SW Wales to Brighton

[PH Wales]

Hi, just after some fare advice. I am looking to travel from Swansea or Port Talbot to Brighton on 11th Feb and returning 13th Feb. OR 18th Feb and returning 20th Feb. Departing between 9 to 11am both ways. No railcards.
Thanks in advance for tips on how to make the ticket costs as reasonable as possible?

 

[EUC]

There are a number of advance purchase options for journeys on those dates, but to my mind the most flexible option would be to buy a Super Offpeak return, which costs £126.50 from both Swansea and Port Talbot, and is valid for travel via London (as well as all other permitted routes). This fare is valid at those times both ways.

 

[PH Wales]

There are a number of advance purchase options for journeys on those dates, but to my mind the most flexible option would be to buy a Super Offpeak return, which costs £126.50 from both Swansea and Port Talbot, and is valid for travel via London (as well as all other permitted routes). This fare is valid at those times both ways.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Trevor_Daburn]

Have you tried searching the journey on the ticket site on the forum. You could get this a lot lower than the price above.

 

[Watershed]

Travelling from Port Talbot will be slightly cheaper than from Swansea in most cases. The base point of comparison would be the £126.50 Super Off-Peak Return from Port Talbot to Brighton. The time restrictions would not impact you if you're leaving between 9-11am. It would allow you to travel via pretty much any route you might want to take - i.e. via London, or changing at Reading and Gatwick to avoid London.

Cheaper tickets are certainly available if you're happy to tie yourself to slower routes. For example, if you split your tickets at Salisbury and go via the South Coast, you can pay £106.40 in total - that would involve getting an Anytime Return from Port Talbot to Salisbury and then an Off-Peak Return from Salisbury to Brighton routed "via Barnham". Quite a slow route, albeit scenic at points.

If you're happy to tie yourself to specific trains with Advance tickets it will work out cheaper. There's currently a GWR sale on for some of their Advance tickets, so they are better value than they usually are. I'd have a look at what TrainSplit suggests. It's coming up with a cheap option back via Gatwick and Reading, and a decent option on the way out if you go via the South Coast.