Peak time Manchester > London Euston

maggie111

My parents have a v important meeting early January in central London and need to be there at 10am

Obviously it is looking expensive for them to travel at peak hours

Any suggestions on tactics to get them in at a more reasonable price? They don't mind what time after 4pm they leave London to come back.

I wonder with the cost of it whether it will be cheaper to get a hotel the night before?

All advice welcome please :beer:

MancBrel

For trains to Manchester from London on weekdays, peak fares will apply in the afternoon from 3.45pm til 7pm

From Manchester to London you just need to make sure that you leave after 9.30am.

They might find better value travelling down on a cheaper ticket the day before. Near Euston there is an ibis within spitting distance, and a Premier Inn a few minutes down the road. If booked early these could be an option.

The golden rule for the train tickets is to buy them as singles as soon as they come available. They are released 12 weeks in advance.

By the way. The rooms in the Ibis are very basic. So only consider if the price is right. I have stayed here, but only as a very quick stop over when I've been on a late train and needed to get off in the morning.

notakid

It might be worth your parents investing in a senior railcard. Its valid for a yr and you get a third off most fares. It also permits you to travel on off peak prices at peak times on virgin trains.

cosmojohnson

Unfortunately even if you do book far enough in advance (keep an eye on NR's Booking Horizons page - it's not always exactly 12 weeks) there are unlikely to be any cheap 'advance' tickets for that trip (those time trains will be busy so Virgin don't have any incentive to sell off cheap seats).
An Anytime return would be £308* (ouch!), so as others noted travelling up the evening before may work out cheaper.

An off-peak Manchester-London return (£77.30) is valid to arrive Euston before 0720 or at or after 1130; and return within a month between 0926 and 1500 (inclusive) and at or after 1845.

*However, a 7 day Manchester-Reading season is only £231.20 and reckon that's valid into Euston at any time... I'd expect a few arguments with gateline staff though...

whatmichaelsays

Set up an 'advance tickets' email alert on The Trainline for the dates you want to travel, which will notify you when advance fares are available. However, don't buy from The Trainline (you'll pay a booking fee) - buy direct from the TOC.

As others have said, you'll be travelling on a peak train that will be full of business travellers (who will pay whatever is necessary to travel), which means that discounted fares will be rare if not non-existstent.

A quick look at a date three months from now suggests that the cheapest peak train would be the 8:15 out of Manchester at £67, with the 18:20 leaving London coming in at £26.

martindow

I asked on a previous thread about Reading Manchester fares

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4657577

It seems that tickets from Islip to Manchester are valid via London and are far cheaper particularly at peak times (post no 5)

Perhaps some of the experts here could confirm that this routing still works.

agrinnall

Travelling in January is always subject to the risk of delays or cancellations due to bad weather. If the meeting is so important that they must be there then travelling to London the previous day and having a relaxed start to the day seems like a far better idea, even if it costs a little more.

cookie365

It won't be cheaper to get a hotel the night before. But it'll certainly be better.

Why don't they travel down at whatever time suits them the day before, check in early and dump their stuff at the hotel, then make a day of it?

opinions4u

Off peak single ticket to Watford or Milton Keynes the night before. Budget hotel there for the night.

Single ticket into London the following morning. Oyster for tube.

Meeting.

Single ticket from Euston to Manchester (test split ticketing at Stoke) off-peak to get home.

Don't rule out National Express for one or both legs.

dggar

If they can tolerate being ther at 10:34
try searching National rail journey planner and go via CHESTERFIELD.

07.20 MAN to shefield and then to STPancras arriving 10:34
showing £30 advance single for 12weeks time(without rail card discounts)

Adavance single for 8th November showing £34 for direct route to EUS.
06:27 dep MAN arrive EUS 09:34
07:35 dep MAN arrive EUS 09:52

yorkie2

opinions4u wrote: »

Off peak single ticket to Watford or Milton Keynes the night before. Budget hotel there for the night.

Single ticket into London the following morning. Oyster for tube.

If staying near Watford Jn and have an Oyster card, you may as well use Oyster PAYG for Watford Jn - Euston (£7.60 between 0630 & 0930; £4.50 at other times).

A single ticket on paper is is £9.20 from Watford Junction, or around £19 from Milton Keynes.

opinions4u wrote: »

Off peak single ticket to Watford or Milton Keynes the night before

Single ticket from Euston to Manchester (test split ticketing at Stoke) off-peak to get home..

An Off Peak Return from Manchester to London Terminals, finishing 'short' at Watford Jn or Milton Keynes, would be considerably cheaper than an Off Peak Single from Manchester to Watford Jn or Milton Keynes, and another Off Peak Single from London to Manchester.