FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast April 15th Manchester to Blackpool 2011

[StuAff]

Unfortunately I'm stuck at £99.80 for a return ticket to Cardiff atm. Unless I can lower that a bit I'm going to have to give the Welsh ride a miss

Yup, the price from Blackpool back down here was a bit shocking. I've been to Yorkshire- and back- two or three times, each trip for much less!

 

[mcshroom]

Yup, the price from Blackpool back down here was a bit shocking. I've been to Yorkshire- and back- two or three times, each trip for much less!

It seems to be almost random how the prices work though, as I have made it down to London and back from Whitehaven for £41 for a FNRttC, whereas York would have been £49 despite it being half as far.


Have you tried breaking your ticket at Crewe? It seems to be one of the cheaper places to split at.

 

[StuAff]

It seems to be almost random how the prices work though, as I have made it down to London and back from Whitehaven for £41 for a FNRttC, whereas York would have been £49 despite it being half as far.

Have you tried breaking your ticket at Crewe? It seems to be one of the cheaper places to split at.

Far more expensive, believe it or not (would be £83 down from Crewe, eeek!)

 

[User10119]

I'm seriously considering, if I do this, riding up to Lancaster or thereabouts where I'm sure I can prevail upon someone to put me up for the night on the Saturday. Then ride home, or some of the way depending on how I feel, on Sunday.

 

[Moodyman]

Dell - could you kindly post the approximate start / finish times please. Would help me, and perhaps others, with working out train journeys at either end.

 

[dellzeqq]

Dell - could you kindly post the approximate start / finish times please. Would help me, and perhaps others, with working out train journeys at either end.

Start at midnight - arrive Blackpool around 7.30 in the morning

 

[Wobblers]

Me too, please!

Yup, the price from Blackpool back down here was a bit shocking. I've been to Yorkshire- and back- two or three times, each trip for much less!

Have you thought about going via York or Sheffield? There used to be direct trains when I lived in Manchester (a long time ago!) but I've no idea what it's like now. Of course, it could be too lengthy or difficult even if it does work out cheaper...

 

[StuAff]

Me too, please!



Have you thought about going via York or Sheffield? There used to be direct trains when I lived in Manchester (a long time ago!) but I've no idea what it's like now. Of course, it could be too lengthy or difficult even if it does work out cheaper...

More lengthy, similar price, sadly.

 

[Aperitif]

Count me in please. I've got tickets and everything. Eleven bits of card all told, including cycle reservations.

Did you get guaranteed bike space for all stages Adrian?

 

[User10119]

It's school holidays so I won't have done 30-odd miles of commuting that day or be getting home at 8pm, I can get a ticket to Manchester for not too much money at all if I book soon, and if I can negotiate Sunday off too then I can have a nice wee pootle up a bit and then back across those lumpy things to home over the weekend.

I'm in, if you'll have me.

 

[User10119]

Is it a Northern Rail service? I've always found them remarkably sensible about bikes.

 

[mcshroom]

[QUOTE 1329089"]
Is it a Northern Rail service? I've always found them remarkably sensible about bikes.
[/quote]

I agree Northern are about the most relaxed carriers of bikes I've found.

I'll be cycling back to Preston, so if you're worried about getting on your train in Blackpool then I'd be quite happy to have someone else to get completely lost with company on the way there

 

[Aperitif]

I think I have got London to Manchester, Preston to London, and a superfluous Victoria to Croydon. So no there was presumably no facility to reserve a bike space from Blackpool to Preston.

I only ask because Northern Rail (unlike the verité of CL and McSh) apparently operate a 'two bikes only' on that stretch on a strictly 'first come, first served' basis, which would screw things somewhat... if it were true, as NR would have one believe etc...

 

[User10119]

Well, I once got on a Northern service (back from Leeds, maybe?) where there were 4 or 5 bikes on ahead of me. The train manager just apologised for the fact that I had to stand in a doorway for a couple of stops. Another time I got a Northern back from Garsdale to Leeds and the bike space was a bit rubbish and difficult to get into, but the ticket chap did say that there was a bigger space further down somewhere the train somewhere. They've always seemed the least jobsworth-ish of the train companies round here.

 

[theclaud]

While I thought of it, checked prices for Cardiff and Swansea. As little as £20 to and from here (though that would mean waiting a bit on Saturday morning, not exactly a problem), that's lovely

Never mind checking them, Stu - buy the things before they get snaffled.