Cheapest Train Fares Discussion Area

ls_livesey

Any help on getting the fares for these journeys down would be massively appreciated.

I need to travel from Oxford to Carlisle on Sunday 25th October to help a friend with her very new and fractious baby. Currently I'm struggling to find anything under the single journey cost of £77.

I then need to travel back from Manchester (or Preston, Bolton or Lostock) to Oxford on Thursday 29th October. According to Virgin that'll cost me £85.60.

Am hoping wise people with experience of either split ticketing or finding cheaper fares will be able to do better than I have at getting the cost down!

nebuchan

Hello everybody!
I was wondering if any of you could help me reduce the cost of a train ticket from Exeter to Sheffield.... I tried to get a cheap advance, but I missed out, so now I am looking at getting a split ticket, but don't know the ideal places to split my ticket... If anyone knows that would be grand!

I wish to travel from Exeter St Daves to Sheffield on Wednesday 4th November leaving after 12 sometime, then returning to Exeter before 13.30 on Thursday the 5th November. I have a young persons rail card. If anyone could help, that would be grand!

dzug1

nebuchan wrote: »

Hello everybody!
I was wondering if any of you could help me reduce the cost of a train ticket from Exeter to Sheffield.... I tried to get a cheap advance, but I missed out, so now I am looking at getting a split ticket, but don't know the ideal places to split my ticket... If anyone knows that would be grand!

I wish to travel from Exeter St Daves to Sheffield on Wednesday 4th November leaving after 12 sometime, then returning to Exeter before 13.30 on Thursday the 5th November. I have a young persons rail card. If anyone could help, that would be grand!

Bristol Cheltenham Birmingham and Derby or any combination

megan99

I am travelling in the next couple of days so I assume I can't buy online. I want to go from Reading to Bath via Didcot Parkway so do I just go to the ticket office in Reading and ask for a return R to DP and DP to B? Will the guy at the ticket office sell it to me or tell me I can't do that? I assume I can't use the ticket machines in the station as they are set up only to sell tickets from that station.

Thanks.

KeithP

megan99 wrote: »

I am travelling in the next couple of days so I assume I can't buy online. I want to go from Reading to Bath via Didcot Parkway so do I just go to the ticket office in Reading and ask for a return R to DP and DP to B? Will the guy at the ticket office sell it to me or tell me I can't do that? I assume I can't use the ticket machines in the station as they are set up only to sell tickets from that station.

Thanks.

The man in the ticket office will sell you the tickets you ask for.

That's his job.

:beer:

james2005

I am looking to travel from St.Austell in Cornwall on Fri 23rd July, going to Littlehampton and returning Sunday or even Monday the 25th July, not too fussed with times coming back.

Its for 1 adult and 1 child, we donthave any rail cards, would it be worth me buyin gone of those railcard 50% off vouchers from ebay and then buying a railcard.

Also would be ever so grateful on some split ticketing advice for the above journey.

KeithP

james2005 wrote: »

I am looking to travel from St.Austell in Cornwall on Fri 23rd July, going to Littlehampton and returning Sunday or even Monday the 25th July, not too fussed with times coming back.

Its for 1 adult and 1 child, we donthave any rail cards, would it be worth me buyin gone of those railcard 50% off vouchers from ebay and then buying a railcard.

Also would be ever so grateful on some split ticketing advice for the above journey.

I have answered your other post.

grazie

I often get the Kings Cross to Aberdeen train and vice versa with additional travel to/from Kent. The best train for me to catch going north is the 10.30am as it's direct and has an ideal arrival time. However, recently it's become impossible for me to book a cheap ticket from Kent using this connection, despite it still being possible to book cheap tickets from London. I'm confused as it use to be possible and I can still get cheap tickets for the return leg (to Kent from Aberdeen).

Is this a glitch I can complain to someone about or any ideas on how I can get around it? I know about split ticketing and often use it, but tickets into London can be as or more expensive than the London to Aberdeen ticket, which is blooming ridiculous as we all know.

dzug1

grazie wrote: »

I often get the Kings Cross to Aberdeen train and vice versa with additional travel to/from Kent. The best train for me to catch going north is the 10.30am as it's direct and has an ideal arrival time. However, recently it's become impossible for me to book a cheap ticket from Kent using this connection, despite it still being possible to book cheap tickets from London. I'm confused as it use to be possible and I can still get cheap tickets for the return leg (to Kent from Aberdeen).

Is this a glitch I can complain to someone about or any ideas on how I can get around it? I know about split ticketing and often use it, but tickets into London can be as or more expensive than the London to Aberdeen ticket, which is blooming ridiculous as we all know.

My guess is that it's because the Kent-London operator no longer wants to allow peak hour travel with this type of ticket.

Might be worth checking if it's Aberdeen specific (in which case booking to say York or Edinburgh might help) or general, in which case you are stuck.

grazie

dzug1 wrote: »

My guess is that it's because the Kent-London operator no longer wants to allow peak hour travel with this type of ticket.

Might be worth checking if it's Aberdeen specific (in which case booking to say York or Edinburgh might help) or general, in which case you are stuck.

Thanks for the suggestions. It does look like it's down to peak hour travel restrictions. Unfortunately, the earliest train I can now get on a cheap ticket arrives at St.Pancras at 10.06. Apparently this isn't early enough to make the 10.30 connection from Kings Cross, so I'd have to wait for the Edinburgh train leaving at 11.00 and change again. Unfortunately, this gives only 11 minutes transfer time at Edinburgh which means you'd be pretty likely to miss the Aberdeen connection. A crazy crazy booking system!

BTW, changing the destination station makes no difference.