroupSave on the left hand side. You can also do this via Topcashback.

Livingthedream

minimad1970 wrote: »

Hi, Last year my son and his friends went to Excel London, they had all in one tickets that included the train from Southampton to Waterloo, then the tube and then the DLR. I didn't arrange this so I have no idea what these tickets were. They are going again on 26/5 and I need to arrange 10 tickets. I've found good train prices on National rail for group bookings but I would rather get the tickets they had before as then it's all sorted. Can anyone help me with where to look or what these tickets are called? Thanks very much for any help.

Also just to add to the advice above, try Southern trains only Off Peak Travelcards, a lot cheaper but less trains to catch to or from London but same unlimited travel on underground, dlr and buses.

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/railcards-and-discounts/groupsave/

minimad1970

Thanks miller and Living, The "groupsave" ticket classes 17 year olds as children so it works out at £20.10 each. I'm going to check the Southern railway one now. Thanks again.