Euston - Crewe with rail vouchers

[skizz]

Hi all

I was the lucky recipient of £120 of vouchers due to Virgin Trains' uselessness (sorry, I'm still bitter about it). I'm aware that I can't use them online which is a travesty in this day and age considering the amount of cheap fares that are online only, so I am looking to use these vouchers on a trip to Crewe I am taking at the end of June, out 21st coming back 23rd.

Question is, what ticket do I buy to make my vouchers go furthest?

I do have a 16-25 railcard by the way, and don't particularly want to use London Midland but will look at first class fares on their route anyway (I have to have a table don't you know )

Thanks

 

[Paul Kelly]

the amount of cheap fares that are online only

Really? I can't think of that many. Virgin's online-only Off-Peak Single (formerly called Saver Half) is one, I suppose. But if you wanted the best value possible then you'd likely be looking to get normal Advance fares both ways, which can be paid for with vouchers at a station booking office no problem.

 

[LexyBoy]

What time do you want to travel? There are plenty of Advance fares at sensible times for £33.65 out and £17.15 back (or £5.30 if you don't mind LM).

Bear in mind you won't get any change from RTVs so if you bought the above, making £50.80 total, you'd want to use 2 x £25 RTVs and pay the 80p in cash (or whatever depending on the denominations you were issued with).

 

[CallySleeper]

I'm aware that I can't use them online

I would just double check this. East Coast website for example I'm 99% sure you enter any voucher codes at the check out.

 

[transmanche]

Really? I can't think of that many. Virgin's online-only Off-Peak Single (formerly called Saver Half) is one, I suppose. But if you wanted the best value possible then you'd likely be looking to get normal Advance fares both ways, which can be paid for with vouchers at a station booking office no problem.

East Coast's Super Off-Peak singles are another type. And of course on East Coast, their Advance tickets are cheaper if you buy them online - due to the website discount of up to 10%.

 

[LexyBoy]

I would just double check this. East Coast website for example I'm 99% sure you enter any voucher codes at the check out.

East Coast website vouchers are an entirely different thing. Skizz is correct that Rail Travel Vouchers can only be used IRL (as they are paper based).

 

[skizz]

I suppose on East Coast there are more online offers than Virgin.

So I'd just need to find the appropriate Advance single from the "Fare Finder" on Virgin's website and just go to the booking office with the vouchers? I live in Sutton, presuming I can phone Virgin Customer Services to get seat reservations, or can I do that at the booking office? (Or am I still living in BR era)

 

[LexyBoy]

You will get a seat reservation with the tickets - they are compulsory with Advance tickets and most staff would ask if you wanted them with "walk-on" tickets anyway.

Most ticket office clerks will happily check a few trains if you ask for the cheapest ticket around X time, it's worth checking before of course.

edit: for some reason I had just looked at Advance tickets. In fact, an Off Peak Return Euston-Crewe is £46.35, and may be a better deal, depending when you want to travel. It is valid at any time if you travel with Virgin, as you hold a Railcard (you will want a seat reservation though if travelling Friday PM).

 

[island]

Your local station will do your tickets and seat reservations in one go. It might be helpful to write down the specific services you want to use.

Alternatively, I am given to understand that First Great Western telesales will make an arrangement whereby you phone up and tell them you want to use the vouchers; they will then take payment for the full amount by credit or debit card and will refund you the value of the vouchers when you post them in.

 

[OwlMan]

Your local station will do your tickets and seat reservations in one go. It might be helpful to write down the specific services you want to use.

Not all stations do. Quite a few in the South East do not, and some of the ones that do have restricted hours.
For the latest see http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/SCHEDULE 17 - December '12.pdf

If there is "No" in the reservations column the station can not sell advance tickets.

