buying network railcard at Heathrow T5

[lotta72]

We are traveling from Denmark by plane, arriving to T5 Heathrow. I would like to buy a network railcard, since it will save me a lot of money, (we are traveling for 4 days in southern UK).
1: Can I buy the card at terminal 5, Heathrow?
2: Can I buy my traintickets here in DK via the web ( stating that I have the railcard, and therefore getting my discount) and get them at Terminal 5 Heatrow?

 

[LexyBoy]

Welcome!

Good idea buying the Network Railcard, it will save you quite a bit (though bear in mind that there is a minimum fare of £12 on weekdays, so for short journeys you might not save anything). Especially if there are several of you, as the discount is for up to 4 people.

For your questions:
1) Looking at the National Rail site for this station (here), it appears to have a ticket office so should be able to offer the card. However, it is managed by Heathrow Express who are not part of the main UK rail system, so may not sell it. I'm sure someone familiar with the station will say for sure.
2) Yes, using any of the Train Operating Companies' websites (it doesn't have to be the one you're travelling with). But unless you buy "Advance" tickets, it isn't any cheaper than buying on the day of travel (that way you can change your plans). Also it's possible that foreign cards might not be recognised by the machine when you come to collect.

If you were planning on using Heathrow Express into London, you may want to consider Heathrow Connect or the Tube (with Oyster) instead since the Express is very expensive (and doesn't offer Network Railcard discount IIRC). You can then get the Railcard from any off the London stations.

 

[island]

The Heathrow mainline stations don't sell anything other than HEX and HC tickets, as far as I'm aware. Best bet is to get Oyster cards (£5 refundable deposit and £5 minimum credit) and get the Tube in, then get your Network Railcard in town. Note that only mainline stations sell Network Railcards; Tube-only stations don't. This is somewhat unfortunate, because Network Railcards are valid on HEX (as well as HC), as long as you don't go in First Class.

You cannot collect any tickets other than HEX and HC tickets from the Heathrow mainline stations. You can collect them at Paddington instead (but must use the FGW machines rather than the HEX machines which are nearest the platforms).

 

[Paul Kelly]

If you were arriving on a weekend or bank holiday and were planning on buying a discounted London Day Travelcard with your Network Railcard, it might work out cheaper to take the bus (Number 140 from Heathrow Central Bus Station, 15 minutes, £1.30 with an Oyster card) to Hayes & Harlington station and buy the Network Railcard and day travelcard there, then take a First Great Western or Heathrow Connect train into Paddington. I did this when I bought my Network Railcard...

 

[north]

Welcome!

Good idea buying the Network Railcard, it will save you quite a bit (though bear in mind that there is a minimum fare of £12 on weekdays, ...

The minimum on weekdays is £13

 

[lotta72]

Ok. Now I am a bit confused... :roll:
We are arriving at Heathrow, T5, and we are going directly to Shaftesbury, Dorset (via train to Gillingham). Can I buy a network railcard and collect my tickets, before I start my journey? How should I otherwise do it? I cant see the point in going in to London.. Please help (our full travelplan is: Heathrow T5-Gillingham-Harpenden-Oxford-Heathrow T5).

 

[MikeWh]

Ok. Now I am a bit confused... :roll:
We are arriving at Heathrow, T5, and we are going directly to Shaftesbury, Dorset (via train to Gillingham). Can I buy a network railcard and collect my tickets, before I start my journey? How should I otherwise do it? I cant see the point in going in to London.. Please help (our full travelplan is: Heathrow T5-Gillingham-Harpenden-Oxford-Heathrow T5).

How are you getting from Heathrow to Gillingham? If it's by Railair coach to Woking then by train I would suggest getting the Network card at Woking. Trains from Heathrow only go to London. There are 3 options: Express direct to Paddington, Connect calling at all stations along the way to Paddington and Picadilly underground. Trains to Gillingham depart from Waterloo and pick up at Clapham Junction then Woking.

It doesn't look certain that the ticket office at Heathrow will sell Network cards, so you will need to try the next mainline station that you use. If you can expand on your itinery for getting to Gillingham we can suggest the best place, but you should have no problems at either Waterloo or Woking.

 

[bb21]

I think that travelling to Hayes first might be the best way forward, if you are thinking of saving money. I doubt that there would be any advance quota for flows from Heathrow Rail and the flexible add-ons between Heathrow and NR stations are pretty hefty.

