Cheapest ticket for Reading to Oxford commute?

[faringdon]

Hi,
Please could you help me to find the cheapest ticket combination for this situation?

This week , I will be staying in a cheap B&B in Reading, but working in Oxford.
(That's Tuesday to Friday since its Bank Holiday on Monday.)
So I will be commuting from Reading to Oxford each day (out approx 6:45am, back approx 1830hrs).

However, I park my car in a cheap place in Oxford!

So on Monday 26th May (bank holiday monday) I will drive my car to Oxford and park the car in Oxford.
Then (still on May 26th) I will get the train from Oxford to Reading at approx 1500 hrs or so.

(Then I will get to the B&B)

Then on Tuesday to Thursday I will commute return journeys each day from Reading to Oxford.
But on Friday Morning I will commute to Oxford as usual......but will not do the return_to_Reading journey,
because I will simply jump in my car after work in Oxford, and drive back home to Luton.

Please advise What is the best ticket combination for this situation?

Is it...
One week season ticket for Reading to Oxford (£90.10)
and..
Open return from Oxford to Reading

Or is it....
Three separate Reading to Oxford returns
and
Open return from Oxford to Reading

Or is it
Open return from Oxford to reading...out approx 1400 hrs Mon 26th May, return 0645hrs on Friday may 30th
and
Three spearate day returns from Reading to Oxford

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I have the cost of an Oxford-Reading one week (seven day) season ticket as being £91.00, not £90.10.

Otherwise, unless you have a valid railcard, think you're looking at 3 x Anytime Day Returns at £22.30 each (for the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday journeys), 1 x Off Peak Day Single at £12.50 (for the Monday) plus 1 x Anytime Day Single at £19.50 (for the Friday). Total = £98.90. Unless anyone can do any better?!

 

[drueberflug]

I'd say you mainly need a single ticket from Oxford to Reading on Monday, a return ticket for Tuesday, Wednesday, and a single ticket back to Oxford; you might want to look into either Advance tickets.
If no Advance tickets are available, do not buy the tickets individually, because an Off-Peak Day Single for Tuesday, an Anytime Day Return for Wednesday and Thursday, and an Anytime Day Single for Friday would cost £98.90.
Instead, go for the season ticket from Oxford to "Reading or Reading West" (£91), no extra ticket would be needed in this case.

None of your suggestions work as there is no open return ticket you can use in the morning peak (which would be needed for Friday as I have understood your situation).
Also, regarding suggestion 1, if you have a season ticket, why do you want an open return ticket?

It seems like the season ticket is only available for smartcard delivery.
If you do not already have a smartcard, the ticket office at Oxford opens at 6:00 on weekdays. (there is no information whether it will open tomorrow)

 

[Watershed]

@drueberflug most season tickets, including this one, can be obtained in paper format as well as on a smartcard. In this case the app you are using (EMR?) is 'hiding' the paper ticket option, but it is still available through most other apps/websites or from the ticket machine or ticket office at the station.

 

[drueberflug]

but it is still available through most other apps/websites or from the ticket machine or ticket office at the station.

If that's the case, @faringdon will be just fine, ticket machines should be available even if the ticket office were to remain closed tomorrow.

Normally, the EMR website would offer paper tickets for season tickets if available, but as the day selected was tomorrow, hence I wouldn't wonder why it didn't show up.

Update: I can confirm that paper tickets are indeed available.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

I have the cost of an Oxford-Reading one week (seven day) season ticket as being £91.00, not £90.10.

Isn't there a complication with season tickets of needing a photocard?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Isn't there a complication with season tickets of needing a photocard?

Only complication is if the OP doesn't have a photocard already.

 

[drueberflug]

Only complication is if the OP doesn't have a photocard already.

I mean, the ticket office will gladly issue a photocard, but OP needs to bring a passport-sized photo (or smaller) with them.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I mean, the ticket office will gladly issue a photocard, but OP needs to bring a passport-sized photo (or smaller) with them.

Failing that, believe there's a photo-booth located near the ticket barriers at Oxford station, but obviously that will add to the cost.

 

[faringdon]

Hi, Thanks, i have a National Rail photo card. My smart card is for South western railways though.

It looks like on EMR site you cannot buy a week season from oxford to reading, but reading to oxford is OK?
But if i buy reading to oxford then how do i pick it up at oxford?

...I suspect that the ticket machines are not working at oxford and thats why you cant buy a oxford to reading week season?

....OK i am just trying to pay online for the Oxford to reading 7 day season, and it wont let me do it.....its got red letters about smartcard, and it made me order one....which i did....to my address......but it wont take me to the payments page. Please advise?

