Identifying good advance fares.

[Peter Lanky]

We have recently availed ourself of a 'two together' railcard and recently used it to get two of us from Wigan to Inverness and back first class for just over £100. Now seeing as I would always prefer to use a train rather than the car, I now want to find more destinations to take advantage of advance fares. Living on the WCML, I thought this would be straightforward, but not so it seems, and decent long distance advance fares are hard to identify without making things too complex.

Of course the rail industry wants everyone to go to that place in the centre of the M25, and is happy to discount fares willy nilly, in order to get lots of people to use it and 'prove' just how popular it is, but it's not on my radar as far as places I want to go.

So it's back to Scotland I thought, but the journey to Inverness and subsequent trips to Kyle, Thurso and Aberdeen had taken up most of the available journeys in the highlands. I therefore turn my attention to the WCML south or Birmingham, but am struggling to find destinations.

So after all my waffle, my question is 'Can anyone suggest good cheap and interesting destinations to compile a 7 day holiday on our rail network, starting in Wigan, which takes full advantage of advance fares'? Is there a dedicated website for such a search?

One further question, if any experts are reading is 'Why does Megatrain offer cheap fares from Preston and Warrington BQ, but not Wigan'? Wigan and Warrington are almost identical in passenger numbers so it can't be a supply and demand decision, and neither Megatrain nor Virgin will give me a straight answer, when I ask. Yes I know I get by an additional ticket (at excessive price) to one or the other stations, but that's not quite the point.

 

[Starmill]

For the sort of thing you are looking for, have you considered something like the below, instead of Advances? Value is usually at least as good although 1ST Class options may be limited.

Freedom of the North West 7 Day

Heart of England 7 Day

Freedom of the North East 7 Day

Explore Wales Pass

There may be one or two more.

 

[Oscar]

Of course the rail industry wants everyone to go to that place in the centre of the M25, and is happy to discount fares willy nilly, in order to get lots of people to use it and 'prove' just how popular it is, but it's not on my radar as far as places I want to go.
[...]
One further question, if any experts are reading is 'Why does Megatrain offer cheap fares from Preston and Warrington BQ, but not Wigan'? Wigan and Warrington are almost identical in passenger numbers so it can't be a supply and demand decision, and neither Megatrain nor Virgin will give me a straight answer, when I ask. Yes I know I get by an additional ticket (at excessive price) to one or the other stations, but that's not quite the point.

This is a very serious point. There is significant spare off-peak capacity to/from London and long-distance travel to/from London typically includes only one operator (at least for most of the journey), making it much more attractive for TOCs to offer Advance fares. Yet not everyone wants to go to London! Public transport should be reasonably attractive for walk-up travel between any (at least reasonably large) villages or towns A and B. That's what the car provides.
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So after all my waffle, my question is 'Can anyone suggest good cheap and interesting destinations to compile a 7 day holiday on our rail network, starting in Wigan, which takes full advantage of advance fares'? Is there a dedicated website for such a search?

You could use TransPennine Advances to travel between Manchester and Yorkshire / the North East. Arriva Trains Wales also offer Advances from Manchester or Crewe to South Wales. I also concur with starmill in suggesting Rovers.
North Country 4 in 8 Day Rover is valid from Preston.

 

[Peter Lanky]

I have looked at these rover tickets before, and have been surprised how expensive they are. Useful if you really want to cram loads of rail journeys into a week, but for the non enthusiast (i.e. my other half) it would mean making journeys for the sake of it to attempt to get 'value'.

Also very useful if based in the main hub of these ticket areas, and though the heart of England route map looks attractive at first, I am not going to be planning a week in Birmingham just yet

I would have expected such rover tickets to be used as an attempt to get non rail users back into using trains, and reverse the long decline in rail travel as a means of leisure.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I have looked at these rover tickets before, and have been surprised how expensive they are.

The Freedom of the North West 7-day rover works out at £12 a day, before railcard discounts. Given an off-peak return from Wigan to Liverpool alone is £7.90, I don't think that's anything other than excellent value.

 

[Peter Lanky]

The Freedom of the North West 7-day rover works out at £12 a day, before railcard discounts. Given an off-peak return from Wigan to Liverpool alone is £7.90, I don't think that's anything other than excellent value.

I'm looking for holidays in another part of the country, rather than local travel. Even if I go to Liverpool, which as it happens I did just 3 days ago, then I would (and did) spend the entire day in Liverpool and would not be looking to go elsewhere on the same day, so the £5.20 each we did spend comes well below the daily average cost.

On a completely different note, I'm amazed at the 'All line rover' prices @ £478. At an average daily price of £68, I'd find it incredibly difficult to find a route for every single day that could make use of such a price, unless routinely paying full 'anytime' fares.

I thought my recent rail holiday based on Inverness would be the start of a loving relationship with good value rail holidays, but I may have to re-evaluate that thought. The entire rail cost of the trip was a mere £100 each including 1st class for the 'long haul' 7 hour journey there and 3 long day trips out.

 

[IanD]

I reckon you could get a couple of cheap advances to Zone U1* Londn from Wigan (£20.50 for 2 with the railcard - includes 1 trip on the Underground to get across London) then some cheap advances to say Portsmouth (£6.60 for 2) or Southampton (£10.60 for 2) with Southern or Swindon (approx £11 for 2 if you're lucky) or westwards with FGW.

Then combine with a Freedom of Severn and Solent 8 in 15 Rover (£45.55 each with r/c) or 3 in 7 Rover (£29.70 each with r/c). and explore Prtsmouth, Southampton, Weymouth, Bath, Malvern, Gloucester, Worcester, Cheltenham, Bath, Cardiff etc...

Couple of cheapish tickets would extend the area considerably (eg Devon Day Ranger £6.60 would get you as far as Plymouth, Exeter, Barnstaple etc)

Or combine your advances with a Freedom of the South West Rover 8 in 15 for £72ish.