Calais Anytime Day Return Query

[andrewkeith5]

I know there is some sporadic conversation every so often around this ticket, which has intrigued me enough to want to do the day trip in November.

However, I notice there is a version of the ticket with origin Croydon Stations instead of London Terminals, which is no more expensive than London Terminals.

I wonder, would the East Croydon ticket be valid via London - my intention being to purchase High Speed supplements in both directions? Or will life be easier if I just get the London Terminals ticket!? The routing is only "P&O NOT HS1" so I don't see why it wouldn't have sufficient validity to be upgraded?

Thanks in Advance!

 

[island]

I would say so. Via London is a valid route for Croydon Group to Dover Priory. The absence of the cross-London marker on the route means you would need to use Thameslink rather than London Underground to cross London.

 

[andrewkeith5]

I would say so. Via London is a valid route for Croydon Group to Dover Priory. The absence of the cross-London marker on the route means you would need to use Thameslink rather than London Underground to cross London.

Hurrah! I was hoping that would be the case, save a few extra quid on my holidays. Using Thameslink isn't a problem, I would more than likely go that way regardless as I prefer using St Pancras over Victoria, plus obviously connecting into high speed at STP and I'm staying nearby anyway.

 

[Tetchytyke]

NRE shows Croydon to Dover being valid via St Pancras.

I recently did the journey ORPINGTON to CALAIS, as I already hold a Z1-6 Goldcard. SouthEastern confirmed on Twitter that I could buy the HS1 upgrade and travel via St Pancras with this combination, and the train manager on board had no issue with it.

P&O no longer operate the shuttle bus from Priory station to the docks, so you will need to take a taxi (about £5) instead.

 

[ashworth]

I would like to do this trip but having read various previous threads about this ticket it always sounds a bit complicated and hit or miss as to whether you would find someone who would know how to correctly sell you the ticket.
I would probably be buying it from Victoria or Charing Cross and so ought not to have too much of a problem. I've read about you needing control tickets for the ferry and these not always being issued causes problems with P and O staff. Does anyone have any experiences or easy instructions to do the trip hassle free?

 

[andrewkeith5]

I would like to do this trip but having read various previous threads about this ticket it always sounds a bit complicated and hit or miss as to whether you would find someone who would know how to correctly sell you the ticket.
I would probably be buying it from Victoria or Charing Cross and so ought not to have too much of a problem. I've read about you needing control tickets for the ferry and these not always being issued causes problems with P and O staff. Does anyone have any experiences or easy instructions to do the trip hassle free?

I intend to purchase my ticket (for travel in November) on Friday, so will let you know how I get on.

I had read about the shuttle bus - I think I will most likely walk in at least one direction as it doesn't seem that far.

 

[alex17595]

I intend to purchase my ticket (for travel in November) on Friday, so will let you know how I get on.

I had read about the shuttle bus - I think I will most likely walk in at least one direction as it doesn't seem that far.

Its only a 20 minute walk or so. Right out of the station, Left at the road, Right towards the sea, You can walk down the seafront towards the port.

 

[andrewkeith5]

Its only a 20 minute walk or so. Right out of the station, Left at the road, Right towards the sea, You can walk down the seafront towards the port.

Essentially "walk south east until you run out of land"?

 

[bkhtele]

Have a look at my trip report link below, I did not have the control ticket, so they just photo copied the ticket, seems to happen a lot. From others comments paying the HS 2 upgrade is now a good way to do the journey.

I did use my Network card discount, using the 10am exception for this ticket without any problems

You will have a great trip

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1210826#post1210826

I would like to do this trip but having read various previous threads about this ticket it always sounds a bit complicated and hit or miss as to whether you would find someone who would know how to correctly sell you the ticket.
I would probably be buying it from Victoria or Charing Cross and so ought not to have too much of a problem. I've read about you needing control tickets for the ferry and these not always being issued causes problems with P and O staff. Does anyone have any experiences or easy instructions to do the trip hassle free?

 

[Tetchytyke]

I intend to purchase my ticket (for travel in November) on Friday, so will let you know how I get on.

