Technology1 min ago
Railcard Rage
I travel to Scotland as a single traveller via train regularly to see my Mum. It really irritates me as I can't get discount of a third off as I don't fit any of the categories for a railcard!
I'm not travelling with family and friends
I'm not under 25
I'm not over 60
I'm not travelling 2 together
I'm not disabled
I want a single traveller railcard introduced please.
I try booking in advance to get it cheaper but my journey involves 3 changes each way and booking a return always seems to be around the same price.
Any ideas on how to get discounted travel on trains???
I'm not travelling with family and friends
I'm not under 25
I'm not over 60
I'm not travelling 2 together
I'm not disabled
I want a single traveller railcard introduced please.
I try booking in advance to get it cheaper but my journey involves 3 changes each way and booking a return always seems to be around the same price.
Any ideas on how to get discounted travel on trains???
Answers
I've been looking at an alternative route. It comes out at much the same fare on the dates which I've used but it might be cheaper on your own chosen dates, so I'll offer it to you anyway: Assuming, again, outward travel on 24 October, returning 3 days later . . . Depart Chepstow 0918 Arrive Birmingham New Street 1045 (Direct) £22.70 Depart Birmingham NS 1115...
18:51 Tue 06th Sep 2016
My next step was to try Trainsplit (with is good but not always perfect). Interestingly, it can only get the fare down to £167.33 (for the dates in my example, entering similar departure times). So doing it manually can still be best at times!
I'll provide the link anyway, in case it helps with your actual dates and times:
https:/
I'll provide the link anyway, in case it helps with your actual dates and times:
https:/
I've been looking at an alternative route. It comes out at much the same fare on the dates which I've used but it might be cheaper on your own chosen dates, so I'll offer it to you anyway:
Assuming, again, outward travel on 24 October, returning 3 days later . . .
Depart Chepstow 0918
Arrive Birmingham New Street 1045
(Direct) £22.70
Depart Birmingham NS 1115
Arrive Glasgow Central 1517
(Direct) £36.50
Either walk the ½ mile to Glasgow Queen Street or, easier, simply hop on the FREE shuttle bus which runs between the stations. (Service 398).
Depart Glasgow Queen Street 1611
Arrive Gleneagles 1702
(Direct) £14.80
___________________________________
Depart Gleneagles 1253
Arrive Glasgow QS 1348
(Direct) £7.60
Free bus to Glasgow Central
Depart Glasgow Central 1140
Arrive Birmingham NS 1905
(Direct) £26.00
Depart Birmingham NS 1946
Arrive Chepstow 2149
(Direct) £10.30
So that adds up to £117.90. However, if you fancy getting yourself some tea in Glasgow on the outbound journey, you could take the 1711 service (instead of the 1611) from Queen Street to Gleneagles, cutting the fare for that part of the journey from £14.80 to £7.60. That would give you a revised total of £110.70.
Given that the Glasgow route (rather than the Edinburgh one) simply requires three direct trains (and a bus) in either direction, I'd probably choose that route myself.
Times and fares taken from here:
http://
Once you know your actual travel dates (and any restrictions upon times), please feel free to ask again if you need further assistance.
Assuming, again, outward travel on 24 October, returning 3 days later . . .
Depart Chepstow 0918
Arrive Birmingham New Street 1045
(Direct) £22.70
Depart Birmingham NS 1115
Arrive Glasgow Central 1517
(Direct) £36.50
Either walk the ½ mile to Glasgow Queen Street or, easier, simply hop on the FREE shuttle bus which runs between the stations. (Service 398).
Depart Glasgow Queen Street 1611
Arrive Gleneagles 1702
(Direct) £14.80
___________________________________
Depart Gleneagles 1253
Arrive Glasgow QS 1348
(Direct) £7.60
Free bus to Glasgow Central
Depart Glasgow Central 1140
Arrive Birmingham NS 1905
(Direct) £26.00
Depart Birmingham NS 1946
Arrive Chepstow 2149
(Direct) £10.30
So that adds up to £117.90. However, if you fancy getting yourself some tea in Glasgow on the outbound journey, you could take the 1711 service (instead of the 1611) from Queen Street to Gleneagles, cutting the fare for that part of the journey from £14.80 to £7.60. That would give you a revised total of £110.70.
Given that the Glasgow route (rather than the Edinburgh one) simply requires three direct trains (and a bus) in either direction, I'd probably choose that route myself.
Times and fares taken from here:
http://
Once you know your actual travel dates (and any restrictions upon times), please feel free to ask again if you need further assistance.
^^^ Not true, JD33!
