Cheapest way to do a "loop" of the UK

[156421]

Hello y'all. I am considering spending a day doing an "loop" consisting of something like Carlisle to Euston, Kings Cross to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street, Glasgow Central back to Carlisle. Is there any way to do this, or a significant portion of it, on a single ticket? For instance would a Glasgow to London return cover ECML and WCML?

As a secondary issue, if using Lumo (or another open access operator) formed part of the journey, would I have to buy that specific portion separately?

 

[yorkie]

Hello y'all. I am considering spending a day doing an "loop" consisting of something like Carlisle to Euston, Kings Cross to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street, Glasgow Central back to Carlisle. Is there any way to do this, or a significant portion of it, on a single ticket?

No; as far as I can tell, there is no ticket that allows Carlisle to London to Edinburgh to Glasgow to Carlisle, at least not one that I can think of.

For instance would a Glasgow to London return cover ECML and WCML?

Yes; Glasgow to London is valid via either route.

As a secondary issue, if using Lumo (or another open access operator) formed part of the journey, would I have to buy that specific portion separately?

All National Rail operators accept inter-available fares; open access operators are no different. It's charter operators that you may be thinking of, which are outside National Rail ticketing.

 

[156421]

So it sounds like the solution is Glasgow to London open return plus a Glasgow to Carlisle portion. If Lumo, Grand Central, etc. tries to prevent boarding due to lack of a booking in their specific trains, that is presumably against the law.

 

[yorkie]

So it sounds like the solution is Glasgow to London open return plus a Glasgow to Carlisle portion.

That would be valid.

If Lumo, Grand Central, etc. tries to prevent boarding due to lack of a booking in their specific trains, that is presumably against the law.

Why do you think any train company reject a very obviously valid inter-available fare?

I've never heard of any train company refusing to accept an inter-available open ticket purely on the basis that it is not specifically booked on that train or operator!

Rejected due to misunderstanding routeing or off peak restrictions, yes, but due to that? Never!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Given that the thread title includes “cheapest”, presumably operator-specific advanced fares are the best way forward?

 

[156421]

Given that the thread title includes “cheapest”, presumably operator-specific advanced fares are the best way forward?

Correct in theory. However I think that given current reliability issues and daily chaos, the open return option with an almost guaranteed delay repay refund will suffice. Plus I'm still not confident that if one advanced fare (say Avanti West Coast CAR-EUS) made me missed the next (say LNER KGX-EDB) I will have a leg to stand on in terms of getting the next KGX-EDB train.

 

[yorkie]

Correct in theory.

The best solution for most people would be to book the following:

• Carlisle to London as a single journey.
  Break of journey; have some time in London
• London to Edinburgh as a single journey
  Break of journey; have some time in Edinburgh
• Edinburgh to Carlisle as a single journey

If you want to compress it further, then book Carlisle to London as one journey, and London to Carlisle as another journey (specifying via Edinburgh & Glasgow; a good retailer will ticket this, such as the forum's site)

However I think that given current reliability issues and daily chaos, the open return option with an almost guaranteed delay repay refund will suffice.

Delay Repay isn't technically a refund; it is also not guaranteed by any means.

Also you need to decide what your journey is as this is important for calculating Delay Repay; you would also be on shakey ground if you became delayed and then acted in a way that did not minimise delay and claimed for a greater delay than was necessary.

Plus I'm still not confident that if one advanced fare (say Avanti West Coast CAR-EUS) made me missed the next (say LNER KGX-EDB) I will have a leg to stand on in terms of getting the next KGX-EDB train.

You need to define your journey; providing you have a valid connection, adhering to all minimum connection times, you are entitled to take the next available services (but what I don't think you can do is act in a manner that doesn't minimise the delay and go on to claim Delay Repay compensation!)

It may not be wise to state your journey is Carlisle to Carlisle, so think carefully about having a break somewhere.

 

[plugwash]

No; as far as I can tell, there is no ticket that allows Carlisle to London to Edinburgh to Glasgow to Carlisle, at least not one that I can think of.

Well there is the all lines rover, but at £571 it's not an economical option.

 

[Snow1964]

Am I the only one that misunderstood the thread title, by loop I assumed you meant going via Wales, Bristol area to South Coast, London, East Anglia, North East etc

 

[Willie Bee]

Just been messing around .. something to do

1 adult on December 12th, from RailUk tickets (no railcard)

06:47 - 10:12 Carlisle to Euston £40 (giving nearly 3 hours to see sights in London and change stations)
13:06 - 18:16 Kings Cross to Edinburgh £46.25
18:45 - 19:36 Edinburgh to Glasgow £14.70
21:14 - 23:44 Glasgow to Carlisle £21.60

Just over £132 .. seems not too bad

... maybe with split tickets you could get a better deal, but I'm not sure how to do that

 

[Dr Hoo]

Good circuit. Pity that there’s so little daylight at this time of year. Most of the ‘best bits’ in the dark.

 

[Kite159]

Good circuit. Pity that there’s so little daylight at this time of year. Most of the ‘best bits’ in the dark.

Agreed, a trip like this would be better doing it during the summer months when there is more daylight.

 

[Steve4031]

I would think going north from Carlisle and doing the trip in the reverse would ensure that the best parts are seen in daylight.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Hello y'all. I am considering spending a day doing an "loop" consisting of something like Carlisle to Euston, Kings Cross to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street, Glasgow Central back to Carlisle. Is there any way to do this, or a significant portion of it, on a single ticket? For instance would a Glasgow to London return cover ECML and WCML?

As a secondary issue, if using Lumo (or another open access operator) formed part of the journey, would I have to buy that specific portion separately?

This relates to my thread a few months ago about a 1-day ranger for something like 50 or 60 pounds. With nearly 1000 miles under your belt there, your GBP50-60 would go a long way if you got up early enough and everything ran to time.

 

[route101]

This relates to my thread a few months ago about a 1-day ranger for something like 50 or 60 pounds. With nearly 1000 miles under your belt there, your GBP50-60 would go a long way if you got up early enough and everything ran to time.

Something I would like to see but would it undercut normal standard fares.

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

This relates to my thread a few months ago about a 1-day ranger for something like 50 or 60 pounds. With nearly 1000 miles under your belt there, your GBP50-60 would go a long way if you got up early enough and everything ran to time.

You could add in Belfast and do it on the cheap. Not sure what the exact prices are now but Sail+Rail via Cairnryan from London is something like £70 return with a railcard.

 

[A S Leib]

You could add in Belfast and do it on the cheap. Not sure what the exact prices are now but Sail+Rail via Cairnryan from London is something like £70 return with a railcard.

£76.55 with break of journey barred except for changing trains.

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

£76.55 with break of journey barred except for changing trains.

Really not bad considering the distance, though painfully slow.

 

[A S Leib]

Really not bad considering the distance, though painfully slow.

The Penzance – Belfast return without a railcard works out at around £0.05 per rail km if you count the cost of the ferry as free.

 

[peteb]

How do you book a ticket from somewhere in England to Belfast via Cairnryan? National rail seems to melt down when asked via website!

 

[A S Leib]

How do you book a ticket from somewhere in England to Belfast via Cairnryan? National rail seems to melt down when asked via website!

I'm fairly certain I've managed to get itineraries and fares up on the TfW website, but not now; I think it's to do with whether or not the ferry / bus times have been put in or not.