Reading to Manchester Tickets

martindow

Can anyone help with Reading to Manchester off peak returns, going out on Friday lunchtime and returning Sunday afternoon, at £73.40. I want to stick with OP returns rather than being tied to particular trains.

I've tried various splits such as Oxford, Banbury and Birmingham but the totals in each case are no cheaper. Has anyone found any advantageous splits for this journey? Thanks.

I've reposted this as I originally put it on the end of an ancient thread where nobody is looking.

dzug1

There's a small saving to be had splitting at Banbury Birmingham and Stoke on Trent - I make it £68-40 if you change to a Virgin train at Stoke, £72.60 if you stay on XC. A whopping 80p :money:

I'm sure this split used to work better than that

thelawnet

Reading - Manchester is valid via London, and is relatively good value for that reason.

Travel via Banbury on Crosscountry is very expensive.

If you can commit to specific trains in at least one direction you might do better.

dzug1

The journey planner shows an off peak return of £88 odd via London with the £73 fare being greyed out on trips via London

Is it wrong??

thelawnet

dzug1 wrote: »

The journey planner shows an off peak return of £88 odd via London with the £73 fare being greyed out on trips via London

Is it wrong??

Yes, the £73 fare is valid via London, although Underground staff between Paddington and Euston are unlikely to let you on the tube with it.

If you get the ticket issued from 'Islip' to Manchester, it's slightly more subtle, as well as slightly cheaper, and also valid from Reading to Manchester via London, since Reading is between Islip and London.

The permitted routes from Reading to Manchester include via London, as shown here:

http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/files/permitted_route_identifier%20(version%20RGL%20WGN%20amended%20140213).pdf#page=794

Likewise Oxford (for Islip):

http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/files/permitted_route_identifier%20(version%20RGL%20WGN%20amended%20140213).pdf#page=724

Since the ticket is routed 'any permitted', and LONDON is a permitted route, you may travel via London, and indeed start from London.

An Oxford/Islip - Manchester Any Permitted Anytime Single is just £76.50, less than half Virgin's London - Manchester Anytime single fare of £154, so a large saving if you need to travel in the peak (in either direction) between London and Manchester. For off-peak travel the saving is still there, but much smaller.

LexyBoy

Note that the Islip-Manchester ticket would only be valid via London if being used for a Reading-Manchester journey (if on the direct XC service you would effectively not have a ticket until Oxford). The Reading-Manchester Any Permitted ticket is valid either on XC or via London.