Bahnhof Strasse
Let's av ya fuckin' dancin'!
cheers.
Please note my flatmate will be remaining in London.
No problem. Let us know when you're coming back and I'll do that too.
Train seat reservations
- Thread starter mauvais
- Start date
No problem. Let us know when you're coming back and I'll do that too.
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
before the train leaves
there's almost no point going first class on southern, i dont know about refreshments but the seats are no better, just in either a seperate carriage or behind a sliding door to keep away the oi palloi
19sixtysix
Bring me sunshine
I'm driving to Scotland tomorrow due to lack of bookable seats on the trains north. I was unwilling to finish a nightshift and have to do the unbooked seats bunfight at Euston. I object to having to shove little old ladies out the road so I can get a seat 
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I am currently sat on a train and have been for the last seven hours or so, and have had a perfectly pleasant conversation with the nice lady sat next to me about craftsmanship and also patrick leigh fermour (sp?) amongst other things. I didn't bother with a reservation but have had a seat all the way. The train has been quite busy but not stupidly so. We are on time and there are enough seats for everyone but this has not prevented several of my fellow idiot travellers making the standard range of grumpy comments about the state of britain's railways. They are probably the same people that voted in the conservative governments which did their best to screw up our railways a couple of decades ago. In addition there have been several people stood in the vestibules even though they would find there are in fact free seats if they were to have a look for them. These people will probably arrive at their destinations full of tales about their "journey from hell". Some will probably post about it on bulletin boards.
Anyway.
Re. Reservations. They can be made at any staffed station free of charge subject to availability. Sometimes I think people tend to be overly panicky about getting a reservation. If long distance trains are crowded it's usually only for a relatively short proportion of the journey. I can't recall many times when I've had to stand more than say an hour even at the very busiest of times. A sign of a good train manager is one who goes and tells people to take bags off seats and then proceeds to seat most of the standers in the newly available places.
Usually trains have at least one carriage which is unreserved. Out of kings cross this tends to be the second one from the front so i normally leg it to that one. The other worthwhile tactic, esp. on trains out of london is to look for seats that are reserved from a stop an hour or two into the journey. You sit in them until then, and then if their owners show up you just move into a seat that is now free because many passengers have now got off. Frankly I don't think the reservations thing is such a big deal as many make it out to be. Different if the passenger is old or infirm of course.
The grumpy fellow opposite has just used loudly mumbled a sentence involving the word "interminable" in posh english dialect. This may not endear him to the locals.
Anyway.
Re. Reservations. They can be made at any staffed station free of charge subject to availability. Sometimes I think people tend to be overly panicky about getting a reservation. If long distance trains are crowded it's usually only for a relatively short proportion of the journey. I can't recall many times when I've had to stand more than say an hour even at the very busiest of times. A sign of a good train manager is one who goes and tells people to take bags off seats and then proceeds to seat most of the standers in the newly available places.
Usually trains have at least one carriage which is unreserved. Out of kings cross this tends to be the second one from the front so i normally leg it to that one. The other worthwhile tactic, esp. on trains out of london is to look for seats that are reserved from a stop an hour or two into the journey. You sit in them until then, and then if their owners show up you just move into a seat that is now free because many passengers have now got off. Frankly I don't think the reservations thing is such a big deal as many make it out to be. Different if the passenger is old or infirm of course.
The grumpy fellow opposite has just used loudly mumbled a sentence involving the word "interminable" in posh english dialect. This may not endear him to the locals.
mauvais
on reddit or something
Aye it's often no trouble especially if you're tactical about it buuuut Christmas is different because everyone is on the move and the trains can be pretty grim. On my way up here I'd have been standing for 90 mins or so without one and that was midday on a Friday.
quimcunx
imprimeo, lamino, distribuo
Being old, infirm and a tiny animated panicky thing I prefer to know that I have a seat reserved. I like to stash my luggage, sit down and know I am set. Especially if I am travelling on Christmas Eve.
The last time I was getting on a train without a reservation at Kings Cross at Christmas time there were no seats left in the reservation-free 2nd class carriage when I looked.
