All Line Rover Tales

[87031]

Just finished my first 7 day All Line rover in first class and overall a great week and well worth paying the extra for 1st class. Always plannned to do one but when i was younger didnt have the money or credit card! If the 87s where still going i probably would of spent the whole week up and down the west coast but it was just a case of line bashing.

So hard to get everything in 7 days Must of had over £100 quids worth of complimentry including free meals on Grand Central HST and WAG Express plus use of free showers at Fort Bill and Aberdeen, Euston and 1st class lounges would recomend the extra for 1st.

Did West Highland Fort William/Mallaig, Paddington-Newquay/Penzance, Cross Country HSTs, WAG Express, Inverness-Aberdeen-Kings X, Transpennine but still could of done with another 7 days! Anyone else done one recently discuss?

 

[Hampshire Unit]

Just finished my first 7 day All Line rover in first class and overall a great week

Can I ask how much that cost ?????

 

[Broken Viking]

Can I ask how much that cost ?????

According to the NR website, a First Class seven day ALR is £429.00 for concessions (Children etc, N/A on a Y-P) and a whopping £650.00 for adults! hock:hock:hock:

Dear Gods...Seeing what 87031 probabally got chinged for his one, my own ALR - Bought with a Y-P Railcard before ATOC hiked the prices back in May - At £245.00 seems like a bargain basement deal in comparison! hock:

 

[87031]

i had £80 quid in vouchers so i got it at £580 which is much better than the full whack, dunno if id pay that much but it's still a great ticket either way.

 

[mrcheek]

I spent £990 last month an a 2 week 1st Class ALR. Best holiday ever!
anybody wanting to read my holiday BLOG~! can do so if they add me on facebook "Matthew R Cheek" (from Bristol)

 

[rail-britain]

I went the WHOLE HOG, 14 days First Class with ten by sleeper berth; nine FSR and one FGW
The total cost was £1331 or £95 per day
Given the mileage / number of trips it worked out at between £20 and £30 per train, which includes things like Kings Cross - Inverness / Inverness - Euston, Euston - Fort William / Fort William - Glasgow - Aberdeen - Euston

The last two days were in effect wasted, as by then I had covered all the routes I had wanted to cover
I managed to compress this to include the 04:25 Glasgow - Euston and 13:40 Glasgow - Euston, allowing me to include a further trip on the Cardiff - Holyhead

 

[CallySleeperKid]

This is something I have been looking at doing for quite a while now, my idea would be to head down to Penzance Cross Country from Derby and to try and work my way right round the country, Wales, West Coast, Highland, East Coast, South Coast back to Penzance. OK, maybe not from Penzance but some outpost on the coast somewhere to start and finish, And being as my partner has a disabled adult railcard, we could do the 7 day rover in first class for £429 each! Bargain if you ask me!

Really would like to include Wrexham & Shropshire and Pendolino somewhere!

I can dream.....................

 

[rail-britain]

I found planning the WSR in quite difficult
I was looking to do an evening service, but this really would have wasted most of a day
The best use of time I found was to take the FGW sleeper from Penzance to Paddington
This then gives you an hour to walk to Marylebone, which is easy enough and allows for any delay on the sleeper
You then take a local ATW service to Chester, a VT service to Crewe, and that way you maximise the First Class ticket

I also tried to minimise the amount of travelling between London stations, the only station this wasn't possible for was Liverpool Street (but by the second Saturday I had this down to 25 minutes walking time)
I even noticed an error in my planning which had me walking from Paddington to Euston, and realised I could get off at Reading, travel via Oxford and BNS to Euston, and still arrive with time to spare!

 

[martyn29]

when Im 44 I will qualify for a 1st class Priv all line so I will wait till then.. sounds like fun though!

 

[rail-britain]

when Im 44 I will qualify for a 1st class Priv all line so I will wait till then.. sounds like fun though!

Depends on when that is...
I did mine this year so that I could experience the current rolling stock, although I now wish I had done one fifteen years ago!

 

[martyn29]

Depends on when that is...
I did mine this year so that I could experience the current rolling stock, although I now wish I had done one fifteen years ago!

13 years! I might do a priv standard one before then though.. Glad you enjoyed yourself! I have so many bits of line still to do!

 

[nedchester]

when Im 44 I will qualify for a 1st class Priv all line so I will wait till then.. sounds like fun though!

Back in 1983 you had to order Rovers from the station (especially Priv ones). I had 14 days priv (my dad had worked for the railway so got it as a dependent) first class rover. Rover comes back numbered '0001'. The following year I did the same this time I get ticket number '0002'. Guess they didn't sell too many 1st class all line rovers!!!

Back then you didn't get free meals on the trains but the trains were so much better!!!!!

 

[87031]

a lot things didnt exist like voyagers and pendolinos which i made a point of avoiding. If i had done one of these tickets say 5 years ago i probably would of spent all the time on the West Coast behind 87s but the whole idea of it is to explore as many lines a s possible so not having the 87s around gave me the chance for other traction. HSTs was my main source of traction plus what loco hauled elsewhere was available. Wanted to do the Bristol-Weymouth behind 67 but it's Sat only which is a shame same with Skegness HSTs Sat only as well

 

[sarniasiren]

I am considering purchasing a 14 day All Line Rover.

If for example I was in Preston one day and wished to book either a seat only ticket or a berth for that nights departure from Inverness can I book either of these at Preston as with other reservations or would I have to make earlier arrangements? If the latter please advise, thanks.

 

[Mojo]

Did a First class 7-day Child Priv one a few years ago - can't remember the price, but I'm sure it was under £60.

I enjoyed myself but regretted changing my plan a few times, as a result I never ended up in Scotland, didn't do a sleeper, missed out on Settle/Carlisle and also completely lost the Sunday!

 

[87031]

I am considering purchasing a 14 day All Line Rover.

If for example I was in Preston one day and wished to book either a seat only ticket or a berth for that nights departure from Inverness can I book either of these at Preston as with other reservations or would I have to make earlier arrangements? If the latter please advise, thanks.

It really depends on availability if its a sleeper berth it's best to book at least the day before but seated varies depending on time of year and week. I booked an Inverness sleeper berth on day of travel at lunchtime whilst on my rover buit tried to book Aberdeen but it was full. You can book at Preston or any staffed station for all Sleepers
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It really depends on availability if its a sleeper berth it's best to book at least the day before but seated varies depending on time of year and week. I booked an Inverness sleeper berth on day of travel at lunchtime whilst on my rover buit tried to book Aberdeen but it was full. You can book at Preston or any staffed station for all Sleepers

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Can I just ask how much would the cheapest cost,and does It Include free meals?
Regards

 

[rail-britain]

7 days will be the cheapest
Standard - £430
First Class - £650
Depending on train company, the First Class includes drinks, snacks, and in some cases breakfast and/or meal
However, the other advantages to First Class are the almost certainty of a seat (even if unreserved) and generally less passengers and noise, as well as the typically larger seat

Sleeper supplements would also apply from £35
Berths number 11 to 17 are the quietest, as they are in the centre of the coach, although my personal preference is 13, 15, 11, and then 17