breaking a journey on a single ticket?

[Kirstie]

Hi all,
Thought I'd ask here because I can't get through to national rail enquiries (flooding) and can't deal with the virgin trains stupid voice activated enquiry service without wanting to throw things!

For various reasons I need to travel from lockerbie to rugby and stop off for the weekend in Crewe. Can I buy a single ticket from Lockerbie to Rugby and break the journey or do I have to buy two singles? Does anyone know?

Thanks

 

[Arch]

I don't know, but I suspect two tickets would be safer - if Crewe has ticket barriers, they may swallow your ticket when you leave the station...

Anyway, buying one ticket would be straightforward and simple, so it's bound to be impossible...

 

[Keith Oates]

I also don't know for sure, but I think you will need two tickets. This is where the expertise of RobS will come in if he reads the posting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Steve Austin]

iirc that will be two separate journeys

 

[Kirstie]

Thanks everyone. I'll try braving the stupid voice activated line again to make sure...

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Hi all,
Thought I'd ask here because I can't get through to national rail enquiries (flooding) and can't deal with the virgin trains stupid voice activated enquiry service without wanting to throw things!

For various reasons I need to travel from lockerbie to rugby and stop off for the weekend in Crewe. Can I buy a single ticket from Lockerbie to Rugby and break the journey or do I have to buy two singles? Does anyone know?

Thanks

are you going to watch the mighty alex kirsty?

 

[Kirstie]

Sorry no - I don't know who you mean.

This weekend I have the exciting prospect of teaching at a 4 day residential school for our stage 1 MBAs...I can hardly wait! The only upside is that the training centre has a spa and fitness centre that I will try to get some time in to escape our wannabe hotshots...

 

[mosschops2]

Not that this helps - but a friend of my Dad's worked out that between Macclesfield and London, it is actually cheaper to buy singles between each station, than a single that goes all the way. Perverse I know. It's partially (I gather) to do with the fact that if you travel before 9am (or whatever) you pay more. Therefore if leaving at 8am, you're paying for a 180 mile journey at peak time. If you were say to split it in half, you're paying for a 90 mile peak journey, followed by a 90 mile off peak journey...


So I just tried it on rail.co.uk.

And yes, on the random selection that I tried, (sep 16th - a sunday - therefore no "peak time" (probably), leaving at 12 noon if anyone else is as unwilling to do any real work as I am today), the two parts separately were cheaper than the single version. Hoorah!! From now on I will buy all long distance tickets as a random sequence of smaller journeys!!

Can I be bothered to screen dump, save to flickr, and link??

You're damn right I can.

Single all the way thingy. £72.60

lockerbie - crewe. £41.50

crewe-rugby. £26.00

I think that answers your question - go for 2 singles!!!


(Or more realistically - ask at the station when you're buying the ticket....)

 

[alecstilleyedye]

buy online at www.thetrainline.com

 

[domd1979]

You can break a journey on a single or a return ticket - provided that the ticket is valid on the trains you want to travel (i.e. its not of the advanced booking, have to nominate a specific train variety). As others have pointed out, it is always worth comparing the cost of 2 tickets vs 1, as sometimes re-booking is cheaper. Ticket office staff are not allowed to tell you that 2 tickets are cheaper than one, but must sell 2 (or more) tickets if asked.

Conditions of Carriage P7, confirms the rules on breaking a journey.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system/galleries/download/misc/NRCOC.pdf

 

[Tim Bennet.]

One local company I know round here, tries to get their staff to use the trains as much as possible when going to meetings. They have a lady working full time who's job is to explore all the different ticket options. Her salary is easily covered by the savings she makes. Multiple tickets to London and back can easily save £100 a trip. The record saving for a trip is from £180 with a direct ticket, down to just £9. That's sat on the same train with no other obligation than knowing where you are so you can show the correct ticket to the inspector.

And also remember to explore beyond your destination as well. I think on the TV they gave the example that London Penzance was often cheaper than London Bristol.

 

[simon_adams_uk]

You will probably struggle with breaking your journey over a weekend as a single ticket is almost always only valid for a particular day.

I suspect you'll need to buy two tickets... best to check with someone who know definitively.

Oh - and looking at prices for the whole journey compared to splitting it would suggest it may well be cheaper to have two tickets (based on walk-up standard fares)

S

 

[domd1979]

Yep, you're right... failed to notice it was breaking the journey over the weekend, in which case almost certainly two tickets.

You will probably struggle with breaking your journey over a weekend as a single ticket is almost always only valid for a particular day.

I suspect you'll need to buy two tickets... best to check with someone who know definitively.

Oh - and looking at prices for the whole journey compared to splitting it would suggest it may well be cheaper to have two tickets (based on walk-up standard fares)

S

 

[Rob S]

Hi all,
Thought I'd ask here because I can't get through to national rail enquiries (flooding) and can't deal with the virgin trains stupid voice activated enquiry service without wanting to throw things!

For various reasons I need to travel from lockerbie to rugby and stop off for the weekend in Crewe. Can I buy a single ticket from Lockerbie to Rugby and break the journey or do I have to buy two singles? Does anyone know?

Thanks

The answer to your situation is that you will need buy two tickets. The only ticket that you can break the outward journey of over more than one day would be a First/Standard Open Return and that would be far too expensive an option for your requirements.

 

[Rob S]

Ticket office staff are not allowed to tell you that 2 tickets are cheaper than one, but must sell 2 (or more) tickets if asked.

That is not the case. It is almost entirely down to the member of staff not using a bit of intelligence or in the case of other people's annecdotes being caught out by easing of ticket restrictions if you are travelling to certain destinations that have a limited evening service.

An example...very often if you ask for the fare to travel from Plymouth to London to arrive before 10am on a weekday and to return on a Saturday the chances are you will be quoted the Standard Open Return. A clerk with intelligence (such as me ) will quote a Standard Open Single for the outward journey (as that is the peak time travel) and a Saver Single for the return (as it's off peak) thus saving about £44 or a lot more if you can get an advanced purchase ticket and save even more.