 

[LexyBoy]

No need to be confused

Checking your journey on National Rail gives the route via Woking as the fastest (also will be cheapest). This involves a bus to Woking, then train to Gillingham, so you will have to buy tickets to Woking on the bus (or at the airport bus station ticket office). There doesn't seem to be any railcard discount on the bus anyway, so you won't lose anything. When you get to Woking you can buy the railcard and tickets there.

As MikeWh pointed out, from Heathrow there are only trains to London. If you did want to get the train to Gillingham from London, you will need to use Waterloo station, and I'd recommend using the Underground to get there - it will take about the same time as getting a train into Paddington station and crossing London, but would be much cheaper. You can get your railcard and tickets at the same time from the ticket office at Waterloo station.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

our full travelplan is: Heathrow T5-Gillingham-Harpenden-Oxford-Heathrow T5.

I would recommend (assuming you're travelling "off-peak" - your railcard is valid after 10.00 in the week):

Heathrow T5 - Woking - Coach link, £10.50 single. Buy the Network Railcard at Woking.
Woking - Gillingham - Off-Peak Return, £24.90 (per adult, with railcard discount)
Gillingham - Harpenden - buy a Woking-Harpenden Off-Peak Single (£15.80). Use the return half of your Woking-Gillingham ticket to Woking, then the Single (it includes the Underground for crossing London). The train you are on needs to call at Woking (they all do) but you don't need to get off.
Harpenden - Oxford - Off-Peak Return, £29.95. Again, this includes the Tube for crossing London. Make sure you get a fast train from London Paddington to Oxford (usually at XX22 and XX52), the stopping trains take ages.
Oxford - Heathrow - buy a Hayes & Harlington - Heathrow Anytime Single, £5.20 (or £3.45 if a weekend). Use the return half of your Oxford-Harpenden ticket to travel to Reading, then change to a local train to Ealing Broadway. Change again at Hayes & Harlington for the Heathrow Connect service to Heathrow.

Alternatively for the last part you could use the return ticket to Reading and then take the RailAir coach to Heathrow - this would be quicker and more convenient, but more expensive (the coach is £17 single).

To check train times, use National Rail.

If you want to buy tickets online, use one of the train companies as they won't charge any extra fees. For "normal" tickets though it isn't any cheaper to buy online. Also note that Single tickets and the outward part of Return tickets are only valid on one day, so if you're buying in advance make sure to specify the date! The return part is valid for a month with these tickets.

 

[Paul Kelly]

That sounds like a good itinerary. Another small saving could come from getting an off-peak return from Harpenden to Hanborough instead of Oxford - even with the railcard this is nearly £3 cheaper at £27.05. This is valid via Oxford and has the added advantage that it allows an earlier start on the return journey from Oxford than an off-peak return to Oxford itself - from about 08:20 onwards (i.e. the first train to London to depart Oxford that connects with the first train to depart Hanborough after 07:45), instead of 09:30.

Edit - although, silly me, the earlier start is of no use if you are using a Network Railcard - you can't start until 10:00.

 

[lotta72]

Thank you so much everyone; I now have a plan! See you on the trains!

 

[andyfrommk]

This may be a bit late in the day but have you looked at Britrail Passes?

 

[paulravuslante]

Also maybe too late, but just for the record I can confirm that none of the rail stations at Heathrow can sell railcards nor National Rail tickets.

 

[lotta72]

ok, just have one more question to LexyBoy.
You say I should use "the return half" of the tickets. What exactly do you meen?
and:

Do I need to book in advance, or is it ok to buy the tickets as we go? I meen, are the trains fully booked or is there always room? It will make it so much easier not having to pre book.

 

[island]

A return ticket is issued as two coupons, or credit-card size pieces of card. The "return half" is the coupon marked "RTN" (or maybe it's "RET") in the top right-hand corner, which is used when you are making the second journey of your return trip. (The other half is the "outbound half" and is marked "OUT"; it may be retained by staff or ticket gates when you reach your destination.)

When LexyBoy says to use the return half of your Woking-Gillingham ticket to travel to Harpenden, he means you should buy a single ticket from Woking to Harpenden at Gillingham (which must be bought from a human; the vending machine won't sell it), then board the train from Gillingham to get to Harpenden, showing both tickets if requested. This applies isomorphically for H&H to Heathrow.

