Cambridge to Maze Hill

[Aaron1]

Hi
On 19/05 I plan to travel from Cambridge to Maze Hill, and I plan on meeting a friend at Paddington and travel with him from Paddington to Maze Hill, return on 20/5 again seeing off friend at Paddington

I have found anytime day single for £19:65, so £39.30 in total (16-25 Railcard discount applied)

The itinerary I have found doesn't list through Paddington, but my ticket states is valid on any permitted route and includes underground Tavel, would my ticket be valid if I boarded a train for either St Pancras and Kings Cross and went from there to Paddington on the underground to meet my friend and go from Paddington to Maze Hill with my friend?

I don't see a problem as it says any permitted route and I don't think I'm taking the piss by doing this slight detour but I appreciate others on this forum are more knowledgeable than me!

Thanks

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Maze Hill is the next station in Zone 3 after Greenwich when travelling out of London Bridge towards Dartford/Gravesend. Travelling there via Paddington from Cambridge seems somewhat off route. Doubt also that you'd be able to use an anytime day single ticket with a Maltese Cross symbol on it through an LU barrier more than once.

Might there be some product(s) including travelcard validity that would be a better option? Thoughts, anyone?

 

[30907]

Provided you meet your friend on the Circle/District Line platform at Paddington, so that you don't pass through any barriers there, I can't see that you would have a problem in practice.
You can always claim you got confused and boarded the westbound Circle instead of the eastbound
Alternatively, exit at Paddington (the barriers will accept it) and use Oyster/contactless thence to C.X.

This is what NRE has to say:

Tickets displaying this indicator are valid for travel between any two stations shown in the ‘Station List' (below) appropriate to the route of the through journey being made.....

which I read as allowing you to use KGX and your preferred SE station but not (say) KGX and Amersham, not as specifying a route between the two.

 

[hkstudent]

Hi
On 19/05 I plan to travel from Cambridge to Maze Hill, and I plan on meeting a friend at Paddington and travel with him from Paddington to Maze Hill, return on 20/5 again seeing off friend at Paddington

I have found anytime day single for £19:65, so £39.30 in total (16-25 Railcard discount applied)

The itinerary I have found doesn't list through Paddington, but my ticket states is valid on any permitted route and includes underground Tavel, would my ticket be valid if I boarded a train for either St Pancras and Kings Cross and went from there to Paddington on the underground to meet my friend and go from Paddington to Maze Hill with my friend?

I don't see a problem as it says any permitted route and I don't think I'm taking the piss by doing this slight detour but I appreciate others on this forum are more knowledgeable than me!

Thanks

There's an off-peak (period) period of £30.20 for going to Maze Hill, that may be a better off to OP.
If OP is not leaving LU barriers at Paddington, then that off-peak ticket would allow OP to stay within the paid area before heading back to Maze Hill.

Off-peak day travelcard is £24.20, so travelcard may not be the best idea.

 

[Aaron1]

Provided you meet your friend on the Circle/District Line platform at Paddington, so that you don't pass through any barriers there, I can't see that you would have a problem in practice.
You can always claim you got confused and boarded the westbound Circle instead of the eastbound
Alternatively, exit at Paddington (the barriers will accept it) and use Oyster/contactless thence to C.X.

This is what NRE has to say:

which I read as allowing you to use KGX and your preferred SE station but not (say) KGX and Amersham, not as specifying a route between the two.

I'm sorry for appearing thick what do you mean by C.X?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2022 ==

My friend is going from Stroud to Paddington then tube to Farringdon then Thameslink train from there to Maze Hill.

What would be the cheapest way to do this please if my tickets won't be valid.

I'm not an expert in London transport.

Could I simply show my ticket to the barrier staff instead of putting it through and hope they don't notice? But then I don't want to defraud the railway

 

[Class800]

I'm sorry for appearing thick what do you mean by C.X?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2022 ==

My friend is going from Stroud to Paddington then tube to Farringdon then Thameslink train from there to Maze Hill.

What would be the cheapest way to do this please if my tickets won't be valid.

I'm not an expert in London transport.

Could I simply show my ticket to the barrier staff instead of putting it through and hope they don't notice? But then I don't want to defraud the railway

C.X. I think Charing Cross is what's meant

 

[Watershed]

I'm sorry for appearing thick what do you mean by C.X?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2022 ==

My friend is going from Stroud to Paddington then tube to Farringdon then Thameslink train from there to Maze Hill.

What would be the cheapest way to do this please if my tickets won't be valid.

I'm not an expert in London transport.

Could I simply show my ticket to the barrier staff instead of putting it through and hope they don't notice? But then I don't want to defraud the railway

I think they mean Charing Cross.

The easiest option here would simply be for you to meet up with your friend at Farringdon. You could take a Thameslink service from Cambridge to Farringdon and await your friend there, then continue to Maze Hill using the hourly direct Thameslink service or changing at London Bridge onto a Southeastern service.

 

[Class800]

I think they mean Charing Cross.

The easiest option here would simply be for you to meet up with your friend at Farringdon. You could take a Thameslink service from Cambridge to Farringdon and await your friend there, then continue to Maze Hill using the hourly direct Thameslink service or changing at London Bridge onto a Southeastern service.

I would agree - provided the friend knows the way from Paddington to Farringdon. Paddington tube is a bit complex

 

[Watershed]

I would agree - provided the friend knows the way from Paddington to Farringdon. Paddington tube is a bit complex

It's very easy if you are taking the Sub Surface (Hammersmith & City or Circle) lines - use the footbridge about half way along the Paddington platforms and head north to the Tube gateline.

 

[Class800]

It's very easy if you are taking the Sub Surface (Hammersmith & City or Circle) lines - use the footbridge about half way along the Paddington platforms and head north to the Tube gateline.

I agree - but know someone who took the wrong circle station!

 

[MikeWh]

and use Oyster/contactless thence to C.X.

CHX (or Charing Cross) is actually the worst terminal as there are no direct trains to Maze Hill from there. London Bridge or Cannon Street are better.

 

[30907]

I'm sorry for appearing thick what do you mean by C.X?

Apologies - as others have said, Charing Cross (but you want Cannon St on London Br anyway!) .

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2022 ==

My friend is going from Stroud to Paddington then tube to Farringdon then Thameslink train from there to Maze Hill.

They don't have to use that route, though it is a good one, and Farringdon would be a good place to meet up.

What would be the cheapest way to do this please if my tickets won't be valid.

If you want to meet on Paddington mainline station, then you use your cross-London ticket for one tube journey and contactless for the other.

As hkstudent has said, if you can travel after 0930 both ways you should buy an Offpeak Return for £30.20. Otherwise, the Anytime Day Single each way you have found.

(If you are likely to travel in London at all in the future, you can get an Oyster card and ask a member of staff by the barriers/machines at Kings Cross Underground to add the railcard discount, it takes them about 30 seconds.)

Could I simply show my ticket to the barrier staff instead of putting it through and hope they don't notice? But then I don't want to defraud the railway

You would have to do that twice, I wouldn't risk it, and you would be breaking the Byelaws.

 

[Aaron1]

Thanks all for the advice, I've spoken to my friend and we've agreed to just meet at Maze Hill instead, saves messing about with other tickets and paying extra etc!

 

[hkstudent]

Thanks all for the advice, I've spoken to my friend and we've agreed to just meet at Maze Hill instead, saves messing about with other tickets and paying extra etc!

If that's the case, buy the ticket all the way to Slade Green (the end of the line), which would be the same cost as to Maze Hill, and allows OP to travel to Woolwich or other North Kent Line destinations if required.