Shocked at train fare.

[vernon]

There's numerous websites that look at different ways of splitting journeys and reducing fares. There ws a thread on here recently where a few were mentioned, though there was still some.thought that the human brain with maps and timetables could do better than the computer algorithms

e.g.

https://raileasy.trainsplit.com/main.aspx

I don't think that my £14.40 can be beaten.

The above site came up with £20.20 and suggested three train changes. My £14.20 fair involves just one.

 

[vernon]

The alternative is to take a tent, stay over night, have a few pies and beer, and cycle back the next day.

The pie shop in the Old Town is great. The butcher made me a mug of tea as he thought that 'I had a honest face' and that I'd bring the mug back.

I'm with @screenman though. Bridlington is a place best pedalled away from.

 

[Sara_H]

As said above, get a rail map, plan your journey carefully, many railway journey I take involves a few minutes costing different routes and splits.

Where can you get a rail map from? I asked at Sheffield station and was told they don't do em anymore.

 

[nickyboy]

was that turn up and go prices or advance prices ?

The problem is that no off peak or advance tickets are offered on that route. All you can buy is the anytime flexible ticket. I don't know why that would be the case. Even on the short ride Glossop-Manchester we have peak and off peak

 

[byegad]

As a rule we don't use the train.

The last time I used one I was travelling to Paris with my younger son, an adult. The fare to London for a mid-day connection to Eurostar from Durham or Darlington was astronomical
and even after a friend did a lot of online trawling was still silly money at well over £100 each. In the end we drove to Ashford, parked the car in a secure carpark next to the station all for less in petrol and parking than one fare. Oh yes, and the Eurostar cost us £50 each return! So no UK rail company got our fares. This can't be good business.

 

[mybike]

So the plan was.Cycle to Bridlington four of us.home on train direct.Went to Station today to get times and costings.£30-50p single.£122 for the four of us.We could get it down to £19-60p using two trains,Brid to Hull,Hull to Leeds.But at 18-45 we might not get four bikes on the same train.Who wants to be in Hull at 18-45 in the evening,in cycle clothing and a bike,not us we have decided.So that is that.Another ride already sorted.A shock at the price of a single ticket.

Went to Llandudno a few years back for the Victorian Weekend. Rather than use the car we decided to go by train from Rhyl where we were staying. The railway company ran their normal services, normal length trains which were horrendously overcrowded. We were even asked to get off one train if we were not going to a specific destination in order to ease the congestion. When I complained to the railway company they told me that since the government would not pay them to put on either longer trains or more trains they would not do so. The whole system is a mess with companies running the services for the subsidy payments alone.

 

[MisterStan]

The butcher made me a mug of tea as he thought that 'I had a honest face'

Did you have a mask on Vern?

 

[totallyfixed]

The weekend before last we went to Edinburgh to a friends wedding, the decision whether to go could not be made until a couple of days before because of other commitments. Ideally we wanted to go by train, the cheapest we could find was £230. Next we looked at flights but the only ones available meant a longer journey to the airport, the attendant car parking fees meant it would work out just as expensive. In the end we drove, 300 miles on the Friday and 300 miles back the following day, it was definitely worth it to see our friends again but absolutely shattered when we got home. Total cost, around £60.
If we could have cycled it we would, if public transport was not so expensive we would have used it. At least we had the option of using a car, for those that do not have the choice it is grossly unfair. Since privatisation, the cost of public transport has risen year on year and for many it is not a viable choice, it actually works out cheaper to buy a second hand car in some cases.
Expect more of the same under the Tories, or probably anyone for that matter except The Green Party. There are times when I hate what this country has become too @screenman .

 

[Tim Hall]

The weekend before last we went to Edinburgh to a friends wedding, the decision whether to go could not be made until a couple of days before because of other commitments. Ideally we wanted to go by train, the cheapest we could find was £230. Next we looked at flights but the only ones available meant a longer journey to the airport, the attendant car parking fees meant it would work out just as expensive. In the end we drove, 300 miles on the Friday and 300 miles back the following day, it was definitely worth it to see our friends again but absolutely shattered when we got home. Total cost, around £60. @screenman .

Your car only costs 10p per mile to run?

 

[nickyboy]

To give a bit of balance, I travelled Holyhead - Manchester a couple of weeks ago. Nice punctual service, modern rolling stock.

£16

 

[Large]

Not sure whether this would have helped, but it's a good site nonetheless. There are some caveats around the journeys, but you will get the cheapest fares, particularly on journeys that need a change or two of trains.

https://www.splitticketing.com/

 

[andyfraser]

This isn't as extreme as some but still quite disgraceful. My OH keeps wanting to go to London to visit various places. That in itself is quite expensive. We're only an hour from Paddington by train so it seems logical to get the train to avoid driving in London. £90 for both of us, not including the bus to the station. We worked out it'd be just over £40 for both of us if we drove to Slough, used a long stay car park there and caught the train the rest of the way. They really don't want us using the trains it seems.

 

[swee'pea99]

Had to go up to Manchester (from London) for a meeting at short notice. £220 rtn! To add insult to injury, the seats were real pack 'em in jobs - like flying Easyjet - and when I thought I might as well, having seen signs flagging up the wifi available on the train, I found there was an extra charge for that.

 

[totallyfixed]

Your car only costs 10p per mile to run?

I used slightly over one quarter of the tank going and about the same coming back, I had put £50 worth of fuel in to start and the fuel gauge showed a couple of notches below that when we got home, I could be out by 2 or £3. So yes this is what it used, we were also amazed.

 

[mjr]

The fare to London for a mid-day connection to Eurostar from Durham or Darlington was astronomical
and even after a friend did a lot of online trawling was still silly money at well over £100 each.

Was that a long time ago or was the friend trawling for the wrong thing? Even full walk-up fare Durham to London International CIV is only £65. Advance fares are from £15 but then you don't have CIV benefits.

We're only an hour from Paddington by train so it seems logical to get the train to avoid driving in London. £90 for both of us, not including the bus to the station. We worked out it'd be just over £40 for both of us if we drove to Slough, used a long stay car park there and caught the train the rest of the way.

Ah, the joy of the Paddington monopoly franchise approach. There's things you can do but they're not really worth it, taking longer and so on, unless you book specific train times well in advance. The one thing I would suggest is that a £30 "Two Together" Railcard would save its £30 price on that first £90 trip and then give you savings for every further rail journey together that year.