This is my trip report from last month.

Try Charing Cross. I got the ticket and the control tickets without a problem, and the clerk even suggested I buy the Orpington ticket rather than London Terminals as I had a Z1-6 Gold Card. The only problem I encountered was getting the Gold Card discount, as the clerk point blank refused to believe it was valid before 10am on a weekday on this ticket. He also refused to check The Manual and refused to issue the discount. If it's an issue you might want to tell a fib about how early you intend to travel, though I'd still expect hassle on the trains.

I had read about the shuttle bus - I think I will most likely walk in at least one direction as it doesn't seem that far.

It depends where you're travelling from and how long you've got for a connection. The seat61 website and The Manual is wrong about transfer times. Check in for foot passengers closes 45 minutes before departure. If you're in no rush and it's a nice day it's ok, but for me the temptation was to rush as I could get a boat an hour earlier than if I walked.

 

[andrewkeith5]

This is my trip report from last month.

Try Charing Cross. I got the ticket and the control tickets without a problem, and the clerk even suggested I buy the Orpington ticket rather than London Terminals as I had a Z1-6 Gold Card. The only problem I encountered was getting the Gold Card discount, as the clerk point blank refused to believe it was valid before 10am on a weekday on this ticket. He also refused to check The Manual and refused to issue the discount. If it's an issue you might want to tell a fib about how early you intend to travel, though I'd still expect hassle on the trains.

Thanks for your help - I intend to go to Charing Cross. As I am traveling on a 16-25 railcard, I am not anticipating any problems with it as it meets the minimum fare requirement. I intend to try and get the high speed upgrades at the same time, but I'm not as hopeful on that front - if I have time I will go over to St P or Stratford Int and get them.

It depends where you're travelling from and how long you've got for a connection. The seat61 website and The Manual is wrong about transfer times. Check in for foot passengers closes 45 minutes before departure. If you're in no rush and it's a nice day it's ok, but for me the temptation was to rush as I could get a boat an hour earlier than if I walked.

I think that will have to be something I decide on the day! I may well take a taxi there and walk back but I will have to see. I am a fairly quick walker so I'm not anticipating the walk to take more than 25/30 minutes.

My plan is to take the 0910 service from St Pancras to Dover Priory, arriving 1020 then just get the next ferry I can, returning on probably the 1805 ferry to get back into St Pancras circa 2130.

It is good to see someone has done the trip recently and I'll definitely read your report

 

[Tetchytyke]

If you're buying the upgrade in advance, try and get it at the same time. I got the upgrade from the FCC office at St Pancras and it was a hassle. It took me ages to persuade the clerk that the ticket was to Dover and then the clerk sold me the off-peak version of the upgrade rather than the Anytime version. I didn't realise there was a difference until I got home, but it wasn't a disaster for me as I had intended to go out on the "classic" line anyway.

P&O have the ferry timetable here.

 

[andrewkeith5]

If you're buying the upgrade in advance, try and get it at the same time. I got the upgrade from the FCC office at St Pancras and it was a hassle. It took me ages to persuade the clerk that the ticket was to Dover and then the clerk sold me the off-peak version of the upgrade rather than the Anytime version. I didn't realise there was a difference until I got home, but it wasn't a disaster for me as I had intended to go out on the "classic" line anyway.

P&O have the ferry timetable here.

Thanks for the advance It makes sense to buy the upgrade in advance for me - my plans aren't likely to change (unless something significantly hopeless happens with the weather, anyway!) so it's good to know.

 

[user15681]

Can someone that's been fairly recently tell me where the Check-in is now at Dover? I know there have been works at the port over the past few months and it has moved from where I always knew it to be!

 

[andrewkeith5]

Can someone that's been fairly recently tell me where the Check-in is now at Dover? I know there have been works at the port over the past few months and it has moved from where I always knew it to be!

The Man in Seat 61 says that you need to go in through arrivals. Funnily enough I was checking this on street view this afternoon and by the looks of the images on there you do seem to need to go to arrivals, which looks to me like you walk straight past the now closed travel centre and into a small building on the right.

