Annoyed about Tickets

[ChrisEJ1993]

Hello.

I'm heading to Birmingham this week, and will be starting the day at New Street station before heading to some other places.

I am using a London Midland Great Escape ticket from Euston, so I'll need to get a return ticket to London Victoria from Bexhill, and I can then use my Oyster card to get to Euston.

But the prices, I really don't understand.

The can get my usual £7 something return to Victoria, but only at a certain time, and this mean that I won't get to New Street until after 2PM! Thats half the day wasted!

If I want to go early, I will be charged around £40, and I'm defenatly not paying that.

There is one other ticket, a £16 something one which comes up on the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner. I don't mind paying that much more than the normal ticket, as in my opinion it would be worth it for the extra 2 hours. But how do I buy it? When I click Buy, it takes me to the Southern website, and the ticket isn't there, so I can't order it! And when I go to Rail Easy, it does come up, but they want to charge me a £1 booking fee and an additional debit card fee!

What do I do!?

 

[Ivo]

I'm going to guess that this is the "follow-on" from your poll?

All I can suggest is trying other operators' websites. East Coast seems to be the best, although the only one I can comment on is CrossCountry's one [Don't use it! It doesn't update very well!]. Or go in person to Bexhill station? These are poor suggestions, I appreciate that, but it's something.

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

Yea, this is to do with the poll :P

It's not going very well at the moment. My friend dropped out as well so I'm not getting on to well at the moment! Haha!

I did check on East Coast, and it does come up on there which is excellent news! I'll order it tomorrow if I get paid on time, but I might still not go on my own, we'll see.

Thanks for your suggestion mate.

 

[dan_atki]

There is a £14.40 Off Peak Day Return with railcard on Southern's site - best to book it on there as it has a web discount on it too* - available for the 0835 departure from Bexhill due into Victoria at 1028 (changing at Hampden Park), if this isn't too late for you.

*I guess this is why the £16 normal price wasn't showing up on it for you!

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

There is a £14.40 Off Peak Day Return with railcard on Southern's site - best to book it on there as it has a web discount on it too* - available for the 0835 departure from Bexhill due into Victoria at 1028 (changing at Hampden Park), if this isn't too late for you.

*I guess this is why the £16 normal price wasn't showing up on it for you!

I'm not sure.

The next London Midland service to New Street after that is 10:54, and I don't think I would make it accross London, and queue up to collect my Great Escape ticket in that time. The one after is the 11.46, which is the one arriving at 14.01.

 

[Ivo]

You would make it to Euston okay, assuming the Victoria is running properly, but the margin for error would be virtually zero. If the queues were long you would never make it...

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

You would make it to Euston okay, assuming the Victoria is running properly, but the margin for error would be virtually zero. If the queues were long you would never make it...

Yea... And I walk slow lmao!

Another note: I found the £16 fare in East Coast... And now it's dissappeared? Whats going on?

 

[tony_mac]

I assume you want the travelcard anyway - it would be cheaper than paying extra for the tube.
Did you try specifying Charing Cross? there is a train that arrives there at 10:03

Nationalrail seems to be showing the 0958 arrival into Victoria as valid on an off-peak ticket, but I'm not sure that is correct.

 

[dan_atki]

Nationalrail seems to be showing the 0958 arrival into Victoria as valid on an off-peak ticket, but I'm not sure that is correct.

Indeed, I noticed this and it is incorrect seeing as the restriction is at or after 1000!

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

This seems to be different everywhere. I have been allowed on an 0959 one before. Other solution - Do I leave the trip until Saturday? Or will Birmingham not be as good on a weekend?

 

[Ivo]

With no discounts at all, given I don't know whether you qualify any (!), I can see one for £25.70 which leaves Bexhill at 07:47 and gets to Victoria at 09:58. This is a basic Off-Peak return though, so obviously you would need to plan the return around it.

Still, why can you obtain Advance tickets from East Sussex to London...?

EDIT - Sorry, too slow!

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

Got a 16-25 card if that helps at all!

 

[Ivo]

£16 Anytime single on the 07:47; £4.95 Advance single on the 20:17 back, changing at Lewes. Any use?

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

It could be. I'm still wondering whether to change to Saturday or not, I can get up much earlier then.

 

[tony_mac]

There is a £14.40 Off Peak Day Return with railcard on Southern's site - best to book it on there as it has a web discount on it too* !

That's no good - Southern are making sure people can't actually use the discount by only allowing postal deliveries on any of their cheap tickets.

The 8:01 from Bexhill, 10:03 arrival at Charing Cross would easily get you to Euston for the 10:43, arrive at New St at 13:01
That's £18.20 including travelcard for tube transfers, and no need to buy in advance. It might get 15% cheaper if Southern do switch 'ticket on departure' back on.

But, yes, Saturday would be cheaper and give you more time.

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

Saturday is currently looking the most likley. Would I miss much stuff considering it's a weekend?

 

[Ivo]

If nothing else, engineering works shouldn't be an issue, unless you plan to go towards Telford.

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

I was thinking of heading to Rugeley Trent Valley, and Barnt Green, maybe somewhere else. I was going to do Water Orton but it looks a bit quiet on a Saturday.