Advice on lowering Travel Costs?

[Spicy]

I live on the isle of wight, but frequently travel to ipswich to visit family and friends. I make this journey around 2-3 times a month (weekends), and whenever there is a break from school/work (currently doing my A levels) untill recently it was free as a friend of mine was paying for my travel. However I must now pay for my travel as that particular friend's debt to me has been paid.

I've applied for a rail card, but short of that is there anything I can do to lower the cost of the journey, or a season ticket?

The journey consists of a train from Shanklin (isle of wight) to ryde, then the fast cat to portsmouth harbour. From there I catch a train to waterloo, underground to liverpool street and go to ipswich from there. If that helps.

Any ways to cut the cost of this journey would be greatly appreciated as it is beginning to become a bit of a strain financially.

Just let me know if any further information is needed.

Thanks.

 

[Dewedin]

What ticket/combination of tickets do you usually buy?

 

[Spicy]

Usually just a single from portsmouth harbour to ipswich, sometimes comes to around £40, sometimes more. It really seems quite dependant on how booked the train is that day. Sometimes the man at the ticket office will tell me that it 'wont let him' get it for 40 and I have to pay upwards of £60, this is a single, so i've just been buying two of those, as I'm unsure of if a return would be more cost effective.

This is not taking into account the cost of the fast cat (£18 for a 3 month return). Which I was also wondering if that could be covered under the cost of a ticket if anyone knew?

Thanks.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Usually just a single from portsmouth harbour to ipswich, sometimes comes to around £40, sometimes more. It really seems quite dependant on how booked the train is that day. Sometimes the man at the ticket office will tell me that it 'wont let him' get it for 40 and I have to pay upwards of £60, this is a single, so i've just been buying two of those, as I'm unsure of if a return would be more cost effective.

Yes! Unless you are buying the very cheapest Advance tickets (which are only sold as one way fares) you really should be buying return tickets.

It sounds like you've been paying for the Off-Peak Single (£56) or Anytime Single (£63). If you buy either of these, their Return equivalents cost £57 or £113, so yes are much better value!

There are some much cheaper Advance fares. You'll need to book ahead, so using a website such as National Express East Coast will be much easier than presumably making the booking yourself at a station on the IoW. For some random off peak dates and times next month, I can see fares of around £17 each way, but you'd be lucky to wait until the day of travel to find these.

Importantly, your 16-25 Railcard will reduce all of the above fares. Advance Singles from around £12, Off-Peak return £37.60, Anytime return £57.

So plan in advance, and buy online. NXEC's website won't charge a booking fee or charge a postage fee to send them to you, which I imagine would be most convenient to you. Even if you can't plan in advance, travel after the morning peak and use that railcard to get the Off-peak return fare of £37.60. Only buy two single tickets if that works out cheaper than buying an Off-Peak or Anytime return.

Finally, I don't believe there is a better value way of through ticketing to include the FastLink. Although Ryde can be stipulated as a departure point, it seems to confuse the system and it doesn't then offer the cheaper Advance fares. I'd continue to buy the ferry and train tickets separately.

 

[OwlMan]

Through tickets are available from Shanklin to Ipswich including the Fastcat crossing.
An off-peak return costs £81-20 (£53-60 with railcard).
If you travel on Saturdays or Sundays there are no time restrictions.
If you travel out on a Friday you can leave Shanklin at or before 1218 (which arrives at Ipswich at 1708 ) or leave after 1540 which arrives at Ipswich at 2057). The ticket is not valid between these departures but is valid for earlier or later departures.

Advanced tickets are available the cheapest fare being £31-10 (£20-55 with a railcard) - (although if returning on a Sunday they appear to be in short supply).
Which may be cheaper if booked in advance and available for both journies you are making.

Peter