Happy to be corrected! It's useful to know

 

[user15681]

The Man in Seat 61 says that you need to go in through arrivals. Funnily enough I was checking this on street view this afternoon and by the looks of the images on there you do seem to need to go to arrivals, which looks to me like you walk straight past the now closed travel centre and into a small building on the right.

Happy to be corrected! It's useful to know

Ah okay, I think I remember where that is. Man in Seat 61 wasn't updated last time I looked, but many thanks!

 

[alex17595]

The Man in Seat 61 says that you need to go in through arrivals. Funnily enough I was checking this on street view this afternoon and by the looks of the images on there you do seem to need to go to arrivals, which looks to me like you walk straight past the now closed travel centre and into a small building on the right.

Happy to be corrected! It's useful to know

You walk down the Cliff side of the road towards the Port, go across the crossing.

Looking at google maps the travel centre seems to be closed, but thats what I used in December.

It seems you follow the path to the right of the travel centre which is signposted.

 

[andrewkeith5]

Ah okay, I think I remember where that is. Man in Seat 61 wasn't updated last time I looked, but many thanks!

No worries! I hope that it is made sufficiently clear when you get there in any case.

 

[Tetchytyke]

It's in the new terminal building, underneath the car park, but it is clearly signed. It's by arrivals, go in the building and turn left up the short flight of stairs.

 

[simonm]

I'm intending to make this trip next Saturday - does anyone have a copy of the Manual page so I can print it out in case the booking office at Charing X are less helpful as issuing Control Tickets etc?

 

[andrewkeith5]

I'm intending to make this trip next Saturday - does anyone have a copy of the Manual page so I can print it out in case the booking office at Charing X are less helpful as issuing Control Tickets etc?

When I went to Charing X the chap behind the counter knew all about the Calais ticket and printed the control tickets properly (albeit with out and inward the wrong way around but I'm sure it'll be fine). The biggest problem I had was convincing him that there was a version from East Croydon - after two or three minutes he gave in and decided to actually bother to look - surprisingly enough the ticket was found :P

Don't expect to be able to get a HS upgrade from Charing Cross - the guy I spoke to didn't seem to have a clue that you could get an upgrade for HS and just kept telling me to read the original ticket :P A quick trip to Stratford International soon sorted that. (Once I'd explained that East Croydon wasn't a London Terminal but that I was sure the ticket was valid via London)

 

[simonm]

Can you get one way Upgrade tickets at Dover Station?

 

[andrewkeith5]

Can you get one way Upgrade tickets at Dover Station?

You should be able to, though I'm not aware of anyone who has tried on a Calais ticket.

Personally I try and buy all my slightly complicated ticket requests in advance - that way I'm not rushed so can afford to spend 5/10 minutes rattling on until the ticket clerk gives in and tries! And normally succeeds :P if you know you're going to want to go HS on the return you can buy said single in advance also.

 

[IanD]

Isn't this a change of route excess so you should be able to get it once on board the train.

This being SouthEastern though I wouldn't count on it.

 

[paul1609]

You can buy HS upgrades at Southeastern TVMs

 

[island]

Isn't this a change of route excess so you should be able to get it once on board the train.

This being SouthEastern though I wouldn't count on it.

Southeastern thinks that HS upgrades are a ticket type all by themselves.

They are sold on board trains but you will not get through the barriers at St Pancreas or Stratford Int without a high speed ticket.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The Thameslink ticket office at St Pancras was able to issue me a High Speed Upgrade ticket. They did, however, sell me an off peak one when I told them I'd be travelling in the peak, so watch out for that.

Bear in mind that an off-peak return upgrade ticket is actually cheaper than a single.

Charing Cross know all about the ticket, and know of the options from places like Orpington, but don't seem to know all of the restrictions that go with it. They were adamant- and refused to sell- a Gold Card discounted ticket because I told them I'd be travelling before 10am on a weekday. If you're in the same boat you might want to lie about your travel times. Charing Cross know how to issue the control tickets and don't need to be prompted. You'll be fine. Buy in advance though, if you can.