Train prices for London

skea56

Heading to London for short Easter break

Our flight into Gatwick gets in at 1.35 and looking at train times and I can see a direct train from Airport to St Pancras at 14.19 for £15.80 for the 2 of us. Does this mean we can travel on any off peak service for this price?
There were other trains available at £50 and £38 I think, and I'm not sure what the difference is.

Not used to travelling by train so apologies if these are silly questions.

Thanks
sk56

macman

If you land at 13.35 and have hold baggage to reclaim, then you'll be lucky to catch a train at 14.19, even assuming that you land on time.

purpleshoes_2

skea56 wrote: »

Heading to London for short Easter break

Our flight into Gatwick gets in at 1.35 and looking at train times and I can see a direct train from Airport to St Pancras at 14.19 for £15.80 for the 2 of us. Does this mean we can travel on any off peak service for this price?
There were other trains available at £50 and £38 I think, and I'm not sure what the difference is.

Not used to travelling by train so apologies if these are silly questions.

Thanks
sk56

If you book an advance fare you can only travel on a specific train. If you pay a bit more you can travel on any off peak service, but the website you book on should explain the type of ticket you are paying for and the conditions attached when you book.

purpleshoes_2

skea56 wrote: »

Heading to London for short Easter break

Our flight into Gatwick gets in at 1.35 and looking at train times and I can see a direct train from Airport to St Pancras at 14.19 for £15.80 for the 2 of us. Does this mean we can travel on any off peak service for this price?
There were other trains available at £50 and £38 I think, and I'm not sure what the difference is.

Not used to travelling by train so apologies if these are silly questions.

Thanks
sk56

You could also look at bus services.

skea56

macman wrote: »

If you land at 13.35 and have hold baggage to reclaim, then you'll be lucky to catch a train at 14.19, even assuming that you land on time.

Thanks, hand luggage only as we're flying back again on Tues night. You're right about delayed plane though - I see another off peak fare for £15.80 at 14.38, so I'm wondering if we miss the first one could we catch it instead.

Must check terms here

skea56

purpleshoes wrote: »

If you book an advance fare you can only travel on a specific train. If you pay a bit more you can travel on any off peak service, but the website you book on should explain the type of ticket you are paying for and the conditions attached when you book.

Thank you, have checked T & Cs, and the ticket type is "Super Off Peak Single Valid on off peak services by the route and Train Operator shown"

Then a line about the suggested Journey...think I might book that later one at 14.38 just incase flight is delayed.

skea56

purpleshoes wrote: »

You could also look at bus services.

Thanks, well yes we could, but its more for the novelty, we don't have train/underground services here, so my partner loves the change - scares the hell out of me tho lol!!:eek::eek:

davenport151

On a super off peak you do not need to 'book' a journey. You are entitled to take a later train as long as it's still 'off peak'
If you post this up on the public transport board you will get more specific help.

david39

If you travel by train from Manchester Airport (TransPennine) on a prebooked ticket, even on concessionary fares, the ticket is valid for any train up to 3 hours after the time of the booking to allow for delayed flights.
You have to search around for that info but it is there in the t&cs.

I don't know whether this applies to rail carriers at other airports though.

Sharon87

Sometimes tickets are only valid on certain train companies. So your ticket may not be valid on the 'Gatwick Express' if for example it says 'Southern Trains only'. Which means you just get on a slower train. Just something else to check for when booking train tickets!

zappomatic

The Gatwick Express is a huge rip off, often only 5 minutes faster than a Southern train if you're going to Victoria and in fact no faster than the Thameslink trains to Blackfriars, London Bridge etc.