Train fares to the Extremities

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
Greg
Posts: 162
Joined: 9 Feb 2007, 8:39pm

Post by Greg »

Vernon, when do you want to travel? We're doing it in June/July and got £20 tickets to/from York for both trips. We've both got railcards, but that only makes it £30 for you - a price which is still available on the NXEC website.
User avatar
Faeton
Posts: 63
Joined: 9 Oct 2007, 1:28pm

Post by Faeton »

This complicated rail system in Britain has cost us hours and hours of puzzling. At last, we've managed to have all bookings confirmed. The pricing policy remains enigmatic, though. We're travelling to Penzance by First Great Western for € 67; that's for two adults and two bikes. But the return from Wick to London costs us € 485! And we booked two months before...

And as we're not from London but from Almere in the Netherlands, we're not even halfway there :cry: This turns out to be the most expensive cycling holiday we did so far.
vernon
Posts: 1584
Joined: 8 Jan 2007, 6:03pm
Location: Meanwood, Leeds

Post by vernon »

Greg wrote:Vernon, when do you want to travel? We're doing it in June/July and got £20 tickets to/from York for both trips. We've both got railcards, but that only makes it £30 for you - a price which is still available on the NXEC website.


There's nothing on the cheap side that's available for my window of opportunity. I don't have the luxury of skipping a week or two and going later as I'll be in Crete. I can'y go earlier as the school term will not have finished.

I'm not terribly upset as I have several alternative tours sorted.
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Post by thirdcrank »

Come to think of it, perhaps the CTC should campaign for something along the lines of 'The Knowledge' which London taxi drivers must study and be tested on before they are licensed. Come to think of it, this would be a lot more complicated, so perhaps the CTC might campaign for the govt., to implement its promises about integrated transport and all the rest of the cycling promotion. Come to think of it, why bother?
ericonabike
Posts: 362
Joined: 24 Apr 2008, 4:05pm

Post by ericonabike »

Just booked a ticket from Peterborough to Thurso, travelling 15 August, for £51 online. Searched first on national rail then paid on East Coat trains, having first checked that the cycle reservatipns would be valid on the Inverness-Thurso leg also. Recommended.
Aleik
Posts: 25
Joined: 10 Apr 2008, 4:58pm

Post by Aleik »

Is it cheaper to ride during the week than at the weekend? Also i think there's something to be said for sleeper trains for those wanting to skip accommodation expenses the first night and save a day of being bored on the train, but I imagine these aren't ten a penny are they?
vernon
Posts: 1584
Joined: 8 Jan 2007, 6:03pm
Location: Meanwood, Leeds

Post by vernon »

Aleik wrote:Is it cheaper to ride during the week than at the weekend? Also i think there's something to be said for sleeper trains for those wanting to skip accommodation expenses the first night and save a day of being bored on the train, but I imagine these aren't ten a penny are they?


It's cheaper to ride when there's cheap tickets available. I suspect that more might be available during the week but even so, the bottleneck is the bike capacity of the trains. You might be able to get a cheap ticket but if the bike spaces have been booked by someone else then owning cheap tickets is pointless.....
Aleik
Posts: 25
Joined: 10 Apr 2008, 4:58pm

Post by Aleik »

Thanks.

I was at the train station yesterday and was advised to book tickets a little later to get them cheaper. Our trip begins 9 weeks on Saturday and I've been told by other people to book 12 weeks in advance when possible to a) be sure of reservations, and b) get cheaper tickets.

I've checked on ticket sites and booking nearer the date (I used this Saturday) seems to yield cheaper tickets.

...?

Which advice flies - sooner or later?
Aleik
Posts: 25
Joined: 10 Apr 2008, 4:58pm

Post by Aleik »

Anybody know? I've checked a website again and prices are about £2 cheaper now than they were the other day. Are they going to go down or up? Suppose I shouldn't fret over a few quid but it all adds up, I don't really want things to be more expensive than they have to be.
ericonabike
Posts: 362
Joined: 24 Apr 2008, 4:05pm

Post by ericonabike »

Personally I'd prefer the security of having a ticket and a bike reservation than the possibility of saving a few bob by hanging on. I'm not even sure if the railway companies use the airlines' 'demand-led pricing model'. But if they do, then the cheap fares come either by booking as early as possible or as late as possible. But then choosing the latter option, for a journey that you need to make, seems exceptionally high-risk!
Aleik
Posts: 25
Joined: 10 Apr 2008, 4:58pm

Post by Aleik »

Yeah I thought that. Doesn't seem like an exact science so I may as well just go for tickets now. Thanks.
Post Reply