Last Tuesday I had to travel from Southampton to Bristol. I'd bought a ticket online about a week before, but it was only when I collected it from the machine at Southampton on the day of travel that I realised I'd booked an Advance single for the 1810 service, when I meant to book a ticket that could be used on any train.
I was in time for the 1710, and ticket office was closed (at 5pm on a Tuesday??!) so I asked the gateline staff what my options were. The man was quite helpful and said that strictly speaking I'd have to buy a new ticket if I wanted to travel on the 1710, though unofficially it might be worth boarding the train with my existing ticket and asking the guard if he'd allow me to travel with that ticket.
I decided not to do this, and waited for the 1810 anyway but could someone tell me for future reference what my options were? I've since got the idea that I could have changed the booked train on my advance ticket to the 1710 (though obviously not if there was no ticket office open).
I was in time for the 1710, and ticket office was closed (at 5pm on a Tuesday??!) so I asked the gateline staff what my options were. The man was quite helpful and said that strictly speaking I'd have to buy a new ticket if I wanted to travel on the 1710, though unofficially it might be worth boarding the train with my existing ticket and asking the guard if he'd allow me to travel with that ticket.
I decided not to do this, and waited for the 1810 anyway but could someone tell me for future reference what my options were? I've since got the idea that I could have changed the booked train on my advance ticket to the 1710 (though obviously not if there was no ticket office open).