Season ticket vs Student rail card

elisebutt65

I'm starting my PGCE at Oxford Brookes in September and need to be in Oxford for five weeks every day until I start my placement at the local college.

I'm travelling from Leamington Spa and it's about £20 return every day on the train. If I get a student railcard then I get a 1/3 knocked off that but am just wondering whether it's cheaper to get a season ticket for the 1st month and the odd week.

Is there a site anywhere that I can find out prices for railcards as I can't seem to find on on google?

TIA

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

Student/ Young persons Rail card costs £20 and is valid for 12 months.


Season ticket for 5 weeks is £239.40

With the railcard, you will only get a discount before 10am in the months of July and August. An Open Return would cost £16 per day.

dzug

Should be better than that. Virgin trains operate most of the services between Leamington and Oxford and they do not apply time of day restrictions to savers bought with a railcard.

So as long as you use their services (and NOT Chiltern or FGW) you can do it for £8.70 a day with a railcard, any time of year.

elisebutt65

dzug wrote: »

Should be better than that. Virgin trains operate most of the services between Leamington and Oxford and they do not apply time of day restrictions to savers bought with a railcard.

So as long as you use their services (and NOT Chiltern or FGW) you can do it for £8.70 a day with a railcard, any time of year.

8.70 per day????

The standard rate is 20.68p and I thought I could only get 1/3 off with student card??

Is there a special way to get the 8.70? Do I have to order the tickets 2-3 months in advance?

TIA

dzug

elisebutt65 wrote: »

8.70 per day????

The standard rate is 20.68p and I thought I could only get 1/3 off with student card??

Is there a special way to get the 8.70? Do I have to order the tickets 2-3 months in advance?

TIA

A saver return is £13.20 before your railcard discount, £8.70 after. You can buy it on the day. If you don't have a railcard you can't use one until the 0900 train, but with a railcard it's valid on any Virgin train.

elisebutt65

!!!!!!s!!!!!! I went for interview the other day and got charged £20+ Aaargh!!!!


I should have got the later train!!!! Esp as I didn't need to be there until 10!!!


Aaargh - again!

jenny_f

bit of topic, what website did you use to work out season ticket prices?

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

I didn't use a website. I did it at work.

jamesn_2

Virgin do all direct trains between Leam and Oxford so saver with railcard is the best way to go.

jamesn_2

jenny_f wrote: »

bit of topic, what website did you use to work out season ticket prices?

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ see 'new features'

elisebutt65

Well this all may be academic now cos Virgin have lost the Cross Country franchise to Arriva now anyway - LOL