Can I do better than £29.66 doing a Z6-Reading excess?

[WolvertonWorks]

I need to go Milton Keynes to Reading Saturday 22nd June arriving by 9am and returning about 5pm so thinking about ticketing options.

National Rail suggests an off peak day return MKC-RDG for £36.20 - 7:10 AWC to Euston, tube to Paddington and GWR at 8:30 to Reading. Return 17:05 from RDG and AWC from Euston arriving MKC 18:50. The times suit me and I think this ticket means I could take London NorthWestern rather than Avanti from Euston on the return if my time of leaving Reading changed.

The Forum's site suggests (if I say I'm happy to use my Oyster/contactless to cross Euston to PAD) the same trains - this comprises a super off peak return MKC-EUS AWC only for £11.90 and an off peak day return PAD-RDG restriction O9 for £16.60 making a total of £29.66.

If I say I don't want to use my Oyster/contactless across London it offers me the £11.90 OPR off peak return to Euston plus a Zone 1 to Reading OPDR off peak day return for £20.55 making a total of £33.02.

When I go MKC - Hook I usually get a super off peak zones 1-6 travelcard plus a boundary zone 6 excess to/from Hook. Is there an option to do similar on the route from PAD-RDG (I think West Drayton is the Z6 boundary)?
Thanks

Edit: Apologies for not using the correct abbreviations

 

[bakerstreet]

Here are the boundary zone 6 to Reading fares.
You can search either with or without a discount by changing the railcard / discount box

To go from Paddington via West Drayton to Reading you’ll need the via Slough option.

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

 

[Deerfold]

The Forum's site suggests (if I say I'm happy to use my Oyster/contactless to cross Euston to PAD) the same trains - this comprises a super off peak return MKC-EUS AWC only for £11.90 and an off peak day return PAD-RDG restriction O9 for £16.60 making a total of £29.66.

If I say I don't want to use my Oyster/contactless across London it offers me the £11.90 OPR to Euston plus a Zone 1 to Reading OPDR for £20.55 making a total of £33.02.

I'm not sure how you're adding those up - I get £28.50 and £32.45 for those.

 

[paul1609]

X5 bus to Oxford and a cheap day return £7.90 with railcard from there?

 

[Deerfold]

In extremis, X5 (1h35) to Oxford, X40 (1h40) to Reading. £8 return.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

In extremis, X5 (1h35) to Oxford, X40 (1h40) to Reading. £8 return.

Have to love suggestions on a rail forum which effectively recommend using the bus.

 

[Deerfold]

Have to love suggestions on a rail forum which effectively recommend using the bus.

The acceptance depends on how much you save, how much longer it is and how much spare time you have. I usually travel First with LNER, but last week Cross Country wanted so much between Birmingham and Leeds that I travelled with National Express, taking an hour longer and saving £70 over Standard and knowing I'd have a seat (my experiences with seat reservations on XC aren't good).

 

[JB_B]

Although you've not said, I'm assuming you have a railcard - is that right ?

If so, maybe something simple like...

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

£16.10

and

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

£10.05

Total 26.15 (including Z1-6 travelcard) but you're limited to London North Western for Milton Keynes to Euston and v.v (e.g. 06.59 departure).

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Forgot to say yes I do have a senior railcard.

And yes I've thought of X5 to Oxford and then train to Reading, I used to do that for the Hook journey, but the earliest X5 is now later than it used to be so not as convenient.

I think I'll decide closer to the date having looked at how AWC are cancelling trains by then.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[paul1609]

Have to love suggestions on a rail forum which effectively recommend using the bus.

If the OP has an emphasis on saving money I think its reasonable to offer a mixed mode or Bus variation on the rail pages of Bus UK Forum.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2024 ==

Forgot to say yes I do have a senior railcard.

And yes I've thought of X5 to Oxford and then train to Reading, I used to do that for the Hook journey, but the earliest X5 is now later than it used to be so not as convenient.

I think I'll decide closer to the date having looked at how AWC are cancelling trains by then.

Thanks again everyone.

According to the Stagecoach X5 timetable the first Oxford departure from Milton Keynes Station is 04.54 on saturdays arriving 06.20 and then hourly.

https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/East/BEDFORD/BE-X5-180224.pdf

 

[PupCuff]

I'm not sure how you're adding those up - I get £28.50 and £32.45 for those.

The OP says they're using the forum's site, which I believe charges a share of the split ticket saving as a fee, hence the odd figures.

 

[Hadders]

I'd buy:

Milton Keynes - London Zones 1-6 Super Off Peak Travelcard route LNR only £16.10
Boundary Zone 6 to Reading route via Slough £10.15
Total £26.25

I know the OP mentions taking Avanti from MKC but there's an 07:03 LNR train that's non-stop to Euston taking 35 minutes.

 

[yorkie]

I need to go Milton Keynes to Reading Saturday 22nd June arriving by 9am and returning about 5pm so thinking about ticketing options.

National Rail suggests an off peak day return MKC-RDG for £36.20 - 7:10 AWC to Euston, tube to Paddington and GWR at 8:30 to Reading. Return 17:05 from RDG and AWC from Euston arriving MKC 18:50. The times suit me and I think this ticket means I could take London NorthWestern rather than Avanti from Euston on the return if my time of leaving Reading changed.

The Forum's site suggests (if I say I'm happy to use my Oyster/contactless to cross Euston to PAD) the same trains - this comprises a super off peak return MKC-EUS AWC only for £11.90 and an off peak day return PAD-RDG restriction O9 for £16.60 making a total of £29.66.

If I say I don't want to use my Oyster/contactless across London it offers me the £11.90 OPR to Euston plus a Zone 1 to Reading OPDR for £20.55 making a total of £33.02.

When I go MKC - Hook I usually get a super off peak zones 1-6 travelcard plus a boundary zone 6 excess to/from Hook. Is there an option to do similar on the route from PAD-RDG (I think West Drayton is the Z6 boundary)?
Thanks

There could be a bit of confusion in this post; some of the codes are mixed up, e.g. an OPR ticket is a Super Off Peak Return, while an Off Peak Day Return is a CDR. If you can edit your post at your earliest convenience, that would be much appreciated.

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Apologies, I hope I've edited it correctly