Avanti bike reservation - practical on the spot?

[miklcct]

I'm considering bringing by bike on a trip next Sunday, which involves travel on Avanti services between London Euston - Milton Keynes Central. However I will use flexible tickets and don't want to tie myself onto a specific departure.

Given the average loading on a Sunday afternoon, is it likely that I can make a bike reservation on the soonest departure just before I cycle to the station through GWR?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just use LNR, it is more frequent (though less so on a Sunday) and cycles don't need reservations. The spaces are under the pantograph.

Theoretically the booking office can do it up to 5 minutes before I believe, if you do want to use the mess that is Avanti.

 

[miklcct]

Just use LNR, it is more frequent (though less so on a Sunday) and cycles don't need reservations. The spaces are under the pantograph.

Theoretically the booking office can do it up to 5 minutes before I believe, if you do want to use the mess that is Avanti.

I ended up buying an LNR Super Off-Peak Day Return as a result in order to use LNR services.

Unfortunately on my outward journey I had to let go a non-stop Avanti West Coast service as a result, and wait for the next LNR service which was a semi-fast one, and on the return fortunately I just made it in time to catch a non-stop LNR service back to Euston, otherwise the next train would be again an Avanti one 4 minutes after it, then a stopping LNR train afterwards which would take more than an hour back to Euston.

Let's consider the following hypothetical scenario:

Assume that I was using an Off-Peak Day Return. If I missed the LNR non-stop train mentioned above, would it be possible for me to make an instant bike reservation for the Avanti service, such that I could bring my bike onto the Avanti train departing within 4 minutes if I returned to the ticket office?

 

[Bletchleyite]

No. I believe the cut off is 5 minutes before.