OK, its not actually possible to buy either an oxford to reading or an reading to oxford 7 day season ticket online.....it looks like its because i dont have a smartcard, as that is in red letters.........i have ordered one but obviously wont have it for some days...wont have it for the rest of the week in fact as i had to order it to my address in Luton, and i wont be in Luton for this week.

I do have an SWR smart card......but that wont work here?

 

[Watershed]

Hi, Thanks, i have a National Rail photo card. My smart card is for South western railways though.

Smartcards are only operator-specific in the sense that you have to use the SWR app/website, if you want to buy a ticket online and load it to your SWR smartcard.

For purchases made at a ticket office or ticket machine, these restrictions don't apply - so you can buy a ticket at a GWR ticket machine and load it to your SWR smartcard.

Your SWR smartcard will be valid on any operator, i.e. GWR and XC, if you buy a season ticket from Reading to Oxford (or vice versa). It isn't limited to being used on SWR trains.

It looks like on EMR site you cannot buy a week season from oxford to reading, but reading to oxford is OK?
But if i buy reading to oxford then how do i pick it up at oxford?

It depends what fulfilment method you want. If you want a weekly paper season ticket that you collect at a ticket machine, you can collect it at virtually any ticket machine at any station.

You usually have to nominate a station when buying, but this doesn't actually 'lock' the booking to that station - it's just a check to make sure there's a ticket machine at the station where you plan to collect your ticket.

To be honest, I'd say that's the easiest option because it avoids all the faffing around you get with smartcards.

...I suspect that the ticket machines are not working at oxford and thats why you cant buy a oxford to reading week season?

I would be very surprised if all of the ticket machines are Oxford are out of order at once, and even if that were true, that would not stop you buying the ticket. You might get a warning message when buying your season ticket, but that's about it.

I'm not sure why EMR's website won't offer the season ticket in the Reading-bound direction but to be honest, it doesn't matter. A season ticket is valid for unlimited travel in both directions, so you can buy it in either direction and it'll be valid for your commute.

 

[Hadders]

Frankly, if you already have a photocard just buy the ticket from a station ticket office or ticket machine.

 

[Watershed]

Frankly, if you already have a photocard just buy the ticket from a station ticket office or ticket machine.

Yep, that is by far the easiest option. That or buying it online for collection at a ticket machine.

 

[drueberflug]

Hi, Thanks, i have a National Rail photo card. My smart card is for South western railways though.

It looks like on EMR site you cannot buy a week season from oxford to reading, but reading to oxford is OK?
But if i buy reading to oxford then how do i pick it up at oxford?

...I suspect that the ticket machines are not working at oxford and thats why you cant buy a oxford to reading week season?

....OK i am just trying to pay online for the Oxford to reading 7 day season, and it wont let me do it.....its got red letters about smartcard, and it made me order one....which i did....to my address......but it wont take me to the payments page. Please advise?

OK, its not actually possible to buy either an oxford to reading or an reading to oxford 7 day season ticket online.....it looks like its because i dont have a smartcard, as that is in red letters.........i have ordered one but obviously wont have it for some days...wont have it for the rest of the week in fact as i had to order it to my address in Luton, and i wont be in Luton for this week.

I do have an SWR smart card......but that wont work here?

I am sorry for confusing you this much, didn't think using my favourite season ticket page would lead to this.
EMR does offer Oxford to Reading, as can be seen on my first screenshot. However, where you buy the ticket doesn't matter.

As other have pointed out, you can use your smartcard regardless of the operator.
It's just that you might have to use the SWR app to load the SWR smartcard, unless you intend to load the smartcard at a ticket office or a ticket machine.
Also, as you already have a photocard, just use that with a paper ticket, this would be the easiest way.

As you still have about half an hour until you intended to leave Oxford, I hope you can resolve your ticketing issues until then.

I hope this resolved any misunderstandings.
If you have booked the ticket via EMR now and it will not arrive in time, you may want to inform EMR/Trainline (but via the EMR contact info) that you wish to cancel that ticket

 

[Haywain]

As other have pointed out, you can use your smartcard regardless of the operator.
It's just that you might have to use the SWR app to load the SWR smartcard.

This is not true. TOCs only allow online sales to specified smartcards, and only allow those smartcards to be the ones which they have issued themselves. The holder of an SWR smartcard will only be able to buy smartcard tickets online from the SWR website. However, any TOC smartcard (excluding Scotrail) can be used to purchase a ticket at any TVM or ticket office.

 

[drueberflug]

(Update 10:13: message removed)

 

[Haywain]

I was referring to the smartphone collection,

Smartphone collection will still only be available to someone buying online (web or app) from the smartcard issuing TOC.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@faringdon. What did you end up deciding to do with tickets?