How do you get a train?

giraffe69

I've bought loads of tickets in advance and had them posted to me at no charge. They have never failed to arrive(yet!).

Kite2010

I normally buy tickets in advance and get them to be collected from station. Only as it saves time and I can get cashback using red spotted hanky or SWT website.

agrinnall

If you have enough time before travelling and it's convenient for you the tickets can be collected at any station with a ticket office or machine, so the fact that it can't be done at your departure station may not necessarily prevent you from using that facility.

Yorkie1

agrinnall wrote: »

If you have enough time before travelling and it's convenient for you the tickets can be collected at any station with a ticket office or machine, so the fact that it can't be done at your departure station may not necessarily prevent you from using that facility.

That's right. I recently bought some train tickets for my parents to use, and I collected them from my local station even though they one of their journeys didn't involve that station.

yorkie2

agrinnall wrote: »

If you have enough time before travelling and it's convenient for you the tickets can be collected at any station with a ticket office or machine, so the fact that it can't be done at your departure station may not necessarily prevent you from using that facility.

Agreed, but be careful as some ticket machines are not accessible at all hours (e.g. Bingley, Bridgend, etc).

timbo58

be very careful telling anyone (i.e. the guard/ticket collector) if you do use one half of a return and someone else the other half.
No one on here will bat an eyelid but tickets are 'non transferable' and cannot be used like that strictly speaking.

UsetheFORCE

You can buy advance tickets from the station as well.

I often do naughty things, like needing a SINGLE ticket from London to Kent. It is cheaper to buy a SUPER OFF PEAK RETURN from Kent to London and use the return portion.

It is more expensive to get a single from London to Kent than it is to get a return from Kent to London.

cosmojohnson

UsetheFORCE wrote: »

You can buy advance tickets from the station as well.

I often do naughty things, like needing a SINGLE ticket from London to Kent. It is cheaper to buy a SUPER OFF PEAK RETURN from Kent to London and use the return portion.

It is more expensive to get a single from London to Kent than it is to get a return from Kent to London.

As long as you don't try and use the outward portion subsequently (or use the return portion on the first train of the day)... there's a few journeys that trick will work for - generally only works on super off-peak tickets though (typically valid only on weekends and bank holidays).
E.g. Cambridge-London is only £16 super off-peak return; but London-Cambridge single is £22.

SailorSam

I've often said i'd love to be 21 again, but i was 60 last bithday and one of the advantages is i got a card for free local travel. Buses; ferries, and trains.

DieselDragon

Yorkie1 wrote: »

That's right. I recently bought some train tickets for my parents to use, and I collected them from my local station even though they one of their journeys didn't involve that station.

I often purchase tickets for journeys from Euston to various places on the West Coast line, but set to collect my tickets from the machines at my local station - Which is nowhere near the WCML.

Both London Midland and Virgin Trains allow me to arrange this online, although they both warn me that my point of collection is off-route. It still permits this when I confirm my choice, though.

yorkie2 wrote: »

The last journey I made was from West Byfleet to York, and I required a ticket for the first part of my journey, but there was no opportunity until the Guard came round on board the train. There is no "risk of a fine" in these circumstances.

Are ye sure? That IS a South West Trains station after all, and they're well known for taking the biscuit when it comes to revenue protection!
(Plus: Doesn't West Byfleet have at least three QuickFare machines and a ticket office as well?)

I managed to get PF'd by SWT once just because their Guards' ticket machine failed to operate properly...

Kite2010 wrote: »

I normally buy tickets in advance and get them to be collected from station. Only as it saves time and I can get cashback using red spotted hanky or SWT website.

Cashback through the SWT website? No wonder all of my fares are so flippin' high and there's no Advance tickets...