Crawley [CRW] - Guildford [GLD]

[MarkieMark]

I plan to go to from Crawley [CRW] to Guildford [GLD] in the near future. On the way there I want to go via Horsham [HRH], Leatherhead [LHD] and then to Guildford but on the way back I want to go via Clapham Junction [CLJ]. If I got a ticket via Clapham Junction would I be able to go both ways?

 

[yorkie]

From where?

 

[MarkieMark]

from crawley

 

[island]

That's fine, but to save money you can buy the NOT CLAPHAM JN ticket and an excess to route CLAPHAM JUNCTION for your return journey. The excess will cost half the difference between the two tickets (so for an off-peak day return £10.50 for the NOT CLAPHAM JN ticket and £2.30 for the excess).

If you have time I'd suggest you get the excess at the start of your journey from the Southern booking office at Crawley as Guildford is operated by South West Trains, whose ticket staff have been known to be quite inconsistent on the issue of excess fares.

 

[yorkie]

The cheapest way of doing this is to purchase a ticket from Crawley to Guildford Route Not Clapham Jn, and with a change of route excess for the return portion to Route Clapham Jn. The excess is calculated as HALF the difference between the fares.

DUAL ROUTE AVAILABILITY
Where two or more permitted routes are available for a specific journey,
customers may wish to travel out by one route and return by another. If a
higher fare applies for the return leg of the journey the customer should be
issued with a ticket for the more direct route and an excess fare issued to
cover the difference in fare for the return routeing. This option should be
made available to customers who wish to pre-book a dual routed ticket prior
to travel.
The alternative journey MUST relate to the same routeing points for the
origin and destination stations.
This option may not apply to customers holding advance purchase tickets, or
tickets which are available by specified trains or endorsed for travel only by
the services of a particular train operator.

You should be offered this when you purchase (if buying at a ticket office). If buying online, you can excess at the ticket office if convenient, but if there's a long queue or you do not have time, then don't worry as this particular excess is the same price on board. Change of route and change of ticket type excesses do not penalise the customer when buying on board (unlike some other excesses that must be bought before travel if there was opportunity to do so).

Alternatively you could buy the more expensive Route Clapham Jn ticket, which is valid via the cheaper route. Staff can either issue a zero fare change of route excess or simply accept the ticket via the cheaper route. But this would be a waste of a few quid. That said, if you're on expenses and can only buy 1 ticket and no excesses on expenses, then that may be the best option.

 

[MarkieMark]

Thankyou It wont cost as uch for me anyways as I have a 16-25 railcard I just wanted to make sure that I wouldnt get penalised for going back the Clapham Junction way.

Does anyone know a way of buying an excess from a Ticket machine? and If I was at Guildford would I beable to get a ticket from Guildford to Clapham Junction using the machine there? Also as theres 2 stations in Guildford if I got a ticket to Guildford would it be alright for me to go to London Road Guildford? Its a stop early 1 way but a stop late the other way if you get what I mean

 

[yorkie]

You can't be penalised according to the rules. You can't get an excess from machines. You can ask at the ticket office if you have time, but knowing SWT ticket offices the queues will be horrendous. The fare is the same on board as it is from the ticket office, they can't charge extra (if they did, obtain an unpaid fare notice, let us know and we'll appeal it and the guard will hopefully be given suitable training).

I think you are asking to travel via Leatherhead to London Road (Guildford) [LRD], then travel from LRD to Guildford, then on to Clapham via Woking? If so you can simply buy a ticket to LRD, which is the same fare.

Alternatively, yes a ticket to Guildford is valid for a break of journey at LRD. You could then resume your outward journey later, to Guildford. Then you'd start your return journey.

 

[MarkieMark]

Yeah what I want to do is go from Ifield to London Road Guildford via Leatherhead but on the way back go from London Road Guildford to Ifield via Clapham Junction. The only thing is that if I get stuck at London Road Guildford and need to get back by the First Great Western service from Guildford to Gatwick Airport then to Ifield I wont be able to I just want all the routes to be available to me just incase but Clapham Junction most importantly because theres always trains from there!

 

[yorkie]

If your journey is Ifield to LRD, I'd buy that ticket.

On the way back, just go whichever route is available and ask the guard at the first opportunity to excess your ticket if you do go via Clapham Jn. The excess is £2.30 assuming you are returning same day, do not have any Railcards and are travelling off peak.