Do I need to buy off peak return tickets

[boxfullofjunk]

We've just came back from Blackpool and I want to book train tickets to Blackpool in October but I don't really want to book advance singles after I thought we was going to miss our connecting train from Manchester Piccadilly to Cwmbran so can I change the times of connecting trains with advance singles or do I need to buy off peak returns.

I need tickets for 3 adults and 1 child with a family & friends railcard and we're travelling from Cwmbran to Blackpool on the 25th of October and returning on the 1st of November.

 

[Merseysider]

Take a look at the forum's ticketing website - you can add an (extended) stopover at any station en route and still get the cheaper Advance fares.

(If you're on a mobile, you may need to tap on the settings/options cog in the top corner)

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[Belperpete]

We've just came back from Blackpool and I want to book train tickets to Blackpool in October but I don't really want to book advance singles after I thought we was going to miss our connecting train from Manchester Piccadilly to Cwmbran so can I change the times of connecting trains with advance singles or do I need to buy off peak returns.

If you had missed the connection at Manchester because your train from Blackpool was late, then you should be entitled to catch the next train to Cwmbran, even with advance tickets. You shouldn't have to buy new tickets in this situation. You wouldn't of course have reserved seats on that next train, but then you wouldn't in that situation with off peak tickets either.

Note that this does not apply if you haven't allowed sufficient time at Manchester for the connection. It helps if you can show a valid itinerary for the through journey. You should have been given such an itinerary if you bought the ticket(s) for the through journey in one transaction. Otherwise there are journey planners that can generate valid itineraries, allowing the necessary minimum connection times.

 

[Rail Ranger]

TfW don't do seat reservations.

 

[yorkie]

Indeed. No need to pay more; Advance tickets absolutely remain valid if the connection is missed, and you can specify additional interchange time if you wish.

You can also specify where you change trains.

It's best to aim for the even-hour departures from Piccadilly, as these are typically the loco-hauled sets. If you request additional interchange time, you will minimise the chances of being stuck on a (potentially short-formed) unit.

 

[John R]

You might also want to consider options via Crewe. Not sure about pricing but there is an 1151 from Blackpool to Crewe with a 10 minute connection for Cwmbran, arriving 1515. And again if you miss your connection because the first train is late you are entitled to use the next available one.

Another point to consider is that if you don’t get the rather nice loco hauled sets, between Cwmbran and Crewe/ manchester, some of the diesel units have a pseudo-first section of better seating which is free to all passengers without a surcharge.

 

[boxfullofjunk]

If you had missed the connection at Manchester because your train from Blackpool was late, then you should be entitled to catch the next train to Cwmbran, even with advance tickets. You shouldn't have to buy new tickets in this situation. You wouldn't of course have reserved seats on that next train, but then you wouldn't in that situation with off peak tickets either.

Note that this does not apply if you haven't allowed sufficient time at Manchester for the connection. It helps if you can show a valid itinerary for the through journey. You should have been given such an itinerary if you bought the ticket(s) for the through journey in one transaction. Otherwise there are journey planners that can generate valid itineraries, allowing the necessary minimum connection times.

The train from Blackpool arrived in Manchester about 2 minutes later than the arrival time but I still had 10 minutes to catch the next train but the amount of people that got off at Manchester it was chaos and when I went to use the lift there was a big queue for it. If I missed the train from Manchester to Cwmbran would I have been able to board the next train as it wasn't the trains fault that I would of missed it.

 

[yorkie]

It sounds like you require a bit more interchange time, so the best thing to do is to specify this when booking.

You can set advanced options by clicking the cog:



specify your desired change station and, choose "change at" and then add extra minutes (which are added to the minimum interchange time)





If you want to search times quickly without fares, you may first want to give www.fastjp.com a try; once you know your desired advanced options, you can specify this on the forum's site.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Off Peak Return (route "via Hereford") is currently £76.55 per adult, from Cwmbran to/from Blackpool North, with Family and Friends railcard discount applied (or £21.85 for the child). Total = £251.50. How much are the (booked trains only) advance singles working out at, bearing you'll need one of these each way?

 

[Belperpete]

The minimum connection time at Manchester Piccadilly is 10 minutes, so as you had 10 minutes you wouldn't have been entitled to catch the later train. I suspect that had you explained to the guard of the later train that your first train was late and the difficulty in getting to the lift, then you would probably have been allowed on that train, but unfortunately no guarantee.

If you need to use a lift, rather than stairs or escalators, then I suggest that if booking advance tickets, you should probably be specifying that you need extra interchange time. 10 minutes at Manchester Piccadilly sounds a bit tight to me if you are also having to wait for lifts.

With advance tickets, if specifying extra interchange time, you would then be booked on the later train, but importantly you would be tied to catching that later train, even if it turned out (as happened this time) you could actually make the earlier one. Whereas with off peak tickets, if specifying extra interchange time, you would still be free to catch the earlier train.

As ever with advance tickets, you have to weigh the cost saving against the inflexibility of being tied to particular trains.

 

[Llandudno]

You may prefer the Blackpool train to be running late so missing the booked connection, a sizeable delay repay refund would be due, quite useful after an expensive few days in Blackpool with the kids…!

 

[MotCO]

If your first train is running late, it may be wise to seek out the guard for them to endorse your tickets to provide proof to the second train guard that your first train was delayed. Or failing that, take a screenshot of the RealTimeTrains for the first train to prove it was running late.

 

[Belperpete]

If your first train is running late, it may be wise to seek out the guard for him to endorse your tickets to provide proof to the second train guard that your first train was delayed. Or failing that, take a screen shot of the RealTimesTrain for the first train to prove it was running late.

Why do you need to go to the bother of taking a screen shot? Just pull up the web page for RTT or one of the various other websites that show the train ran late.

 

[MotCO]

Why do you need to go to the bother of taking a screen shot? Just pull up the web page for RTT or one of the various other websites that show the train ran late.

In case you have no wifi etc