Train ticket help

trafalgar_2

Daughter and grandkids can come visit bristol from manchester any day from 29th July onwards for a few days,doesn't matter what day of travel etc..................is there any way of searching for available cheap tickets without having to search day by day hour by hour

it's driving me nuts:eek:

moggins

The price of the ticket varies according to what day you travel and when really, but if you can book one now you could use the 50% off link?

Altarf

trafalgar wrote:

is there any way of searching for available cheap tickets without having to search day by day hour by hour

No. But the cheaper 'Value Advance' tickets only seem to be available at the weekends at the moment, so that is 5/7ths of your work solved.

To get the best prices check single trips as well as returns - On Virgin it is frequently cheaper to buy two singles than a return. Also since to travel from Manchester to Bristol involves a change at Birmingham (unless you go by an odd route) check for Manchester to Birmingham, plus a Birmingham to Bristol ticket. Yes this is even more work, but you will find that they have a certain allocation of each type of ticket per route and they may have sold all the Manchester to Bristol cheap tickets, but not the Manchester to Birmingham and Birmingham to Bristol tickets.

Finally, check whether a Familly Railcard is worthwhile.

pompeyrich

Altarf wrote:

No. But the cheaper 'Value Advance' tickets only seem to be available at the weekends at the moment, so that is 5/7ths of your work solved.

To get the best prices check single trips as well as returns - On Virgin it is frequently cheaper to buy two singles than a return. Also since to travel from Manchester to Bristol involves a change at Birmingham (unless you go by an odd route) check for Manchester to Birmingham, plus a Birmingham to Bristol ticket. Yes this is even more work, but you will find that they have a certain allocation of each type of ticket per route and they may have sold all the Manchester to Bristol cheap tickets, but not the Manchester to Birmingham and Birmingham to Bristol tickets.

Finally, check whether a Familly Railcard is worthwhile.

Sound advice but just to confuse you more, I was looking for a ticket from Portsmouth to Birmingham via Bristol, I tried splitting the journey and the fare from Bristol-Birmingham was more than the whole journey from Portsmouth.

It really is frustrating and using the 50% off link, as suggested earlier, is probably your best bet.

trafalgar_2

thanks everyone,tried the 50% link but unfortunately can't get it to work:o

pompeyrich

trafalgar wrote:

thanks everyone,tried the 50% link but unfortunately can't get it to work:o

What cant you get to work? the 50% isnt taken off until step 6/7

trafalgar_2

pompeyrich wrote:

What cant you get to work? the 50% isnt taken off until step 6/7

I got all the way there and it still wouldn't take it off....................I even followed the helpful step by step posts in the other thread

pompeyrich

Just got 2 child returns Man-Bris 30/7-4/08 showing as £57:40 - 50% = £28:70 or £14:35 each, I'm assuming the grandchildren are under 16 Oops sorry just saw Daughter too, saying that it should still work but will probably be another £28:70 on top

trafalgar_2

I must be doing something wrong then,I got the cheap fare on the 1st returning on the 8th august,1 adult 1 child for £47-80 but can't get the 50% to work....................I'll keep trying ,it's got to be something I'm doing wrong

thanks

pompeyrich

The site does seem to be playing up, you will probably find you have about 100 journeys in your basket when it eventually appears, just remove the ones you don't want and it should be ok again, may have to delete "cookies" and close and re-open the scotrail site first. Good luck.

trafalgar_2

thanks for your help pompeyrich,it's very much appreciated,I'll try again later today:T