Train fares: a quick tip

[DaveHarries]

Hi all,

Decided to go and meet a friend of mine in Birmingham next week so I went to Bristol Temple Meads to find out how much it would be for a day return train fare to Birmingham. The fare quoted seemed a little high but the lady behind the desk did, to her credit, tell me that I could get a cheaper fare by getting a day return to one point along the route, and then getting a day return for the rest of the way. The figures are odd:

Bristol - Birmingham: £68.00 day return

Bristol - Cheltenham => Cheltenham - Birmingham:

Combined fare: £37.60 day return (separate tickets)

So same distance but a saving of around 45% on the fare and no need to change trains. Doesn't make much sense, does it?

But my hint is this: if the fare to you seems a touch high, ask what the combined cost would be to go halfway along and then get a return the rest of the way.

There is a real possibility that this only works on day returns though.

Dave

[Interphase]

Was the first stage of your journey at peak time, by any chance? If so, you can pick the first stop you'll reach after it changes to normal time and then change, and almost always make a saving.

[foureyes]

Myself and my sister have been splitting up a journey into several single tickets for a whle now. In fact we've just booked tickets to get to Truro in time for a birthday celebration. Me from Stafford and her from Bridgwater. Both of us will be driving home with our respective partners a few days later.

Travelling on the 2nd of Dec one single ticket from Stafford was about 95 quid! I've broken it down as follows:

Stafford to Brum = £8.20 day single. Would have been £6 if I'd booked it earlier!

Brum to Bristol = £10 in time to get picked up by sister as she leaves work.

Bridgwater to Truro via Taunton = £18.... although if I'd booked it slightly earlier like she did it would have been £8.50!

Total £36.20! Ok, I'm not paying for the bit between Bristol and Bridgwater but I don't think that was worth the remaining £60!

Takes a bit of faffing but its worth it.

[David 8]

Just hide in the toilets..........Save yourself a fortune.

HTH

[Neo_VR]

also if your booking, check the actual train operators...

IE for my Manchester-London trips over a weekend: the trainline quote about 65quid for a saver return....

however on the virgin site you can book two half returns if you are flexible.. saving 20-30quid

[anewman]

It's about 200 miles in total. Petrol should only be about £30 at most if driving carefully/economically?! I.e. cheaper than train.

[Hairy Chris]

Sometimes it's cheaper to get a return ticket instead of a single!!!

[heresmo]

As mentioned, it seems that a lot depends on when you cross over into a different service operator region who will likely charge different prices so it's currently worth finding prices to nearest main interchange station and onward journey from there and maybe day returns to and from both stations etc, or put another way, breaking journeys down into bitesize pieces (incluuding that off peak might apply once arriving in a different region) and see how the costs add up piecemeal rather than through-ticketing. Probably more on Money Saving Expert? Can't remember where I learned this from.

Mo

[WaveyDavey]

We just get our staff & spouse passes out and get on any train we want.

Runs and takes cover.

Cheers

Dave.

[heresmo]

We just get our staff & spouse passes out and get on any train we want.

Runs and takes cover.

Cheers

Dave.

Blimey! I think we'll all run for cover! Well you might decide to come to visit us on spec :eek: :duck:

Mo

[DaveHarries]

Was the first stage of your journey at peak time, by any chance? If so, you can pick the first stop you'll reach after it changes to normal time and then change, and almost always make a saving.

First stage of the journey was to be at 8am. The trip from Bristol TM to Birmingham is 90 minutes but I have to get a bus at the other end of which there is only 1 per hour to where I want to go. Interestingly, I gather I don't need to change trains and can stay on the same train.

It's about 200 miles in total. Petrol should only be about £30 at most if driving carefully/economically?! I.e. cheaper than train.

Maybe. But, from what i have heard, getting in & out of birmingham at peak times can be a right ****.

Dave

[lawe]

We just get our staff & spouse passes out and get on any train we want.

Runs and takes cover.

Cheers

Dave.

Had them for nearly 18 years - fill a box and off you go!! Oh the joy of early starts and night shifts :orb_devil

I used to work in the booking office many years ago and sometimes it was cheaper to book a ticket to a station that was further :eek: !

Agree with seperate bookings, though, ensure that if doing this, the train stops at that station that the first ticket stops and the second starts.

[WaveyDavey]

Had them for nearly 18 years - fill a box and off you go!! Oh the joy of early starts and night shifts :orb_devil

19 years and 2 months now...... Only 10 months to go before i get to keep them whatever under the safeguarded staff rules etc.....

Cheers

Dave.