"If you purchase an Advance ticket, you must use that ticket in the train specified when you book your ticket. However, if you miss this service because a previous connecting train service was delayed you will be able to travel on the next service provided by the Train Company with whom you were booked to travel without penalty"
http://
"If you purchase an Advance ticket, you must use that ticket in the train specified when you book your ticket. However, if you miss this service because a previous connecting train service was delayed you will be able to travel on the next service provided by the Train Company with whom you were booked to travel without penalty"
http://
It's ten years ago now, but I remember the case of a man who had an APEX from York to King's Cross and a standard day ticket from Scarborough to York. The Scarborough train was delayed and because he had not got a through ticket he was not allowed to travel on the next service without buying a new ticket.
^^^ Somebody obviously didn't know the rules then!
The only risk of losing out through combining Advance tickets is under the 'Delay Repay' rules if one train gets delayed.
Let's say that the Off-Peak Single fare for a journey is £60. If a customer with such a ticket gets delayed by over an hour he'll be entitled to the full £60 back.
However if he splits the journey into two, using a £5 Advance ticket and then a £30 Advance ticket, and then the first train is delayed by over an hour (resulting in a similar delay to his overall journey), he should still be allowed to travel on a later train for the second sector but he'll only be entitled to a refund of the £5 fare (with no refund for the £30 fare).
I had to learn all this lot and (unlike the guys at York, apparently), I actually did!
The only risk of losing out through combining Advance tickets is under the 'Delay Repay' rules if one train gets delayed.
Let's say that the Off-Peak Single fare for a journey is £60. If a customer with such a ticket gets delayed by over an hour he'll be entitled to the full £60 back.
However if he splits the journey into two, using a £5 Advance ticket and then a £30 Advance ticket, and then the first train is delayed by over an hour (resulting in a similar delay to his overall journey), he should still be allowed to travel on a later train for the second sector but he'll only be entitled to a refund of the £5 fare (with no refund for the £30 fare).
I had to learn all this lot and (unlike the guys at York, apparently), I actually did!
Megabus services from Newport only go to London.
The nearest departure point to you with services towards Birmingham would be Bristol. Through ticketing from Bristol to Glasgow isn't available but (using my original sample dates) you could travel outbound as follows:
Depart Bristol 1010
Arrive Birmingham 1220
£7
Depart Birmingham 1320
Arrive Glasgow 2030
£3
It would probably be unwise to book an Advance ticket to Gleneagles on the 2041 service (given possible delays to the bus and the time taken to find the railway station), so you'd need book for the 2141 train, arriving at 2247. (Change at Stirling, arriving at 2207, departing at 2225). £7.60
__________________________________________________________
Coming back, to be sure of catching the bus, you'd need to be on the 0856 train from Gleneagles, arriving at Glasgow QS at 0948. (Direct) £7.60
Then, by bus, . . .
Depart Glasgow 1130
Arrive Birmingham 1840
£3
From there you'd need to take a train back to Chepstow. (There is a bus from Birmingham to Bristol, for just £3, but you'd have to wait 3 hours in Birmingham to catch it at 2135, not arriving in Bristol until 2345).
So you'd need the 1946 service (direct), getting into Chepstow at 2149. £10.30. (Alternatively, if you'd left your car in Bristol for the outbound coach, you'd need to pay £20.70 to get back there, possibly booking the 1942 direct train, which gets into Bristol TM at 2105).
So that works out at a total of £41.50 PLUS the cost of getting from Chepstow to Bristol (by bus?), PLUS the cost of parking for a few days in Bristol (if you drove there), PLUS the cost of any buses or taxis needed to get from bus stations to rail stations where you change.
The nearest departure point to you with services towards Birmingham would be Bristol. Through ticketing from Bristol to Glasgow isn't available but (using my original sample dates) you could travel outbound as follows:
Depart Bristol 1010
Arrive Birmingham 1220
£7
Depart Birmingham 1320
Arrive Glasgow 2030
£3
It would probably be unwise to book an Advance ticket to Gleneagles on the 2041 service (given possible delays to the bus and the time taken to find the railway station), so you'd need book for the 2141 train, arriving at 2247. (Change at Stirling, arriving at 2207, departing at 2225). £7.60
__________________________________________________________
Coming back, to be sure of catching the bus, you'd need to be on the 0856 train from Gleneagles, arriving at Glasgow QS at 0948. (Direct) £7.60
Then, by bus, . . .
Depart Glasgow 1130
Arrive Birmingham 1840
£3
From there you'd need to take a train back to Chepstow. (There is a bus from Birmingham to Bristol, for just £3, but you'd have to wait 3 hours in Birmingham to catch it at 2135, not arriving in Bristol until 2345).
So you'd need the 1946 service (direct), getting into Chepstow at 2149. £10.30. (Alternatively, if you'd left your car in Bristol for the outbound coach, you'd need to pay £20.70 to get back there, possibly booking the 1942 direct train, which gets into Bristol TM at 2105).
So that works out at a total of £41.50 PLUS the cost of getting from Chepstow to Bristol (by bus?), PLUS the cost of parking for a few days in Bristol (if you drove there), PLUS the cost of any buses or taxis needed to get from bus stations to rail stations where you change.