 

[Starmill]

It's an absolute pain in the rear trying to buy Advance tickets with these vouchers. They're undoubtedly very useful and £120 is very good indeed though! I often try and plan trips in advance and use them for Travelcards or Rangers or somewhere where I know I'll need a flexible ticket. The whole 'cheapest tickets on thetrainline' thing though is an annoying myth that seems to do the rounds. You can buy any old advance you like from a station - but choose carefully, it can rely on you knowing your local will be quiet, or having access to a larger booking office, preferably one with a separate queue for Advances, although that's not necessary. Depends on where your local station is really... As people have said, certain promotions are indeed limited to online-only but that's unlikely to be much of a problem.

 

[skizz]

My local station is Sutton Common which doesn't have a booking office, Sutton does which is a 10 minute walk however they often only have one person on.

How far in Advance do I need to book to get these tickets?

 

[LexyBoy]

Advance tickets are available until 6 pm the day before travel. However, they are quota controlled and the cheapest Advance tickets will generally sell out well before this. It's usually best to book as soon as your plans are concrete.

Personally I would not book Advances for this journey unless they are under £30 for the return journey (assuming Virgin), since the "open" ticket is only £46.35. Obviously your choice will vary depending on how much the saving is worth and how much you value flexibility.

BTW, did you know you can use Rail Travel Vouchers to top up your Oyster PAYG balance, or buy other Oyster products (e.g. Travelcards)? You'll need to go to an Oyster-enabled National Rail booking office to do this.

 

[maniacmartin]

BTW, did you know you can use Rail Travel Vouchers to top up your Oyster PAYG balance, or buy other Oyster products (e.g. Travelcards)? You'll need to go to an Oyster-enabled National Rail booking office to do this.

Or a London Underground station

 

[skizz]

Advance tickets are available until 6 pm the day before travel. However, they are quota controlled and the cheapest Advance tickets will generally sell out well before this. It's usually best to book as soon as your plans are concrete.

Personally I would not book Advances for this journey unless they are under £30 for the return journey (assuming Virgin), since the "open" ticket is only £46.35. Obviously your choice will vary depending on how much the saving is worth and how much you value flexibility.

BTW, did you know you can use Rail Travel Vouchers to top up your Oyster PAYG balance, or buy other Oyster products (e.g. Travelcards)? You'll need to go to an Oyster-enabled National Rail booking office to do this.

I did NOT know this!! I know the booking office at Sutton doesn't have Oyster readers at the booths so will try East Croydon. Potentially if I had £50 vouchers, could I spent say £40 on tickets and then add the remaining £10 to my oyster balance?

 

[island]

Or a London Underground station

All London Underground stations can add RTVs to Oyster balances, but many London Underground ticket clerks can't!

 

[skizz]

I have another question -

I claim back expenses at work and have a zone 3-5 travelcard on my Oyster. one of my bases is at Denmark Hill in Zone 2, what is the best ticket to buy to get there? Just a Zone 2 extension permit? I need something that I can send off to work to reclaim so PAYG Oyster won't cut it unfortunately.

Cheers

 

[transmanche]

I have another question -

I claim back expenses at work and have a zone 3-5 travelcard on my Oyster. one of my bases is at Denmark Hill in Zone 2, what is the best ticket to buy to get there? Just a Zone 2 extension permit? I need something that I can send off to work to reclaim so PAYG Oyster won't cut it unfortunately.

I think most employers will now accept a print out of (part of) an Oyster online PAYG usage history. Mine did - in fact they were happy to refund Oyster fares below £5 a day - only those more than £5 needed evidence.

 

[skizz]

Mine don't unfortunately, "no receipt no payment" is their line tried it before, didn't get away with it!

 

[causton]

You can get a printout of your journey history from a Tube station, would that not do?

If not, do you have to take your Travelcard into account? Just get a paper ticket from your home station to your work station and tell them that if they're going to be awkward they can repay you more

 

[maniacmartin]

My employer was happy to accept the journey history that I obtained from a tube station booking office

 

[skizz]

Meh. I'll give that a go and tell them to deal with it

 

[furlong]

Find out the fare, and then do a top up at a machine for the exact amount in cash, selecting the option for a printed receipt for the top up.