Furthest ticket purchased from station office?

[Gathursty]

Most recently, I asked at Skipton for a Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog return. This was bettered by asking at Earlestown last year for an Inverness to Wick return and this was possibly equalled further in the past by asking for a Fort William to Mallaig return at Southport.

Pleased to report, all ticket offices did give me what I asked for.

I have asked for tickets from Wigan to more exotic places than Greater Manchester but both origin and destination should not be the same place as the ticket office.

MODS - Didn't want to clutter up the actual fare inquiry sub-forum and I don't think it's a trivia thread however if you wish to move/retitle, it's your call.

 

[Kite159]

Highlands Rover from Andover I think for me

 

[steamybrian]

When I was working in London many years ago I was pleasantly surprised to purchase at Waterloo tickets and a reservation for the "Jacobite" between Fort William and Mallaig.

 

[AndrewR232]

The most adventurous ticket I have puchased was from Pitlochry to Edinburgh at Helensburgh Central.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Why was it regarded as necessary to restrict the sales point to a "station" office? In practice some people will use a travel agent in the U.K. to purchase tickets for journeys in Australia and New Zealand for example.

 

[Ianno87]

Freedom of Scotland Travelpass from Kings Cross.

Manchester to Bolton Cheap Evening Return from an XC TM somewhere on the approach to Totnes.

 

[anme]

I once purchased a London to Basingstoke ticket from DB in Munich. It was part of an international journey, but issued as a separate ticket.

I remember the look of wonder on the SWT guard's face when he checked it. He handed it back to me like a priceless historical document and didn't dare to stamp it - which he probably should have done given it was valid for, I think, three months.

 

[anti-pacer]

I quite often ask at Wakefield Westgate for a Cheltenham to Bristol day return. This is after collecting various split tickets between Wakefield and Cheltenham. As a result it costs about £55 instead of over £100, everytime I go to Bristol.

 

[185143]

Probably a Thurso-Golspie advance at Manchester Oxford Road. Or many Nairn-Tweedbank singles!

Also had a Birchwood-Liverpool advance from Aviemore and Edinburgh before. Need to buy a Wigan plusbus from Waverley tonight actually this thread has reminded me!

I tried (unsucessfully, and that didn't appear to be through lack of trying) to get a Merseytravel Saveaway issued at a GTR Southern station last week!

Valley Lines day explorer from Occy Road too actually. That got me talking to a guard with a very strong scouse accent while I was in Cardiff too! Southampton Central sold me a GM Rail Ranger a few years ago too. (I just buy tickets wherever its convenient)

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[General Zod]

A High Wycombe to Kyle of Lochalsh Off Peak Return (not London) about 7 yrs ago.. I had two tight connections ; a 10 minute one from Birmingham Moor St to New St and one of 20 minutes between Glasgow Central and Queen St. If I had missed either then I couldn't have complete my journey in one day. I think the (not London) ticket was priced by Virgin and the ticket restrictions allowed me to use the Off Peak Return on trains departing Birmingham New St BEFORE 0930.
Just as an aside, on my return I had my ticket "zero excessed " to a Super Saver Off Peak Return via London. The guard on the Kyl to Inverness train managed to do this on his hand held machine with little or no problem.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Surely anyone who has bought an all line rover from a ticket office at one of the extremities of the country would win this?

 

[Gathursty]

Why was it regarded as necessary to restrict the sales point to a "station" office? In practice some people will use a travel agent in the U.K. to purchase tickets for journeys in Australia and New Zealand for example.

Unfortunately, I didn't know this was possible until your post so I will allow your variation.

 

[me123]

Edinburgh to Bellshill from Aberdeen. Not a problem at all; I was expecting them to ask me how I was getting to Edinburgh (I had an advance ticket FWIW). Definitely not the most adventurous one, though.

 

[deltic]

A number of couchette reservations in Spain and Italy at London Victoria many decades ago when Interrailing

 

[507021]

I've ordered a Liverpool Lime Street to Sheffield return from Glasgow Central a few times, and every time I've been given the tickets I've asked for without fail.

 

[47403]

Newcastle to Poole, late 80's, a cousins wedding, I didn't pay for it though, my students railcard cut the cost, does that count? If not a FoSS from Newcastle.

