Harrogate>Bridgend with an overnight in Ludlow

[Nickt]

Here for some help from you clever people please.

2 Senior Railcard holders need to travel mid next week to Bridgend (South Wales) from Harrogate. We would like to stop overnight in Ludlow, arriving 1700ish, then continue the following morning to be in Bridgend for 1100. Then back to HGT that afternoon, say 1430ish.

The fares I can find suggest I am buying the entire network.

Your help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Nickt

 

[supervalkoinen]

It may be worthwhile looking at Arriva Wales Club 55.

https://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/55/Map/

 

[Romilly]

I've looked at Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th to get an idea of fares, although those may not be the days the OP wishes to travel.

A key question is whether the OP needs flexible tickets, or is happy to be booked onto trains chosen at the time of booking. If flexibility is required, anytime returns from Harrogate to Bridgend with senior-railcard discounts will total £141 for two people (travelling via Shrewsbury both ways). There's nothing to be gained by splitting if flexible tickets are required.

The 1315 from Harrogate, changing at Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly, will give an arrival in Ludlow at 1721.

The 0906 from Ludlow to Bridgend will arrive in Bridgend at 1101.

The 1426 from Bridgend gets to Ludlow at 1616/1617 and with changes at Manchester and Leeds gives an arrival into Harrogate at 2005.

On the days I was looking at, discounted Advances for two people on those trains would be: Manchester-Ludlow £20.50; Ludlow-Bridgend £20.50; Bridgend-Ludlow £17.80; and Ludlow-Manchester £20.50; plus discounted offpeak returns Harrogate-Manchester £33.70. Total £113. So there may be scope for saving £24 in return for complete loss of flexibility.

EDIT: Arriva Train Wales' Club 55 tickets have some relevant restrictions, which mean that you could get them for Manchester-Ludlow-Manchester on the trains mentioned but the price would be £52 in total. You can't use them before 0930 so no good for Ludlow-Bridgend on the 0906, which means that there would be little advantage in using Club55 for Ludlow-Bridgend-Ludlow.

 

[John @ home]

The Railcard Anytime Return Harrogate - Bridgend route via Shrewsbury costs £70.50 each and meets your needs. The outward portion is valid 5 days, the return portion one month, and the ticket allows unlimited breaks of journey.

The Club 55 offer from Arriva Trains Wales, see arrivatrains.wales/55, would allow you to travel Manchester - Bridgend for £25 return each with Senior Railcards, but does not fit your travel plans unless you are able to have the overnight Ludlow stop on the return leg rather than the outward leg of your journey and avoid travel earlier than 09:30 between Manchester and Bridgend in both directions.

A combination of tickets may save a little. At the time of writing the following is available for travel Harrogate - Ludlow on Tuesday 24 January and Ludlow - Bridgend - Harrogate on Wednesday 25 January:

• £16.85 Railcard Off-Peak Return Harrogate - Manchester (Mon-Fri: Outward not 0430-0759, Return by any train)
• £28.40 Railcard Off-Peak Return Manchester - Ludlow (Outward & Return by any train)
• £8.90 Advance Single Ludlow - Bridgend (travel on 0815 Ludlow - Bridgend 1023 on 25 Jan only)
• £8.90 Advance Single Bridgend - Ludlow (travel on 1426 Bridgend - Ludlow 1616 on 25 Jan only).

Total £63.05 each.

Note that the Advance single tickets are quota controlled and may not be available at the same price when you read this.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The Railcard Anytime Return Harrogate - Bridgend route via Shrewsbury costs £70.50 each and meets your needs. The outward portion is valid 5 days, the return portion one month, and the ticket allows unlimited breaks of journey.

The Club 55 offer from Arriva Trains Wales, see arrivatrains.wales/55, would allow you to travel Manchester - Bridgend for £25 return each with Senior Railcards, but does not fit your travel plans unless you are able to have the overnight Ludlow stop on the return leg rather than the outward leg of your journey and avoid travel earlier than 09:30 between Manchester and Bridgend in both directions.

A combination of tickets may save a little. At the time of writing the following is available for travel Harrogate - Ludlow on Tuesday 24 January and Ludlow - Bridgend - Harrogate on Wednesday 25 January:

• £16.85 Railcard Off-Peak Return Harrogate - Manchester (Mon-Fri: Outward not 0430-0759, Return by any train)
  
• £28.40 Railcard Off-Peak Return Manchester - Ludlow (Outward & Return by any train)
• £8.90 Advance Single Ludlow - Bridgend (travel on 0815 Ludlow - Bridgend 1023 on 25 Jan only)
• £8.90 Advance Single Bridgend - Ludlow (travel on 1426 Bridgend - Ludlow 1616 on 25 Jan only).

Total £63.05 each.

Note that the Advance single tickets are quota controlled and may not be available at the same price when you read this.

If hour can go off peak Club 55 between Manchester and Ledlow will knock another couple of quod off.

 

[Nickt]

Thanks to you all for this advice, much appreciated. We have gone for the anytime return, allowing us maximum flexibility to change our minds and break the journey as and when.

Gareth: I see we share an interest in the Aberystwyth route! I have some good memories from the 50s and 60s, not to mention hours spent in Llanbadarn Fawr box.