Glasgow in May - Expert advice

[LexyBoy]

My advice would be to get a F&F Railcard, book Advances and upgrade to first on the day if you feel like it (if it's busy for instance). As you'll be booking a child ticket to benefit from the F&F discount you'll have a seat reserved for your daughter in any case.

If you book with Virgin directly you can IIRC choose your seats, and you also will have the option of booking an Advance one way and a "Saver Half" - a flexible single at half the price of an Off Peak Return - for the other, which is not possible elsewhere. Same price though.

Leave plenty of time between connections - not only saves the stress of hurrying for connections but will allow your daughter to run around a bit (there's a bit of outdoor space at Euston at least). Drawing stuff and a picnic are good too as you've said.

I can't imagine such a long drive with a toddler - but I guess it depends on what she's used to. Longest mine's been driven is half an hour or so which is too long for her! It all depends on what they're used to though. You'd need to make sure you can hire a suitable car seat too if you're renting.

Have you thought about the Caledonian Sleeper ? Just a though but another option.

Will be a bit more expensive but might be worth a look - it's a good experience and will mean the little one will be asleep for most of the journey! There's room for a travel cot or similar on the floor or maybe easier in with you on the wall-side of the lower bunk.

 

[Goatboy]

It does raise an interesting question about whether BoJ can legitimately be barred on 'Anytime' tickets, in view of the general ticket conditions providing that it is always permitted on Anytime tickets.

If the answer is "yes", then what is there, in principle to stop TOCs from barring it on all Anytime Singles and Returns? I suppose that, if challenged, it would be easy enough to turn the (unregulated) Sailrail ticket into a '8A' SVR, or even withdraw it altogether.

I too am very suprised at the way that ticket is sold. How many staff are going to be familiar with that particular restriction code anyway (Infact how many customers are going to read up on it as well - for most it'll say 'Anytime' so they'll unsuprisingly treat it as an 'Anytime')?

If they wish to restrict BoJ - and it would seem reasonably to do so - then why not simply adopt the Sailrail Advance/Standby ticket types as per the Dublin route?

There was no doubt about BoJ on my Sailrail ticket - it was a specific ticket type which barred BoJ. Far more clear than an Anytime Single with an obscure 1X restriction code.

The wording of the restriction itself is ambiguous:

Restriction Code: 1X

Code used to stations in
Scotland and Berwick on Tweed.

OFF PEAK JOURNEYS FROM/VIA
LONDON (including Stevenage,
Watford Junction, Milton
Keynes, Bedford & Luton).

Available as listed below
Mondays-Fridays. (By any train
on Bank Holidays and other
days).

Outward Travel NORTHBOUND - by
any train scheduled to DEPART:

London Terminals
At any time. Break of journey
not permitted, except to
change trains.

Return Travel SOUTHBOUND -
by any train scheduled to
ARRIVE:

London Terminals
At any time. Break of journey
not permitted, except to
change trains.


Applies to ticket type
GVR: Anglo - Scot Off-Peak

The bit in bold quite clearly states that restriction code applies to the Off-peak ticket type. Yet the ticket is an ANYTIME return? Does this not indicate that the restriction code does not apply? Confusing.