All the tickets LexyBoy mentioned can be bought online and collected at a station, or just bought at the station when you arrive — the latter is the better choice in case you have a change of plans, because with limited exceptions pre-booked tickets will be subject to a £10 administration fee if refunded. Reservations will not be necessary (and for most if not all of the routes mentioned will not be available), although if you travel in the evening peak you may be standing.

 

[north]

ok, just have one more question to LexyBoy.
You say I should use "the return half" of the tickets. What exactly do you meen?

The return tickets will be issued a two seperate tickets - an outward ticket (marked OUT) and a return marked (RTN).

The suggestion is that you use your RTN to Gillingham and just buy the next bit as a single (you MUST do this before you get on the train) You do not need to get off the train
and:

Do I need to book in advance, or is it ok to buy the tickets as we go? I meen, are the trains fully booked or is there always room? It will make it so much easier not having to pre book.

All these tickets are available on the day. On some trains you can book a seat if you have a ticket - but I don't think that applies to any of your trains.

 

[LexyBoy]

A return ticket is issued as two coupons, or credit-card size pieces of card. The "return half" is the coupon marked "RTN" (or maybe it's "RET") in the top right-hand corner, which is used when you are making the second journey of your return trip. (The other half is the "outbound half" and is marked "OUT"; it may be retained by staff or ticket gates when you reach your destination.)

Like this:

At the bottom left you'll see the From: and To: stations for your ticket. (Above them is a space for any discounts - the tickets in the picture have FAM for Family and Friends railcard - yours will have NSE for the Network card).

As the others said, you can buy your tickets at the station on the day of travel - there's no quota on trains & you don't need to be reserved on a particular service.

To buy tickets from a different station (e.g. a ticket from Woking at Gillingham) you need to go to a person (not a ticket machine). If the ticket office is closed, you can buy on the train (try and find the guard).

 

[Paul Kelly]

Also maybe too late, but just for the record I can confirm that none of the rail stations at Heathrow can sell railcards nor National Rail tickets.

I'm pretty sure you can buy National Rail tickets for onward travel via one of the Railair bus services at the ticket desk in the central bus station. I have never actually done it, but have walked past it several times and there is even a special sign telling customers buying rail tickets to use a special express queue. Is there any slim chance this office would also sell railcards?

 

[transportphoto]

I'm pretty sure you can buy National Rail tickets for onward travel via one of the Railair bus services at the ticket desk in the central bus station. I have never actually done it, but have walked past it several times and there is even a special sign telling customers buying rail tickets to use a special express queue. Is there any slim chance this office would also sell railcards?

None what so ever - I have tried to buy travel tickets for the future at that desk in Central Bus - no luck as they can only sell a limited rage of tickets.

 

[paulravuslante]

I'm pretty sure you can buy National Rail tickets for onward travel via one of the Railair bus services at the ticket desk in the central bus station. I have never actually done it, but have walked past it several times and there is even a special sign telling customers buying rail tickets to use a special express queue. Is there any slim chance this office would also sell railcards?

You're correct, in that National Express offices at Central Coach Station and T5 (and possibly the portacabin office outside T4) have desks for rail tickets but I didn't suggest it as someone else pointed out that the Network discount wouldn't apply to tickets for the Railair bus anyway. Therefore not being able to get the railcard at Heathrow wouldn't be losing the OP any money.

I honestly can't see these desks keeping ticket stocks for railcards and the spiel on the railcard website states:
To buy a Network Railcard you will need to complete the Network Railcard application form and take it to the ticket office at your local staffed National Rail station in the Network Railcard area.

 

[lotta72]

My biggest thanks for all your answers! I just think this is fantastic; all you wonderful people wanting to help me! Thanks.

 

[dzug2]

That sounds like a good itinerary. Another small saving could come from getting an off-peak return from Harpenden to Hanborough instead of Oxford - even with the railcard this is nearly £3 cheaper at £27.05. This is valid via Oxford and has the added advantage that it allows an earlier start on the return journey from Oxford than an off-peak return to Oxford itself - from about 08:20 onwards (i.e. the first train to London to depart Oxford that connects with the first train to depart Hanborough after 07:45), instead of 09:30.

Edit - although, silly me, the earlier start is of no use if you are using a Network Railcard - you can't start until 10:00.

It doesn't help OP but there is an easement on the Cotswold Line to allow use of the 0900 (as was - it's now a few minutes later) from Worcester to Paddington with network railcards.