London Travelcard rules

KevinG

My family needs to get to London St Pancras for the Eurostar, returning about a week later. If I book the tickets to St P it gives me a London Travelcard at about £30. If I try to book a return it wants about £90, the return leg being a single for about £60. All of the journeys are in off-peak time. Is there anything to stop me booking two London Travelcards for the two dates at a total cost of about £60? In other words, does the Travelcard journey have to originate from my home station or can I start from London? I couldn't find any rules about this in a quick online search. Thank you.

tim9966

It should originate from the home station, but they wouldn't know that you haven't travelled in on it earlier in the day as the never seems to clip or stamp the tickets.

KevinG

Tickets are rarely clipped, especially travelcards. I doubt whether it would work the automatic barriers at St P, but I've found perfectly valid tickets quite often don't anyway, especially child tickets, so I'm sure they'd let me through the gates manually anyway.

KeithP

KevinG, do you actually need Travelcards, or are you perhaps just making a return trip direct from a station in West Sussex to St.Pancras?

Using Bognor Regis as an example, an Off Peak Return to St. Pancras is £38.10 per adult. That's the full cost of both the out and the return legs.

What station are you travelling from?

stragglebod

KeithP wrote: »

KevinG, do you actually need Travelcards, or are you perhaps just making a return trip direct from a station in West Sussex to St.Pancras?

Using Bognor Regis as an example, an Off Peak Return to St. Pancras is £38.10 per adult. That's the full cost of both the out and the return legs.

What station are you travelling from?

This. The OP's numbers, even in the crazy world of rail pricing, don't add up to me. I think there might be something crucial the OP has missed.

KevinG

Thanks everyone, but I can assure you my figures are correct. The fares I am quoting are for two adults and two children, one adult has a senior railcard. The off-peak return starting from home is £32.55. The off-peak return starting from St. Pancras is £60.70 (single £60.50). One of the differences is that the children have a flat £2 fare starting from home. Going to St. Pancras the travelcard is the cheapest fare offered.

Here is the breakdown:

From home:
1 x Adult £17.20
2 x Child £4.00
1 x Adult with Railcard £11.35

From St. Pancras:
1 x Child £12.25
3 x Adult with Groupsave £48.45 (priced that way because it is cheaper than 1 Child, 1 Adult and 1 Adult with Railcard)

KevinG

KeithP wrote: »

KevinG, do you actually need Travelcards, or are you perhaps just making a return trip direct from a station in West Sussex to St.Pancras?

The Travelcard is the cheapest fare offered

KeithP wrote: »

Using Bognor Regis as an example, an Off Peak Return to St. Pancras is £38.10 per adult. That's the full cost of both the out and the return legs.

For that journey I am quoted £25.40, which is the Travelcard, and cheaper.

KeithP wrote: »

What station are you travelling from?

I don't think that is particularly relevant but you can probably work it out from the fares I quoted on the previous post. It's a lot further north than Bognor Regis!

agrinnall

KevinG wrote: »

I don't think that is particularly relevant but you can probably work it out from the fares I quoted on the previous post. It's a lot further north than Bognor Regis!

Or you could just tell us. Do you really think people are going to waste their time trying to help you when you can't be bothered to help yourself?

KeithP

KevinG wrote: »

The Travelcard is the cheapest fare offered


For that journey I am quoted £25.40, which is the Travelcard, and cheaper.

I think you are mistaken.

But if you cannot, or will not, tell us your departure station then I'm sorry but I cannot help further.

Have a pleasant journey.

colcheslad

Can you pick one of the following?

Amberley railway station
Angmering railway station
Arundel railway station
Balcombe railway station
Barnham railway station
Billingshurst railway station
Bognor Regis railway station
Bosham railway station
Burgess Hill railway station
Chichester railway station
Christ's Hospital railway station
Crawley railway station
Durrington-on-Sea railway station
East Grinstead railway station
East Worthing railway station
Faygate railway station
Fishbourne railway station
Fishersgate railway station
Ford railway station
Gatwick Airport railway station
Goring-by-Sea railway station
Hassocks railway station
Haywards Heath railway station
Horsham railway station
Ifield railway station
Lancing railway station
Littlehampton railway station
Littlehaven railway station
Nutbourne railway station
Pulborough railway station
Shoreham-by-Sea railway station
Southbourne railway station
Southwick railway station
Three Bridges railway station
Warnham railway station
West Worthing railway station
Wivelsfield railway station
Worthing railway station

martindow

Probably no price advantage from the OP's mysterious starting point as his travelling is off-peak but CIV London International tickets could be an option. Eurostar will put you the next train if a delay causes you to miss your booked train.


They are a particular bargain if you travel at peak times.


https://www.seat61.com/UKconnections.htm#Option%203