Split Ticketing: Report successful routes here

dzug1

You don't HAVE to get the tube from Paddington to Kings Cross (not Euston, normally at least) - a taxi is easy enough, and probably easier than the change at Birmingham if you have to change platforms there.

There's at least two through trains a day (730 and 930am) on which at least in principle advance fares starting at £22 before railcard discount are available - but they might be difficult to come by in reality. The £50 ones might be easier but on a random date about a month from now there were none.

An off peak return Bodmin - Edinburgh with your railcard is just under £110 each - so that's the maximum you should pay.

alanrowell

During the week there's only one direct train per day at sometime between 7:00am and 8:00am. You may be able to use one or more of the following to get a good price

Plymouth
Bristol Temple Meads
Birmingham New Street
Sheffield
Leeds
York
Darlington
Newcastle

You might however want to consider going to Newquay and flying with FlyBe instead

Livingthedream

becca5391 wrote: »

I'm wanting to go from Newcastle to Crewe - is the best route Newcastle, York, Manchester, Crewe?

You can do that route or Newcastle-Carlisle-Crewe both are about the same time scale and both have the same walk on fares. However, advance tickets need to be split to get the best prices;
Newcastle to Carlisle £12.80 anytime single
Carlise to Crewe £10 Advance single
Total £22.80

Newcastle to Manchester Pic £13.50 advance single
Manchester Pic to Crewe £11 anytime single

Total £24.50

So its cheaper to go via carlisle

lizbath

Trevett00 wrote: »

I'd like some help with finding the cheapest rail tickets from Bodmin to Edinburgh. We can't take the value fare that involves crossing London because one of us is elderly & infirm and can't cope with the hassle of Paddington to Euston by tube. We want to travel during the day and ideally on the one train that's a through journey. But we would change at Birmingham if necessary. We both have senior rail cards. Many thanks for any help.

there doesn't seem to be a particlarly cheap way of doing this route you don't say when you are going but there are direct trains via bristol with no changes.
looks about £200 with railcards for bothof you and only slightly cheaper on singles and gets very complicated splitting with only a few pounds difference.
it takes about 9-10hrs so maybe fly either Plymouth or newquay as suggested will take about hour?
if not what are your exact dates of travel?

dodmwe

Have to go to Liverpool this weekend for a mates 40th drink-up. Since I hadn't booked in advance, I was looking a the thick end of £70:eek: .

Well this thread spurred me on for a better deal.

Thetrainline.com cheapest price £66.40 (off peak return)

Split the ticket at Alsager and use London Midland trains only.

Watford Junction to Alsager £16.00 (super off peak return)
Alsager to Liverpool Lime Street £13.10 (off peak return)

Therefore total by splitting tickets = £29.10

This saves £37.30 or 56%:rotfl: .

All tickets can be bought on the day of travel and return ticket is valid for one month.

I'll be buying this ticket this weekend, and the saving will pay for my beers.

Trevett00

lizbath wrote: »

there doesn't seem to be a particlarly cheap way of doing this route you don't say when you are going but there are direct trains via bristol with no changes.
looks about £200 with railcards for bothof you and only slightly cheaper on singles and gets very complicated splitting with only a few pounds difference.
it takes about 9-10hrs so maybe fly either Plymouth or newquay as suggested will take about hour?
if not what are your exact dates of travel?

Many thanks for your help. Our dates for travel are flexible - I'm just puzzled because every other year when we've taken the train both of us have travelled, first class, for a total of £110 or so RETURN. The leap from that to around £200 for standard accommodation seems a bit steep. I have tried splitting the tickets but without spectacular savings. I wonder if advance tickets are more plentiful and/or attractive after the summer timetables arrive in May. (Oh, and he won't fly though that of course would be the cheapest, fastest option).

chem_j

Hi,
2 of us are planning on travelling from Liverpool airport to the university in Bangor and back on 4th February, out in the morning, back in the evening. Cheapest I've found is £46 off-peak day return for both of us, though we can save a few pounds by splitting in Chester. Are there any cheaper routes/fares available?
Thanks!

dzug1

Trevett00 wrote: »

Many thanks for your help. Our dates for travel are flexible - I'm just puzzled because every other year when we've taken the train both of us have travelled, first class, for a total of £110 or so RETURN. The leap from that to around £200 for standard accommodation seems a bit steep. I have tried splitting the tickets but without spectacular savings. I wonder if advance tickets are more plentiful and/or attractive after the summer timetables arrive in May. (Oh, and he won't fly though that of course would be the cheapest, fastest option).

As of January, Cross Country Trains seem to have significantly restricted either the number of advance fares available - or at least those in the lower fare bands - to the extent that a flexible off peak return is often cheaper than two advance singles.

Example - Exeter - Cheltenham on evening of 23 December - £7.50, not that far in advance.

Now - lucky to find anything below £19.

bantamjim

Hi,

Not sure if this will help anyone, but thought I put it on here in case! Looking at going from Leeds to Milton Keynes, the quickest way is via Manchester (and that's the only way that shows on the websites) - about £50. If you're able to book in advance and aren't bothered about a slightly longer journey, changing and splitting in Birmingham then London Midland via Northampton is about half the price (and is probably even cheaper is travelling off-peak!)

Also, don't know if it's already been mentioned, but I find buying tickets from Morley to mid-to-long distance destinations is usually the same price is travelling from Leeds - this definitely works for trains to Sheffield and Hull. I don't know if it works for all suburban stations, but it may be worth looking into, especially if you travel by train a lot - a couple of quid bus fare saving in each direction could soon add up!

lizbath

Trevett00 wrote: »

Many thanks for your help. Our dates for travel are flexible - I'm just puzzled because every other year when we've taken the train both of us have travelled, first class, for a total of £110 or so RETURN. The leap from that to around £200 for standard accommodation seems a bit steep. I have tried splitting the tickets but without spectacular savings. I wonder if advance tickets are more plentiful and/or attractive after the summer timetables arrive in May. (Oh, and he won't fly though that of course would be the cheapest, fastest option).

Well agree with others pricing is meant to be simpler in fact it is just more expensive.I use the train regularly in west country and used to 'treat' myself to first class single tickets as they were only a few pounds more than returnand i got a free coffee but now alas no more can hardly afford the ticket price and now drive more!
Problem is you can only buy tickets 12 weeks in advance so pick a date then try and book as soon as poss after this date and try splits ?plymouth,exeter,bristol cheltenham etc etc It takes ages but I recently managed to get a £180 ticket for just over a hundred took me about an hour though! good luck