 

[D6975]

I bought quite a few freedom of Scotlands from TM, back in the days when it was a 7 day, no time restriction ticket for 40 something quid.

 

[Segedunum]

I've bought the likes of Boundary Zone 6 to Monks Risborough return and various day rangers for all over the country from Newcastle.

They do seem to be a fair bit more efficient under VTEC, I do recall being told "no we don't sell that" a fair bit more in East Coast days.

The only recent failure i've had is asking for a Night Riviera sleeper reservation at Marks Tey and that wasn't through laziness as the system simply wouldn't allow the poor bloke to issue it. He said 'I hate to ask you to try somewhere else, but I physically can't do it.' Thankfully Shenfield issued it without hesitation.

Asking for an East Midlands Rover at Selly Oak was also quite fun, the bloke insisted that there was no such thing until I made him search for it. Surprise surprise, it comes up. Then he seemed startled by the printing of both the ticket and the associated date boxes

 

[adrock1976]

A couple from me.

Summer 2015 - a Ride Cornwall Day Ranger issued at Glasgow Central (of note, I purchase most of my rovers and rangers there)

Autumn 1996 - a Highland Rover purchased at Birmingham New Street. This was the previous version as the West Highland Line had its own separate rover back then.

 

[LordCreed]

Whilst not a ticket office, I did once ask a conductor at Exmouth for a Banbury to London Marylebone return. He sold it with no issues of course, but was a little confused to how I was getting there.

 

[Hadders]

I've purchased many tickets from the excellent EC ticket office at Stevenage for travel in distant parts of the country. Examples include:

Freedom of Scotland Travelpass
Edinburgh Plusbus (but not a ticket to Edinburgh itself as I was travelling on an EC Rewards ticket )
Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh
Mallaig to Glasgow Queen Street
Explore West Wales Day Ranger
Dublin to Kyle of Lochalsh

 

[12CSVT]

I've bought tickets for numerous East Anglia destinations (Sheringham, Great Yarmouth, Chappel & Wakes Colne etc) from Stratford in the days when the London Underground ticket office handled National Rail ticket sales.

Question : what is the furthest destination from London that anybody has bought a ticket for, printed on London Underground ticket stock ?

 

[317666]

Devon Day Ranger from Paddington for me!

 

[185143]

A number of couchette reservations in Spain and Italy at London Victoria many decades ago when Interrailing

And they sold it despite not being the most expensive and not always the quickest way to Gatwick Airport?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Iv had WY Dayrovers from EDB and London Charring Cross. The latter transaction also included an unremarkable Southeasten Weekender and seated Caly Sleaper reservation!

Another forum member got an Inverkeithing to Tweedbank Off Peek Return on the first day of Borders Line opperation from Birmingham International.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I tend to buy tickets for stations on their first day of operation, which for the Borders opening meant I ended up buying returns from Shawfair to Eskbank, Newtongrange to Gorebridge, Stow to Tweedbank and Newcraighall to Tweedbank all in one transaction from Birmingham New St.

 

[cactustwirly]

London travelcard!
I don't do long distance stuff from ticket offices, it's much easier & cheaper to do it online.

 

[185143]

London travelcard!
I don't do long distance stuff from ticket offices, it's much easier & cheaper to do it online.

The last lot of advances I booked would make me strongly disagree with that! (Ok, it was on the TPE App...) I like to use ticket offices as much as possible-helps justify them having advance ticket selling capability!

 

[leightonbd]

Why was it regarded as necessary to restrict the sales point to a "station" office? In practice some people will use a travel agent in the U.K. to purchase tickets for journeys in Australia and New Zealand for example.

Funny you should cite that as I did exactly that many years ago when planning a trip in Aussie. Used a London agent to book me on the overnight Sydney to Melbourne. Great journey with a sleeping cabin and a kind of dentists chair which could be laid down flat, and a dining car where I had red wine and a Spag Bol. Miles of barren country on the approach to Melbourne.

Twist was that I was living in Hungary at the time I made the booking, so had to call the London agent using the Magyar telephone system, which in 1992 was third world.

 

[pne]

My personal maximum is probably a Truro PlusBus at Harwich International.