Recent content by ClivePage

We flew back from Keflavik, Iceland, at the weekend. Iceland is not an EU member (though there is a referendum on the subject shortly) but it is part of the Schengen zone, which I didn't know. That means, I guess, that the UK could be too if we wanted. That would solve all our current EES...

After several weeks I finally had this reply which was from Gatwick Express Customer Relations: Thank you for contacting us about the ticket machines at Luton Airport Parkway. We are sorry to hear about the difficulties you have experienced over the past two weeks and appreciate your...

Yes, last time I checked I saved 5p by getting the ticket from London Terminals not London Thameslink. But hey, it's a small victory over the absurd fares system. Unfortunately the London Terminals fare isn't available when southbound, for no obvious reason.

It would be nice if there were a SmartCard guide somewhere, as the multiplicity of options bemuses me, and I don't have time to investigate them all in detail. I'd be happy to use them, as I've been fairly happy using Oyster for many years. But I'd want one that I could load with any ticket...

Thanks, those are two rather severe barriers to use of smartcards in London, as we often use super-off peak tickets (I have one in my pocket right now). We'll stick to paper tickets plus Oyster where appropriate, or e-tickets if we know we are going to stations where they work. What a mess -...

As I understand it, these operator smartcards are not really portable. When I last checked the Govia-Thameslink smart card was not valid on the trains of EMR, which I often use. And if East Midlands Rail has their own smartcard (I haven't checked) no doubt it won't be accepted by a Thameslink...

You are writing as if it is only those out-of-date folk who *want* to buy a ticket at the station who will be affected. But as I pointed out, a whole range of tickets to stations in the London area, including London One-day Travelcards, are not issued as eTickets and for those of us with...

That is possible but the notice stuck on them doesn't say anything about that. It is odd that it is the oldest wardrobe size machine that is left while the three newer ones, about ATM-sized (sorry don't know the actual names of these machines are the ones being taken out.

For the last couple of weeks I noticed that 3 of the 4 ticket machines in the main ticket hall at Luton Airport Parkway were not working. This morning these three are showing a sticker saying that they are being taken out of service so it is obviously deliberate action not simply lack of...

Eurostar seem to be doing their best to make life as difficult as possible for passengers to/from the Netherlands. My wife is just back from a trip to Brussels and reported quite a number of fellow passengers on the way home who had in fact been to Amsterdam or Rotterdam, but had been forced to...

Yes but it's the distinction between that I think is archaic, i.e. the existence two different types of ticket. There needs to be at most one set of rules about London stations that you can use if travelling from somewhere north of the Thames, and perhaps (if the authorities are determined to...

OK, I stand corrected about the excess fare. You would have to do it before you started your journey. But I agree with others that the London Terminals distinction is somewhat archaic on all Thameslink line trains now that London Thameslink exists as a "destination". It's on stations on the...

I suspect the officially "correct" thing to do is after alighting at Blackfriars go to the person on duty at the ticket barrier and ask for an excess fare between Cambridge to London Terminals and Cambridge to London Thameslink. I'm only guessing but suspect that the work involved in doing this...

My wife was on a (badly delayed) Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels this morning - part of the delay was to make sure that passengers for Rotterdam and Amsterdam didn't get on this train as Eurostar claimed it was going no further than Brussels. Shortly before getting there they announced...

I think it's that the national rail ticketing system is now so complicated that almost nobody understands more than isolate bits of it. Almost every week I learn something that I ought to have know much earlier. I find you may be able to use it to your advantage - e.g. almost nobody...