MoneySavingExpert.com Cheap Train Tickets Article Discussion

elephantrosie

I need to get to stansted airport on the 5th March to pick my mum. So it will a return ticket plus a single one way journey ticket.
Please advise cheapest possible train tickets!

dzug1

elephantrosie wrote: »

I need to get to stansted airport on the 5th March to pick my mum. So it will a return ticket plus a single one way journey ticket.
Please advise cheapest possible train tickets!

The cheapest tickets will be advance singles each way - it's unlikely that a return will be cheaper, though not impossible.

Any rail website (or Leicester station) will sell you the tickets. If it offers you returns click on the singles may be cheaper button. You'll need to make 2 bookings as the number of passengers is different for each leg.

Currently tickets start at £7 each way on 5 March on through trains - it's more expensive but about the same journey time via London.

A walk on return is around £42 - more via London

elephantrosie

thank you for the reply. ive booked my outward journey to stansted aiport.

could someone please advise me on the return ticket? my mum will arrive at 21:50. how long will it take to get through the custom? i cant decide what time should my return ticket be.

Poolie

If it is a standard day return then baring any restrictions you should be able to get the next train as long as you are not restricted to a set operator.

elephantrosie

i bought the outward journey already. its cheaper to get them separetely rather than a return ticket.

dzug1

elephantrosie wrote: »

thank you for the reply. ive booked my outward journey to stansted aiport.

could someone please advise me on the return ticket? my mum will arrive at 21:50. how long will it take to get through the custom? i cant decide what time should my return ticket be.

Well there is only one train that will get you home without travelling overnight - at 2300 via St Pancras. Currently £15 single. The 2257 has a £7 fare, but it's a 5 hour wait in Cambridge. If the plane is on time either is attainable.

Barring an absolute disaster you'd certainly get the 0130 which has a £12 fare - again via London with 4 hours to get from Liverpool St to St Pancras. Most of that would be at Liverpool Street waiting for the tube to open

Or spend the night at the airport and get the first train in the morning with a cheap ticket - it's a better place to spend the night than Cambridge or London

elephantrosie

thanks for the reply again, dzug. may i ask how long does it usually take to get through the custom on arrival at the airport?
thanks.

dzug1

elephantrosie wrote: »

thanks for the reply again, dzug. may i ask how long does it usually take to get through the custom on arrival at the airport?
thanks.

It's a long time since I went through Stansted, but I guess that that hour before the last train should be enough if nothing goes wrong - plane delayed, immigration short staffed, that sort of thing. Someone else may have more recent knowledge.

What you do depends on what you want to achieve - are you 1 desperate to get home that evening, 2 desperate to minimise costs, or 3 prefer a comfortable time? And what 'risks' are you willing to take in that process?

1 - book that last train - from memory it involves changing to the tube at Seven Sisters then the last train out of St Pancras

2 - spend the night at Stansted (loads of people will be doing it - it's not that bad) and book the first train out in the morning with a cheap ticket

3 - get a hotel at Stansted and book a convenient train home next day

If you want to hedge your bets, buying tickets for both that last train and the first one next day should still be cheaper than having to buy a full fare ticket next day if you miss the last train.

pazza2000

Livingthedream wrote: »

Some Good News for all the people living in Scotland, First Scotrail and the Scottish Daily Record/Sunday Mail have team up to offer travel anywhere in Scotland for £15 return and 1 child can travel free at the same time.

Check this link out First Scotrail Offer but basically all you need to do to take advantage of this superb offer you must collect a booking form and 3 differently numbered tokens from the Daily Record and Sunday Mail available between 24 and 28 January 2010.

Time to do that trip up to the Kyle of Lockalsh

Anybody taken up this promo(or similar) & travelled?

I have stupidly lost the token coupon that is required to be shown with my ticket. However i have lost this and im worried they will find my ticket void. Hoping the ticket is suffuce and they(the inspector) wont ask to see it, or i can talk my way out of it.

Anybody any thoughts?

elephantrosie

dzug, in regard to your last statement, i thought if i buy the ticket on spot it would be 12 pounds?
i know the price varies everyday. i checked the price to go back NOW (as if i am now in stansted and i am about to buy the tickets to get back to leicester), its only 12 quids.