Day travelcard from Woking 'doesn't exist'

greensalad

I live in Woking. Tomorrow I am travelling to London Waterloo, and then around London for the day, and returning home in the evening.

When living in Kent I would always purchase myself a day travelcard which included a return journey to my destination, and then bus & tube travel around London.

I have been to Woking station before and asked to purchase a travelcard and am told it doesn't exist. I've then tried to purchase just a standard day return (no travelcard) and again have been told it doens't exist. I can perhaps believe the former, but it seems crazy to me that the latter does not exist. You can apparently only by single tickets to London from Woking. You can however purchase returns through the machines... it just doesn't make any sense.

Anyway I went to the National Rail site and attempted to book a return from Woking to London. It gives me the option of adding a travelcard and says it costs £18 WITH the travelcard. I add it to my basket and it decribes itself as: 1 x Adult - Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard

Great!

But as soon as I progress through the checkout, it reverts it back to a single for £10.90...

What is going on? Can I honestly not purchase a railcard OR a return ticket from Woking to London?

Edit: as an addendum, I cannot work out whether the Saturday 8.59 train which arrives at Waterloo at 9.23am is off-peak or not. The website states:

Towards London Waterloo and any station in London Zones 1-6: Generally valid on trains arriving into London Waterloo at 1000, or later, Monday to Friday*.

So no mention of Saturday, which makes me assume there is no peak service on Saturday mornings?

wealdroam

greensalad wrote: »

I live in Woking. Tomorrow I am travelling to London Waterloo, and then around London for the day, and returning home in the evening.

When living in Kent I would always purchase myself a day travelcard which included a return journey to my destination, and then bus & tube travel around London.

I have been to Woking station before and asked to purchase a travelcard and am told it doesn't exist. I've then tried to purchase just a standard day return (no travelcard) and again have been told it doens't exist. I can perhaps believe the former, but it seems crazy to me that the latter does not exist. You can apparently only by single tickets to London from Woking. You can however purchase returns through the machines... it just doesn't make any sense.

Anyway I went to the National Rail site and attempted to book a return from Woking to London. It gives me the option of adding a travelcard and says it costs £18 WITH the travelcard. I add it to my basket and it decribes itself as: 1 x Adult - Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard

Great!

But as soon as I progress through the checkout, it reverts it back to a single for £10.90...

What is going on? Can I honestly not purchase a railcard OR a return ticket from Woking to London?

Edit: as an addendum, I cannot work out whether the Saturday 8.59 train which arrives at Waterloo at 9.23am is off-peak or not. The website states:



So no mention of Saturday, which makes me assume there is no peak service on Saturday mornings?

There are no Peak Restrictions on Saturdays or Sundays.

That Super Off Peak Day Travelcard is available at £18 and covers the return from Woking to London and travel within zones 1 - 6 all day.
You can leave Woking as early as you like - that ticket is valid on all trains all day on a Saturday or Sunday.

If you are struggling with National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner, can I suggest you try Southern Railways journey planner - buy the tickets there and collect them from a machine at Woking if you like.

It's a pity you mentioned 'railcard' in your post. That is an entirely different product. Is there perhaps anything else you may have mentioned to the ticket seller which may have confused him? I ask because it should be very straightforward matter to sell that ticket.

greensalad

Sorry you are right, railcard is my 16-25. Travelcard is the unlimited travel I'm talking about.

I attempted the process again, but I can't get it to let me clear the previous ticket I selected. I want to catch the 8.59 but I do not want to catch a specific train home. but because I previously clicked one of the return services, I'm now permanently stuck choosing return services. I don't want a return service, but there is no option to NOT select a return journey time.

Also, why can't I buy this ticket from the station? They tell me it doesn't exist. So either the ticket man in the station is wrong or the website is wrong. When I go to the station, I say 'here is my 16-25 railcard. I'd like to purchase a day return to London with a 1-6 travelcard please'. I'm told it doesn't exist. So I say 'OK, forget the travelcard bit, I'd like to purchase a day return to London please'. Also doesn't exist. He always tells me I have to buy two singles.

wealdroam

As you have a railcard, that £18 fare becomes £11.90.

You may have to state a return time (and an outward time), but on a Saturday (or Sunday) you can travel on any train from Woking, and any train to Woking for the return.

I really have no idea why that ticket seller couldn't find or sell you that ticket, but why not buy from the website I mentioned earlier, or from a machine at the station?

greensalad

Thanks, yes I am going to purchase online now. I thought I could purchase them from the ticket machines, but at the same time I'm thinking I must have been imagining it because I always use the machines, so the only reason I would have gone to the desk is because I couldn't find the ticket on the machine.

I've ordered online directly rather than on National Rail and it has worked (although I've had to specify a return time) but it's still baffling to me as to why the ticket desk plainly tell me that returns don't exist. It's happened multiple times, I always buy two singles.

wealdroam

greensalad wrote: »

I've ordered online directly rather than on National Rail...

National Rail do not sell tickets.

greensalad wrote: »

...and it has worked (although I've had to specify a return time)...

Didn't I explain that clearly earlier?

greensalad wrote: »

...but it's still baffling to me as to why the ticket desk plainly tell me that returns don't exist.

Then why not ask South West Trains that question?
southwesttrains.co.uk/contact-us

greensalad wrote: »

It's happened multiple times, I always buy two singles.

Then you've usually paid more than necessary.

greensalad

wealdroam wrote: »

Then you've usually paid more than necessary.

OK, no need to be arsey.

If I go up to the ticket desk, I expect to be told the truth. I do not understand why purchasing online I can get a day return, but purchasing from the station I cannot. More than just not being able to purchase, being told that the ticket type doesn't exist. There have been times where I cannot plan my journey time ahead of the 2 hour slot for ordering tickets online, so have had to go to the station and buy there. I was simply asking for information as to why the ticket is available online but not available in the station, seems odd doesn't it?

yorkie2

Let us know what SouthWest trains say. I would also go back to the station to check they have rectified the matter.

If they do not resolve it, you can take it further.

iharding

I've bought plenty of day travelcards from Woking over the last few years, both from the windows and machines, and with and without railcard discount. They definitely exist.


The only explanation I can think of is that the ticket clerk was confused and thought you were asking to return on a different day. This would require two single tickets as there are only day return and travelcard fares available as far as I know.

benjus

When I lived in Woking 13 years or so ago people would often buy a ticket to Wimbledon and a Zones 1-3 (or 1-4) travelcard separately.