Weekend in Torquay - any better than £94.70?

[AnkleBoots]

For a weekend in Torquay, leaving London on a Fri evening or Sat morning in July, and coming back on a Sunday evening. Specific dates not known yet but there seem to be very few advances anyway.

There appear to be no good splits, except going via Salisbury knocks off £20 but adds on loads of time.

Any other ideas please? Only a Network Railcard held.

 

[Idon'tKnow]

Fly to Exeter airport.

 

[221129]

Fly to Exeter airport.

Unlikely to be cheaper.

 

[BigCj34]

Try the Megabus, which leaves London at 16:00, though the bus back is at noon. You could take the bus outbound and then the train back.

 

[mmh]

Unlikely to be cheaper.

I thought that, but was intrigued (and a bit bored!) so looked it up.

London City Airport - Exeter Airport (Flybe), Sat 21 July dep. 08:50 arr. 09:55 - 50.78
Exeter Airport - Exeter St Davids (bus 56), dep. 10:42 arr 11:12 - 2.60
Exeter St Davids - Torquay (change Newton Abbot), dep. 11:17 arr 12:00 - 7.70

Torquay - Exeter St Davids (direct), dep. 16:00 arr. 16:40 - 7.70
Exeter St Davids - Exeter Airport (bus 56), dep. 17:15 arr. 17:40 - 2.60
Exeter Airport - London City Airport (Flybe), Sun 22 July dep. 18:45 arr. 19:55 - 27.20

Total 98.58, so about the same. But without the flexibility the train ticket gives, e.g. being able to go on Friday evening instead, where the plane tickets are a lot more expensive - although the super off peak return can only get you to Torquay for 22:28, so rather late!

 

[Idon'tKnow]

Flying from London City to Exeter Airport - £77.98 return (21st and 22nd of July)
£8.30 for a south west explorer bus ticket that allows travel between Exeter airport and Torquay
£8.30 the next day on the way back with the same bus ticket.
£8.30+£8.30+£77.98= £94.58.
So, 12 pence cheaper!

 

[221129]

Flying from London City to Exeter Airport - £77.98 return (21st and 22nd of July)
£8.30 for a south west explorer bus ticket that allows travel between Exeter airport and Torquay
£8.30 the next day on the way back with the same bus ticket.
£8.30+£8.30+£77.98= £94.58.
So, 12 pence cheaper!

And probably no quicker.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Thank you for the ideas! I would never have imagined being able to do it for less than £100 by plane

 

[Idon'tKnow]

And probably no quicker.

The thread is about price and not speed.

 

[mmh]

And probably no quicker.

It's surprisingly similar for the return journey. Torquay to Paddington direct at 3:50pm is 4 hours (the same) or 3 and a half hours leaving 10 minutes later with a change.

I'd never normally consider flying for a journey like that, especially when it involves faffing with connections and buses, but I would consider this one. It goes to/from the least faff airport in London and I can't imagine Exeter is awful either.

As ever with trips from London, I think the biggest consideration is where you're actually starting from. Paddington or City Airport or neither might be convenient for you!

 

[30907]

Thank you for the ideas! I would never have imagined being able to do it for less than £100 by plane

Hand baggage only, of course, and Flybe have a smaller-than-standard size - not that that should be worry for one night!

 

[Darandio]

The thread is about price and not speed.

The OP already stated travelling via Salisbury wasn't favourable due to the additional time, so the thread is also about speed. And considering how short the break is, i'd say time is of the essence.

 

[221129]

It's surprisingly similar for the return journey. Torquay to Paddington direct at 3:50pm is 4 hours (the same) or 3 and a half hours leaving 10 minutes later with a change.

I'd never normally consider flying for a journey like that, especially when it involves faffing with connections and buses, but I would consider this one. It goes to/from the least faff airport in London and I can't imagine Exeter is awful either.

As ever with trips from London, I think the biggest consideration is where you're actually starting from. Paddington or City Airport or neither might be convenient for you!

Getting from Exeter to Airport to the Bay on public transport is going to be an absolute ballache.

 

[cactustwirly]

Have you tried splitting at Newbury & Castle Cary?

What train are you planning to get, I might have an idea...

 

[AnkleBoots]

Outward Fri 19:03
London Paddington
Great Western Railway
2 hours 40 minutes
21:43
Newton Abbot
22:03
Newton Abbot
Great Western Railway
11 minutes
22:14
Torquay

or Outward Sat 09:03
London Paddington
Great Western Railway
2 hours 36 minutes
11:39
Newton Abbot
11:50
Newton Abbot
Great Western Railway
10 minutes
12:00
Torquay
18:59

Inbound Sunday
Torquay
Great Western Railway
11 minutes
19:10
Newton Abbot
19:26
Newton Abbot
Great Western Railway
3 hours 11 minutes
22:37
London Paddington

 

[AnkleBoots]

I can see that with my Network Railcard I can save money on the Newbury part! Thank you

 

[AnkleBoots]

If I travel on the 1807 on a Friday from Paddington to Newbury with an Off Peak Return, can I expect any difficulties at the gateline?

 

[cactustwirly]

If I travel on the 1807 on a Friday from Paddington to Newbury with an Off Peak Return, can I expect any difficulties at the gateline?

No as it is an "off peak" train (obviously decided by ticket restrictions, but local off peak tickets are valid for this service)

 

[Paul Kelly]

The 18:07 will have the specific message on the departure boards "Off-Peak Day tickets valid as far as Newbury" or something to that effect. But no, no difficulties are likely as the gateline nearest whichever platform the 18:07 is departing from is normally switched to allow Off-Peak tickets through, when that train is announced for boarding.

 

[Kite159]

One thing to consider is the Newbury block from the 16 July to the 5th August.

Also beware as GWR are not the best performers at weekends in terms of services getting cancelled.

 

[sonic2009]

Do we have a figure we have managed to get it down to yet? I have a figure of £88.70 that i can get it down to.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Do we have a figure we have managed to get it down to yet? I have a figure of £88.70 that i can get it down to.

Thank you. £79.45 from Trainsplit using a Network Railcard.

 

[AnkleBoots]

One thing to consider is the Newbury block from the 16 July to the 5th August.

Also beware as GWR are not the best performers at weekends in terms of services getting cancelled.

Thank you, does the block effectively rule out splitting at Newbury? If so, would a Thames Ranger solve this by allowing me not to need to call at the splitting point?

And more generally, do weekend cancellations make it more difficult, or more easy to use split tickets?

 

[Kite159]

Thank you, does the block effectively rule out splitting at Newbury? If so, would a Thames Ranger solve this by allowing me not to need to call at the splitting point?

And more generally, do weekend cancellations make it more difficult, or more easy to use split tickets?

Bit hard to split at Newbury when the train won't actually go via Newbury. Based on previous diverts the ones which would normally go via the Berks & Hants either run nonstop from Reading to Taunton via Bristol or go via the Transwilts line from Chippenham to Westbury picking up the Castle Cary calls.

If a train which calls at Castle Cary gets cancelled and the next one doesn't go that way then you will probably have to wait around for the next service which calls at Castle Cary unless you get a nice guard who lets you onto the next fast service