This isn't to say I am not open to adventure. Last year I quite liked how getting the train to Peterborough then changing to a coach then changing back to a train then changing to a different train then finding myself at Edinburgh for an hour and a half before getting on another train, broke up the monotony of a 6 hour journey quite nicely. It being a 12 hour journey was a small price to pay.
The last time I was getting on a train without a reservation at Kings Cross at Christmas time there were no seats left in the reservation-free 2nd class carriage when I looked.
This isn't to say I am not open to adventure. Last year I quite liked how getting the train to Peterborough then changing to a coach then changing back to a train then changing to a different train then finding myself at Edinburgh for an hour and a half before getting on another train, broke up the monotony of a 6 hour journey quite nicely. It being a 12 hour journey was a small price to pay.
wiskey
Albatross Admirer
I use http://www.traintimes.org.uk/ to plan the journey and then choose someone other than trainline to buy the tickets through (as trainline charge 50p per ticket). I normally use first great western who are free.
When I book a ticket in advance it always comes with a seat reservation
how do you get one without?
When I book a ticket in advance it always comes with a seat reservation
how do you get one without?
EastEnder
Brixton Barnacle
Do what teuchter says - most people don't bother reading the route details printed on the seat reservation card, they just push on regardless, looking for an unreserved seat. Even if you can't find one that's only reserved from part way through the journey, you may well find one that's only reserved for the first bit. Just hover around that seat for the first bit of the journey, ready to pounce when its occupant leaves.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Not really. Every time I have traveled at christmas I have always booked well in advance but one of the trains I need to get to my folks won't take reserved seats and has no first class. It is always rammed and then delayed etc etc. I didn't mind when I went on my own.
The last time I returned from my brothers place after Christmas the train was an hour late then delayed for four hours. We moved one station then had to get on another train already full of people (reservations went out the window). This train was then delayed all the way back to London. We got back so late that all transport from London had finished and Virgin had to give us food, get us a free taxi back to Croydon and refund our ticket.
Last time I came back from my folks the reserved seats I had did not exist on the train I was booked on to. The train was rammed and then delayed (again). It took 9 hours to get home and my wife was pregnant. I am never never never never never traveling on trains at christmas again.
quimcunx
imprimeo, lamino, distribuo
I'm well aware of that tactic. I have used it more than once and can do so again. I just don't want to. It is far, far, far more pleasant to have a seat reserved.
In my experience (mainly Great Western/Virgin/National Express) there is often at least one carriage with no reserved seats in it usually A or B and so if you arrive at the station early enough its possible to get on that.
Alternatively check on the reserved seats where they are reserved from if not London sit in that seat at least for the first leg of the journey and hopefully after that there will be another seat free.
Another alternative is to wait until the train gets moving and then pounce on any seats that havent been taken (although this is a very risky strategy)
Edit: oh I see others have suggested these, should have read the thread more thoroughly!
Alternatively check on the reserved seats where they are reserved from if not London sit in that seat at least for the first leg of the journey and hopefully after that there will be another seat free.
Another alternative is to wait until the train gets moving and then pounce on any seats that havent been taken (although this is a very risky strategy)
Edit: oh I see others have suggested these, should have read the thread more thoroughly!
deadringer
meat pie sausage roll
i use nationalrail.co.uk to check times and fares, always give you plenty of options. you can often get a cheaper ticket by buying 2 single jouneys, for example i recently traveled to shrewsbury from london, which was coming in at around £50. by booking 2 seperate tickets online, first london to b.ham and then b.ham to shrews it came to a total of about £35. if you waltzed up to a ticket office i guess the miserable sod behind the glass would not go out of his way to get the cost of your ticket as low as possible and would sting you for as much as he can, so take some time checking out different routes, combinations, sometimes booking to a station further than the one you want to get off at as this can be cheaper too.
I managed to get the jump on everyone else waiting for my train from Paddington on Christmas Eve.
I fired up MyRailLite on the iPhone, and it got the platform number 1 minute before it appeared on the screens in the station. I sauntered up to the empty train, had a little look around the carriage to choose my seat, feeling very smug.
I fired up MyRailLite on the iPhone, and it got the platform number 1 minute before it appeared on the screens in the station. I sauntered up to the empty train, had a little look around the carriage to choose my seat, feeling very smug.
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