Nottingham to Cleethorpes

[Bunting14]

I'm planning on filling in some gaps in my track coverage tomorrow. On the National Rail planner I can't work out whether travel by Sheffield is the same price as travelling by Lincoln. The catch all price for a return is given as £25.70 but it is also available for £16 if you travel out via Lincoln and come back via Sheffield.

Any advice please.

 

[Romilly]

The £16 offpeak day return fare is for travel via Lincoln. But on a site such as Virgin Trains East Coast, by using Lincoln as the "via" point, then opting for timetables only, then opting for trains that call at Sheffield, then opting to buy tickets, I get journeys for £16 that go via Sheffield and Lincoln.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Sheffield is the way to go. It's the best value route despite the slightly higher price, it's got the better trains which are hourly and less crowded, plus they run later.
The Lincoln to Grimsby train is just an old 153 single car which often gets overcrowded and the timetable is far from simple.

 

[kieron]

I'm planning on filling in some gaps in my track coverage tomorrow. On the National Rail planner I can't work out whether travel by Sheffield is the same price as travelling by Lincoln. The catch all price for a return is given as £25.70 but it is also available for £16 if you travel out via Lincoln and come back via Sheffield.

Any advice please.

One thing I don't think any journey planner offers is a change of route excess. If you were to buy a £16 ticket, and travel on a route which was only valid on the £25.70 ticket, you could do so at a cost of £4.85 (half the difference between the fares) which you can pay beforehand or on the train.

I don't know exactly which routes a journey planner will consider to be valid on each ticket, but you may like to take an itinerary with you when you travel anyway.