I know this has been done to death but fifty quid for the train to Brizzle?

[Isambard]

I did it in June for a tenner each way as two singles.

The cheapest prices you are going to get are arund £25 return by booking in advance but that's limited number of tickets per train and the price rises quickly to £50.

Travel off peak to get a lower fare. I usually leave London on a weekday lunchtime for example.

 

[trashpony]

I did it in June for a tenner each way as two singles.

The cheapest prices you are going to get are arund £25 return by booking in advance but that's limited number of tickets per train and the price rises quickly to £50.

Travel off peak to get a lower fare. I usually leave London on a weekday lunchtime for example.

I got two singles for £34. I could have done it for £30 but it would have meant getting up very early. The problem is that I need to go just for the weekend - going on a Saturday, coming back on a Sunday. Which is off-peak for work but nice to see they still believe in fleecing the leisure traveller.

@ Kali - not sure I'll be able to because I'm going to see my bessie mate and I've not seen her for ages. But I might pop into December's prod or come along to the curry or something x

 

[Isambard]

Oh yeah, First are more fleecy than a cuddly ickle lamb.

Total transport monopoly down our way.
Start a buses in Bristol thread if you fancy a laugh!

 

[wtfftw]

Trainline sent me an email on 23rd saying there were £10 singles for london to newcastle/birmingham/bristol/manchester (for christmas - although I'm not sure quite when they mean by that). IME even if I immediately go on to the trainline to try and book these mythical tickets (I go newcastle occassionally) there aren't any. Also as soon as I've paid more or got the coach instead they'll send an email about £10 tickets. Drives me mad.

 

[zenie]

Trainline sent me an email on 23rd saying there were £10 singles for london to newcastle/birmingham/bristol/manchester (for christmas - although I'm not sure quite when they mean by that). IME even if I immediately go on to the trainline to try and book these mythical tickets (I go newcastle occassionally) there aren't any. Also as soon as I've paid more or got the coach instead they'll send an email about £10 tickets. Drives me mad.

When i looked last week you could still get them for the new year. Not sure about christmas though.

 

[wtfftw]

When i looked last week you could still get them for the new year. Not sure about christmas though.

Luckily the newcastle contingent are visiting london (by car) for christmas and new year so I don't have to deal with it (I did go up in early november). Which is nice. Would be good to know otherwise though.

 

[apie2004]

Just to rub these things I got me a train to canterbury from sheffield return for 35.30

 

[Termite Man]

I was looking at goin g to Norwich in February and the return fares were something stupid like £70 . I don't particualarly want to get thye coach but at that price I'm going to have to

 

[Ribbit]

I was looking at goin g to Norwich in February and the return fares were something stupid like £70 . I don't particualarly want to get thye coach but at that price I'm going to have to

From Liverpool Street you can get singles from £5 each way to Norwich. Admittadly, that goes up to £6 in January, but it's still bloody cheap.

Unless you're going via Central Trains, in which case that doesn't apply to you.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Have you checked out megatrain.com ?

Very limited routes though.

http://www.megatrain.com/stops/

 

[Pie 1]

Just to add insult to injury...

""If passengers want flexibility or have no choice about when to travel they now face off-putting prices."

FFS.

 

[Pie 1]

Fuck British trains, Fuck them.

We were just in the UK last week and had a hire car from Budget from Thursday to Monday, 3 of us to Devon & back [from London]. £98 pay online, no hidden extras, Focus diesel - £40 fuel.

No brainer these days, really is. [if you can drive]

 

[trashpony]

Fuck British trains, Fuck them.

We were just in the UK last week and had a hire car from Budget from Thursday to Monday, 3 of us to Devon & back [from London]. £98 pay online, no hidden extras, Focus diesel - £40 fuel.

No brainer these days, really is. [if you can drive]

See it's been cheaper for three people to rent a car for ages (not that it makes it right of course - still appalling). But when it's cheaper for one to drive it's ridiculous.

So much for a joined-up transport policy

 

[sam/phallocrat]

If you're palnning on going by train a fair amount in advance it's always worth checking a number of websites. Even though they all use thetrainline.com's software they sometimes have different allocations of tickets so bargains can be found . . .

www.qjump.com
www.thetrainline.com
www.midlandmainline.com

 

[Roadkill]

I noticed this morning that the trainline has an option for looking for the cheapest ticket.

It's on the screen where you select the ticket you want for your specified journey - it gives all the ticket options available for any route between your destinations. It's surprising how cheap you can do some journeys, provided you're prepared to take a longer route.

For the journey I want to do just before Christmas, I've saved myself half the South West Trains fare, for a journey only 20 minutes longer than going direct.

 

[dash]

Thanks for the megatrain link Ann O'Neemus, that could be useful.

You really have to plan ahead with the trains now. No more going off on a whim these days, I can't afford it.

 

[Roadkill]

Thanks for the megatrain link Ann O'Neemus, that could be useful.

Don't expect too much from megatrain. It is in effect an advertising ply by South West Trains (which is owned by Stagecoach) designed to flog off a few ultra-cheap tickets on SWT services for travel at inconvenient times.

 

[marco mark]

Thanks for the megatrain link Ann O'Neemus, that could be useful.

You really have to plan ahead with the trains now. No more going off on a whim these days, I can't afford it.

seconded £10 manc to edinbr sounds good, shame i am leaving tomorrow, next time

 

[Isambard]

I just booked some jouneys over SIX WEEKS in adance and at first glance Farce Great Wankers wanted £106 return from Paddington but I managed to get it down to £22 in the end by being a bit of an anorack.

A week later mind they weren't budging from £46 so I am getting the coach, that's a "bargain" at £34.

 

[wiskey]

i book my tickets from temple meads to padington up in advance and i pay a tenner each way. which is normally only 3 quid more spensive than the coach.

 

[Isambard]

A week before I'm in Somerset for £11 each way and that is OK.

But Farce offered me £46 return to for a journey that although not business peak time is ideal for people who want a long weekend in Bristol waving their arms in the air in dodgy nightclubs. Allegedly.

 

[pootle]

They seem to have quietly fazed out most of the advance cheap tickets

I'm not so sure this is the case. If anything they seem to be making more available.

I bought my train ticket with First Great Western from Paddington to Gloucester less than a month ago to travel on Thursday for £9

Try this site - http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/BuyTickets.aspx for their Firstminutefare offers...

I guess the lesson here is Book Early, if you can....although having just said that, I've just had a look at tickets on saturday and you can still get a single ticket for £18 which isn't bad, considering the time of year...

 

[Isambard]

But I just went to book over six weeks in advance and nothing under £46 and beginning of Feb is hardly a peak travel time.

 

[Ribbit]

They don't release the tickets that far in advance. A month - six weeks is the maximum really. Best bet is book a month before for Virgin, GNER and First Great Western and no less than about two weeks for 'one' and Midland Mainline and I'm not sure about any others. Midland Mainline are the most generous I have come across. I've sold a single from St Pancras to Leicester and back for £3.95 each way, albeit with a railcard. But still, if you can get them, that's dirt cheap. You just have to be quick and inflexible.

 

[Isambard]

There's the rub, they say " book in advance" but when you go to do so, in my case 7-8 weeks in advance, there are no really cheap tickets available. Maybe 3 weeks before there might be; then again they might try and pull the 106 Quid trick again?

 

[Isambard]

And verily, as it came to pass!

Book 8 weeks in ahead: £46
Book today for travel in 4 weeks: £22

A CURSE ON FARCE GREAT WESTERN !!!