Advance fares question

[Chapeltom]

Hi all first post here.

I do a lot of travelling about early mornings on Saturdays for various reasons, normally watching football all over from my base in Derbyshire. I've not really been too far (Redditch, York, Gainsborough, Preston, Liverpool) However a new founded interest in football over in Wales will lead me over there maybe once/twice a month...

Do advance fares ever appear on the North Wales coast line at reasonable times? I have never found a single return fare to anywhere (Llandudno, Conwy, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Bangor) A return from here to Bangor is £26.20 with a 16-25 railcard.. I'm off to Conwy & Bangor Saturday anyway. To Cardiff its £9.25 each way for 8th May yet these fares don't appear for trains earlier than 16-17 April why?

My main question is that, can I buy an advanced train ticket on a Friday with a railcard at peak hours? National Rail indicates £7.90 from Stockport to Bangor at 6:38am (Fri 9th Apr) and a return the following evening at 18:00 as the same (£7.90)

Tom

 

[Magicake]

Do advance fares ever appear on the North Wales coast line at reasonable times?

The advance fares for this line are set by Virgin Trains. When these fares are released the dates on the national rail booking horizons page should be updated.

My main question is that, can I buy an advanced train ticket on a Friday with a railcard at peak hours? National Rail indicates £7.90 from Stockport to Bangor at 6:38am (Fri 9th Apr) and a return the following evening at 18:00 as the same (£7.90)

Yes this is correct. Peak times are set for individual tickets rather than trains or journeys. Advance tickets are only available on the booked train and so peak/off-peak does not apply.

 

[yorkie]

My main question is that, can I buy an advanced train ticket on a Friday with a railcard at peak hours? National Rail indicates £7.90 from Stockport to Bangor at 6:38am (Fri 9th Apr) and a return the following evening at 18:00 as the same (£7.90)

There are, by definition, no "peak hours" on that route. A Stockport - Bangor Off Peak ticket is "Valid on any train".

If you want to know if there are AP fares available at busy times, well sensible TOCs do not release (m)any for trains they know will be busy. However if you book far in advance then you have a chance. If possible, book them the day they go on sale. If you can find one for 5 weeks in advance, then book it now before it sells out!

Booking horizons are here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html (not all trains may be released that far ahead though, particularly if they may be affected by engineering work that is late to be confirmed)

 

[Chapeltom]

Does it mean that you can use your railcard for buy advance fares no matter the departure time? Because if so I'm going to have a cracking summer...

 

[142094]

Sure does.