Cheap Train Fares guide discussion

3Raymo

Hi all,

I don't know if anyone can help, but my problem is this. I commute every day from Ashford International to London St Pancras on the high speed service. The cost of a weekly ticket is just under £156, plus I have to pay for parking at £29.70 per week.

Has anyone got any ideas how I can bring the cost down? I've tried split ticketing etc but I simply cannot find any way to bring it down. I don't qualify for railcards etc as I travel at peak times.

Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated. It's painful buying a ticket be it for 1 week or 1 month.

Thanks very much

wealdroam

3Raymo wrote: »

Hi all,

I don't know if anyone can help, but my problem is this. I commute every day from Ashford International to London St Pancras on the high speed service. The cost of a weekly ticket is just under £156, plus I have to pay for parking at £29.70 per week.

Has anyone got any ideas how I can bring the cost down? I've tried split ticketing etc but I simply cannot find any way to bring it down. I don't qualify for railcards etc as I travel at peak times.

Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated. It's painful buying a ticket be it for 1 week or 1 month.

Thanks very much

Start buying monthly tickets.
Season tickets can be bought at the monthly rate for any period from one month to one year.
Buy tickets for just over one month, starting on a Monday and ending on a Friday, thus avoiding paying for unwanted
weekend travel for one weekend in five.
For example, buy a ticket starting Monday 9 January and ending on Friday 10 February. Your next ticket should start
on Monday 13 February.
Extrapolate that process to avoid paying for bank holidays, annual holidays and other planned absences.
It does take a bit of planning but the savings are significant.

Consider other routes.
By not travelling on the High Speed services, a saving of around the price of your car parking can be made.
Of course it will take longer, but everything is a compromise.

Consider getting a cheap bike and cycling to the station.
Should be able to buy a very good secondhand bike on ebay for less than one month's car parking.

wealdroam

So 3Raymo, you've read my suggestions.
Any comment?

SallyD

Cannot find anywhere on TransPennine website "off peak" time restrictions. Can anyone help me?

wealdroam

SallyD wrote: »

Cannot find anywhere on TransPennine website "off peak" time restrictions. Can anyone help me?

On their tickets explained webpage it says:

Off Peak

The travel restrictions will depend on the journey you are making and will be advised when you buy your ticket.

In simple terms this means that it depends on the journey you are making and it is not a fixed time restriction for every journey.

Their journey planner, and all other journey planners, will only offer off peak tickets for trains where they are valid.

miller

For Huddersfield to Manchester Airport, assuming it's an Off Peak Return the relevant restriction text is:

OUTWARD TRAVEL
All trains are barred which
are due to arrive at
Manchester STNS (Deansgate,
Piccadilly, Oxford Road or
Victoria) before 0930.

So as Wealdroam says, that will vary according to the particular train.

SallyD

I am confused or daft but I have bought an off peak open return for a Monday 14.11 departure. I will be looking to get a train back after 18.00 a week later. I am collecting tickets from Station on the day. My confirmation email gives no indication of the time after which I can travel only says on website if you travel on an off peak ticket during peak time you will have to pay difference. Okay I understand that bit but what is the cut off time. I thought I would email TransPennine but website tells me due to high demand a reply may take up to 28 days! Looks like I will go and print tickets before the day of travel to see what is printed on them.

yorkie2

SallyD wrote: »

I am confused or daft but I have bought an off peak open return for a Monday 14.11 departure. I will be looking to get a train back after 18.00 a week later. I am collecting tickets from Station on the day. My confirmation email gives no indication of the time after which I can travel only says on website if you travel on an off peak ticket during peak time you will have to pay difference. Okay I understand that bit but what is the cut off time. I thought I would email TransPennine but website tells me due to high demand a reply may take up to 28 days! Looks like I will go and print tickets before the day of travel to see what is printed on them.

It was posted above, and can also be found here: http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=HUD&dest=MIA&tkt=SVR

miller

AIUI penalty fares etc. do not apply to excesses from off-peak/super off-peak to anytime so you would be able to pay the difference on board; in any case the trains quoted are fine.

As well as the very useful lnk yorkie2 has quoted, some tickets also print the restriction URL on the front, which in this case should be:
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/2M

SallyD

Thank you. I get it now.Appreciate the web links.