You know I can't resist a challenge, don't you, Cloverjo? ;-)
Using my original dates as a guide once again . . .
Flights from Bristol to Glasgow (with easyJet) are available as follows:
Dep 0715, Arr 0830, £54.49
Dep 1425, Arr 1540, £30.49
Dep 1615, Arr 1730, £24.49
Dep 2000, Arr 2115, £24.99
Assuming that the 1615 flight was to be taken, travel from Chepstow to the airport could be by train to Newport and then by National Express to the airport. (Advance train ticket £7.30, leaving Chepstow at 1251, arriving Newport 1311. Coach £13.00, leaving Newport at 1335, arriving at the airport 1430). Alternatively, pre-booked car parking at Bristol Airport would cost £38.99.
A return ticket on the Glasgow Airport Express bus, into the city centre, would cost £9.50. (They run every 10 minutes, with a 15 minute journey time).
Then the 1841 train from Glasgow Queen Street gets to Gleneagles at 1925. (£7.60 Advance fare).
_____________________________________________________
Coming back, there are flights from Glasgow to Bristol as follows:
Dep 1425, Arr 1535, £30.49
Dep 1755, Arr 1905, £32.49
Dep 2140, Arr 2250, £26.49
The last flight might be acceptable if Jubieanna has left a car at Bristol Airport but I'll assume that public transport is to be used to get back to Chepstow and so work on the assumption of taking the 1755 flight from Glasgow.
There seems to be a big gap in rail services from Gleneagles to Glasgow, so it would be necessary to catch the 1253 train, arriving Glasgow QS at 1348. (Advance fare £7.60). That's 4 hours before the flight, so a leisurely lunch could be taken in Glasgow before catching the airport bus.
On arrival in Bristol, there's a 2015 National Express service to Newport, arriving 2105. (£13.00)
Then the 2127 train gets into Chepstow at 2149 (£7.30)
So (assuming the use of public transport to and from Bristol Airport), that's £7.30 + £13.00 + £24.49 + £9.50 + £7.60 + £7.60 + £32.49 + £13.00 + £7.30 = £122.28, which isn't that cheap but it's still a lot less than the standard rail fare and somewhat quicker. (If Jubieanna can get a friend to drive her to Bristol Airport, and then pick her up when she comes back, it would probably cost under £20 for the fuel for the two return trips, saving around £20).
Links:
http://
https:/
http://
http://
http://
https:/
Using my original dates as a guide once again . . .
Flights from Bristol to Glasgow (with easyJet) are available as follows:
Dep 0715, Arr 0830, £54.49
Dep 1425, Arr 1540, £30.49
Dep 1615, Arr 1730, £24.49
Dep 2000, Arr 2115, £24.99
Assuming that the 1615 flight was to be taken, travel from Chepstow to the airport could be by train to Newport and then by National Express to the airport. (Advance train ticket £7.30, leaving Chepstow at 1251, arriving Newport 1311. Coach £13.00, leaving Newport at 1335, arriving at the airport 1430). Alternatively, pre-booked car parking at Bristol Airport would cost £38.99.
A return ticket on the Glasgow Airport Express bus, into the city centre, would cost £9.50. (They run every 10 minutes, with a 15 minute journey time).
Then the 1841 train from Glasgow Queen Street gets to Gleneagles at 1925. (£7.60 Advance fare).
_____________________________________________________
Coming back, there are flights from Glasgow to Bristol as follows:
Dep 1425, Arr 1535, £30.49
Dep 1755, Arr 1905, £32.49
Dep 2140, Arr 2250, £26.49
The last flight might be acceptable if Jubieanna has left a car at Bristol Airport but I'll assume that public transport is to be used to get back to Chepstow and so work on the assumption of taking the 1755 flight from Glasgow.
There seems to be a big gap in rail services from Gleneagles to Glasgow, so it would be necessary to catch the 1253 train, arriving Glasgow QS at 1348. (Advance fare £7.60). That's 4 hours before the flight, so a leisurely lunch could be taken in Glasgow before catching the airport bus.
On arrival in Bristol, there's a 2015 National Express service to Newport, arriving 2105. (£13.00)
Then the 2127 train gets into Chepstow at 2149 (£7.30)
So (assuming the use of public transport to and from Bristol Airport), that's £7.30 + £13.00 + £24.49 + £9.50 + £7.60 + £7.60 + £32.49 + £13.00 + £7.30 = £122.28, which isn't that cheap but it's still a lot less than the standard rail fare and somewhat quicker. (If Jubieanna can get a friend to drive her to Bristol Airport, and then pick her up when she comes back, it would probably cost under £20 for the fuel for the two return trips, saving around £20).
Links:
http://
https:/
http://
http://
http://
https:/
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