Christmas ABD to OXF

[duesselmartin]

Hi all,
forgive this, I am writing from Germany and not familiar with UK tickets.
I want to travel from Aberdeen to Oxford on the 23.12. the usual booking sites only give a handful of services full price and no reservation.
I assume booking is still not fully open? If so when can I expect it?
Thank you and best wishes from Duisburg.

Martin

 

[island]

Should be fairly soon – the CrossCountry route (via Derby) is currently selling weekdays up to 16 December and the Avanti route (via Warrington) up to 9 December. Check back in a week or two. Don't expect cheap advance fares; the 23rd is prime holiday travel. Depending on your other travel plans, a BritRail pass may be better value.

 

[hexagon789]

Hi all,
forgive this, I am writing from Germany and not familiar with UK tickets.
I want to travel from Aberdeen to Oxford on the 23.12. the usual booking sites only give a handful of services full price and no reservation.
I assume booking is still not fully open? If so when can I expect it?
Thank you and best wishes from Duisburg.

Martin

Probably a week or so; ScotRail are selling tickets for travel up to the 12th, CrossCountry the 18th and LNER the 20th of December presently. If that gives a rough idea?

A few operators, such as EMR and GWR, are already selling for the 23rd.

 

[duesselmartin]

Thank you.

 

[30907]

You can register for a Ticket Alert with LNER (I assume you will travel via London?) - but I would still check online regularly!
https://www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/travelling-later/early-bird-ticket-alerts/

 

[Watershed]

Once tickets are released, you may wish to use a split ticketing site to determine the cheapest option. It is highly unlikely that a through ticket will offer the cheapest fare, particularly if you are only making a one-way journey.

As others have pointed out, given the generally high price of long distance rail fares in the UK, it may be worthwhile considering a BritRail or Interrail pass instead.

 

[Merseysider]

I hate to propose flying (on a rail forum no less!) but for a journey of at least 9 hours it may be worth looking at flying Loganair, BA, Easyjet etc from Aberdeen to a nearby airport (Oxford has no airport).

Eg Aberdeen to London can be had for £60-£80 which is within easy reach of Oxford. To Bristol it is £180+ (pricey!) or £125 to Birmingham.

If you did want to take the train all the way, there is a chance of getting a cheap 1st class upgrade on Seatfrog (each train company is separate).

 

[Watershed]

I hate to propose flying (on a rail forum no less!) but for a journey of at least 9 hours it may be worth looking at flying Loganair, BA, Easyjet etc from Aberdeen to a nearby airport (Oxford has no airport).

It does, it just doesn't have any airline flights

That hasn't stopped the airport operator from labelling it as "London Oxford Airport"

Eg Aberdeen to London can be had for £60-£80 which is within easy reach of Oxford. To Bristol it is £180+ (pricey!) or £125 to Birmingham.

If you did want to take the train all the way, there is a chance of getting a cheap 1st class upgrade on Seatfrog (each train company is separate).

Edinburgh or Glasgow to Southampton might also be worth considering, as the latter is served by direct trains to Oxford.

 

[mrmartin]

Once tickets are released, you may wish to use a split ticketing site to determine the cheapest option. It is highly unlikely that a through ticket will offer the cheapest fare, particularly if you are only making a one-way journey.

As others have pointed out, given the generally high price of long distance rail fares in the UK, it may be worthwhile considering a BritRail or Interrail pass instead.

The super off peak single Aberdeen - Oxford is "only" £104.80 (fare setter LNER) which seems pretty good value to me. It also seems to have an easement allowing travel at any time of the day on the 23rd of Dec.

Aberdeen cardiff (with no LNER super off peak option) off peak single is £245.70 set by our good friends at cross country, so could be a lot worse.

 

[Watershed]

The super off peak single Aberdeen - Oxford is "only" £104.80 (fare setter LNER) which seems pretty good value to me. It also seems to have an easement allowing travel at any time of the day on the 23rd of Dec.

Aberdeen cardiff (with no LNER super off peak option) off peak single is £245.70 set by our good friends at cross country, so could be a lot worse.

You're quoting the price of the Online Super Off-Peak Single, ticket type SSU, which can't be bought on its own - it can only be bought as part of a return journey (e.g. in conjunction with an Advance in the other direction).

If the OP is happy to restrict themselves to travelling via the West Coast, they could buy an Avanti priced fare from e.g. Croy to Oxford (which would cover them from Stirling) and buy a separate ticket to cover the rest. Avanti prices their Off-Peak Singles at 70% of the cost of a return, so this would make it a little more affordable.

 

[duesselmartin]

my favorite option would be CrossCountry changing in Birmingham only, although LNER via London is an option.
I am prepared to pay a higher price but what is essential is a seat reservation (can that be bought seperatly?).

 

[island]

Seat reservations are given at ticket sale time if relevant, and can be made in person at a station by ticket-holders. Some train companies offer additional options to reserve online, via SMS, or via customer services. There is no cost.

There is no point in over-thinking this for now – until bookings open for the train you can’t get a seat reservation, or even a ticket in the case of some routes. The price will not go any higher than the prices you currently see. Just wait for the ticket sales to open.