Book too far to save money?

jbuchanangb

Hello

I am planning a day out to Didcot in May. It seems that FGW do not sell advance purchase singles to Didcot. From where I live an AP single to Swindon is £9.50, making a return trip £19.

Trains to Swindon from London stop at Didcot.

Is it legit to purchase tickets to Swindon, and alight at Didcot, respectively join the booked train at Didcot for return journey?

Return ticket from here to Didcot on exactly the same trains would cost £46.70

Comments please.

John.

wealdroam

jbuchanangb wrote: »

Is it legit to purchase tickets to Swindon, and alight at Didcot, respectively join the booked train at Didcot for return journey?

No.

jbuchanangb

On a web site dedicated to hints and tips for cheap rail travel, I am surprised to discover this proposed technique would not work.

How would it be wrong? I would hold valid tickets to travel on the relevant trains.

dggar

jbuchanangb wrote: »

On a web site dedicated to hints and tips for cheap rail travel, I am surprised to discover this proposed technique would not work.

How would it be wrong? I would hold valid tickets to travel on the relevant trains.

Read the T&Cs regarding Advance Tickets.
What you are proposing is not allowed under the T&Cs, that's why it would be wrong.

The_ICT_Engineer

Plus the little matter that you would not be able to pass through the ticket barriers.

dzug1

jbuchanangb wrote: »

On a web site dedicated to hints and tips for cheap rail travel, I am surprised to discover this proposed technique would not work.

How would it be wrong? I would hold valid tickets to travel on the relevant trains.

They would not be valid tickets, that's what's wrong

p00hsticks

jbuchanangb wrote: »

On a web site dedicated to hints and tips for cheap rail travel, I am surprised to discover this proposed technique would not work.

How would it be wrong? I would hold valid tickets to travel on the relevant trains.

It's what's know as "travelling short" and AFAIK is not permitted with advance fare tickets - you have to complete the entire journey for the ticket to be valid.

thelawnet

There will be cheaper ways of doing your journey, but since you haven't given any details of where you are travelling from, and when, it's impossible to say what those ways are.

jbuchanangb

OK. I am getting the message. Outing to Didcot Railway Centre for the Running Day on May 29, from Billericay. Hoped to get there by 11am on the 10.15 from Paddington. Access to the Railway Centre does not involve passing out of the ticket barrier at Didcot.

Now it looks like I'll have to go an hour later and pay £36.70 for an off-peak day return, and catch the 11.15 from Paddington.

Unless someone has a better idea.

thelawnet

You can try:

Billericay - Boundary Zone 6 £8.50 Offpeak Day Return (note: the Anytime Day Return is 80p more and may allow you to catch the 09:20 from Billericay - the issue here is the time it crosses in to Zone 6, before or after 09:30 - the departure time from Shenfield is 09:27)
London Travelcard Offpeak Zone 1-6 £8.90
Boundary Zone 6 - Didcot OffPeak Day Return £14.50

Total = £31.90

jbuchanangb

How about Billericay - Reading offpeak day return £26.80. Reading to Didcot OP DR £5.80 total £32.60 saving £4.10 The 11.15 from Paddington to Didcot calls at Reading, so this would be OK wouldn't it?

A group of 4 of us will be going so I could buy all the tickets with groupsave 4, and pay £65.20, so we each pay £16.30.

It's beginning to sound like a nice day out.