Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

wealdroam

miller wrote: »

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

I've not tried to do the sums , but how does the price of 1 Groupsave4 and 2 Groupsave3s compare?

miller

If you did go for the SWT option, I distilled the process down a bit as its not 100% straightforward in my opinion.

1. Sign up for Topcashback http://www.topcashback.co.uk
2. On Topcashback search for "South West Trains" and click through for 2.6% cashback on this purchase.
3. On the left hand side enter From "Sou" To "London Waterloo" Out Date "26/5" Hour "1000" (doesn't actually matter unless you want confirmation of travel times).
4. Check Return ticket, Hour "1800" (say)
5. Adults "8" and select "Groupsave 4" from the Railcards and GroupSave dropdown and click "Add a railcard +".
6. Change the drop down from "1" to "2"
7. Click Get Train times and tickets
8. Click on Show Prices
9. Click an outward and return radio button (doesn't matter) in the row "Super Off-Peak Travelcd" £156.00

(repeat for the remaining 2 adults, omiting the groupsave part in 5&6 - this will cost £78)

By my reckoning thats £234 total (£23.40 each).

In addition because the travelcard fare is so high, it only works out at an extra pound or so to get a Network Railcard for the "last 2" in the group of 10 which is valid for a whole year and can give discounts of up to 33% for up to 4 people, but that is extra pfaff.

If you go for Livingthedream's option via Southern there is also cashback available for their website via Topcashback too, but I don't think you can book groupsave online with their website. Peversely you could probably coax the SWT website into doing so by changing the destination to London Bridge, putting in via East Croydon and clicking the "check if slower routes with cheaper tickets are available" on the results page.

Then for the last 2 adults book via Topcashback/Southern directly because they are offering an extra discount.

It's probably about an extra hour via Southern, but you end up a couple of stops further along the Jubliee Line so it might be worth it.

I hope that makes some sense. Getting the best deal is a bit complex!

miller

wealdroam wrote: »

I've not tried to do the sums , but how does the price of 1 Groupsave4 and 2 Groupsave3s compare?

Good point, I hadn't considered that. Each Groupsave is effectively 2 x £39 = £78, so 3 x £78 = £234.

Think that's correct!

minimad1970

Thanks for all your help. I'm only buying four tickets now. The others are sorting themselves out, so that makes it simpler for me. If you hadn't of given me this info the tickets were £34 each compared to the £20 I'm now paying.

miller

miller wrote: »

Peversely you could probably coax the SWT website into doing so by changing the destination to London Bridge, putting in via East Croydon and clicking the "check if slower routes with cheaper tickets are available" on the results page.

Couldn't get that to work, but putting in "London (Any)" as the destination and via Redhill did get the Southern Only options to come up on the SWT website, but crucially not the Super Off Peak Travelcard (only the more expensive off peak).

The actual groupsave fare should be 2 x £20.90 x 2 = £83.60 but that doesn't come up. Then 2 x £18.20 (12% discount via Southern website)

Total £101.80 (£10.18 each).

Edit: mystery solved Southern do not offer groupsave on Super Off Peak Day Travelcards.

Anyway minimad1970 is sorted now! :beer:

Livingthedream

miller wrote: »

Couldn't get that to work, but putting in "London (Any)" as the destination and via Redhill did get the Southern Only options to come up on the SWT website, but crucially not the Super Off Peak Travelcard (only the more expensive off peak).

Just had a quick check on the Southern website, 4x adults Southampton Cen to London Tcard Groupsave is £60.20 so £15.05 each. Seems the Super Off Peak Travelcard isn't available with groupsave.

miller

Livingthedream wrote: »

Just had a quick check on the Southern website, 4x adults Southampton Cen to London Tcard Groupsave is £60.20 so £15.05 each. Seems the Super Off Peak Travelcard isn't available with groupsave.

Your post made me realise that Southern enabled groupsave (since I last checked) simply by selecting the appropriate number of adults.

Not the case for all WebTIS sites though (just tried Eastcoast to no avail).

Edit: Redspottedhanky also offers it.

This is quite useful for impromptu groups travelling from a ticket on depature enabled station when the ticket office is closed as they can now use a mobile app/browser to secure the groupsave discount immediately/collect tickets via these sites (as there is no 2 hour wait as with the trainline based sites and SWT for example do not offer groupsave on their ticket machines).

Livingthedream

miller wrote: »

Not the case for all WebTIS sites though (just tried Eastcoast to no avail).

Southern apparently have modernised their webtis interface to include groupsave, the ability to add child flat rate fares (£1 on Southern with valid adult fare) and 12% discount on their Off peak fares.

Also Season tickets can be purchased online as well from them with the bonus of a free iTunes voucher. All Annual Season ticket online customers will get £25 iTunes voucher free. Monthly Season ticket online customers will get £10 iTunes voucher free when they first purchase online.

why people buy from the trainline I will never understand, oh yes I do 'Black Lace' and their catchy 'choo choo choo' advert

ADIE2805

Hi, What would be the cheapest tickets for Oxenholme to Bournemouth travelling 08/08/12 return 15/08/12.
It's for 2 adults 1 child with family rail card.
Ta

miller

Virgin Trains are only booking up to 2 August currently & Crosscountry 5 August so hopefully wont be long until your Advance tickets are released.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html

There are effectively 2 routes. If you book a "through" Advance ticket the via Wolverhampton will be priced by Crosscountry and the via London by Virgin. But you may be able to achieve some savings by splitting -

Oxenholme -> Wolverhampton (Virgin Trains) & Wolverhampton -> Bournemouth (Crosscountry)
Oxenholme -> Euston (Virgin Trains), Tube to Waterloo, Waterloo->Bournemouth (South West Trains/Megatrain)

Edit: I explored some of the above options for 18/25 July just to get an idea of how things might work out. I did have to split the journeys as shown as I could not get meaningful Advance fares on the through tickets.

Off Peak Returns are around £190 for both routes (the most you should be paying)
Advance tickets split at Wolverhampton £155
Advance tickets split at London £140 plus tube on top