MoneySavingExpert.com Cheapest Train Fares Article Discussion

dzug1

ticketcollector wrote: »

Dont forget to have a look at the national rail routing guide. This tells you what routing is valid with what ticket. Be warned it is confusing as hell.
http://www.atoc.org/rsp/Routeing_Guide.asp


Had only one result come up for Gatwick to Newport and is listed as below.
GATWICK AIRPORT 5416 - NEWPORT S.WALES 3674

rte WARMSTER-SALSBRY 800 +
ATW
Ticket type Restrictions (S) (R)
SD 37.60
SV 8A 42.20
7D 197.80

I fear that is a totally misleading - and wrong, or at least incomplete, result. It's really the route of last resort after all else has failed.

ticketcollector

dzug1 wrote: »

I fear that is a totally misleading - and wrong, or at least incomplete, result. It's really the route of last resort after all else has failed.

Thats all that has come up on the staff on-line fares database. It is misleading because it does not show all routings.
The Routing Guide is not misleading, its just you cant understand it.

Mat_Money_saver_wannabe

dzug1 wrote: »

Yep. Wait. The cheap tickets are not released beyond 14 August. The worst that can happen is that you'll have to pay that £40.50 on the day. The best is an £8.50 fare.

And save a bit more buy NOT using the trainline or raileasy with their booking fees. Any TOC site will sell you the same tickets without a fee. (I just checked on Chiltern for example)

Thanks for the advice dzug1. I checked the site a few days later and the cheaper fare was there also saved a bit more money by biking it (no petrol costs:o ) down to the train station which is only about a mile away from where I live and buying the ticket there. I worked out that it I had bought from trainline.com then it would have cost me an extra £8.50 to pay by Credit card and have them delevered!!!!!!


I am well pleased, thanks again dzug1 for your wise advice!!!

:j :j :j :j :j :j

gner_ex

ticketcollector wrote: »

Thats all that has come up on the staff on-line fares database. It is misleading because it does not show all routings.
The Routing Guide is not misleading, its just you cant understand it.

And you need a degree to understand it!

Lets go back to the good old days of "any permitted" pre ORCATS!

ticketcollector

gner_ex wrote: »

And you need a degree to understand it!

not a degree but a doctorate!
Lets not go back to those pre ORCATS days, people took the p with London-Bristol tickets in Edinburgh.

gner_ex

ticketcollector wrote: »

not a degree but a doctorate!
Lets not go back to those pre ORCATS days, people took the p with London-Bristol tickets in Edinburgh.

But back then you could do Kings Cross-Edinburgh by sleeper, Edinburgh to Bristol by sleeper, and Bristol to Paddington by class 50 if you were lucky.

alih85

Hi

Can anyone help, I am looking for 2 return tickets or singles if thats cheaper from Newcastle to London on either the 25th July returning the 26th July or 1st August coming back on the 2nd of August. I would prefer to be in London before 12 and leave any time after 5.

The cheapest I can find is over £100 for 2 people.

Can anyone help????
Many thanks

ellie14

the cheap fares Manchesr London ie £9each way dont work out much cheaper for me because I have to get from Kirkham Preston to Manchester all in all costing about £32 each restricted times .With my railcard D/D myself can go booking Virgin £56 but at least no restrictions on leaving.Unless anyone can suggest another way round it to save money ,need to go between 25/6/ 27/06 giving us a couple of days in London ,

yorkie2

dzug1 wrote: »

I fear that is a totally misleading - and wrong, or at least incomplete, result. It's really the route of last resort after all else has failed.

Indeed it is incomplete.

There are route "GUILDFORD READING" and route "+LONDON" fares available, as well as the route "WARMSTER-SALISBRY" fares quoted.

yorkie2

ellie14 wrote: »

the cheap fares Manchesr London ie £9each way dont work out much cheaper for me because I have to get from Kirkham Preston to Manchester all in all costing about £32 each restricted times .With my railcard D/D myself can go booking Virgin £56 but at least no restrictions on leaving.Unless anyone can suggest another way round it to save money ,need to go between 25/6/ 27/06 giving us a couple of days in London ,

Sounds like you have 1 adult and 1 child on a Family railcard if the price you are quoting is £56. Indeed that is valid on any train including peak time thanks to Virgin's generosity allowing railcard discounted Savers to be valid at any time. I would definitely stick with that. You can come back at any time and don't have to worry about paying again if you miss your intended train.

I think you've left it too late to get good deals on advance fares, although if you specify via Manchester for your outward you can get a single for £26.35 for both of you leaving at 0825 on the 25th and avoiding Manchester back for £14.90 on the 20:46 from Euston on 27th. This saves £15 but you have to get those trains! £15 buys a lot more flexibility but it's your call.