how long will you break a journey for to get a saving?

[dvboy]

Just wondering how much people value their time. Today I've broken a journey at Preston for around 7 hours in order to get the cheapest ticket, a saving of approx £30, but 4 hours in I'm starting to think I should have just paid more to travel later as there's not a lot to do here in Preston on a rainy Saturday!

 

[yorkie]

Depends on the saving, relative to the through fare, and what there is to do at the place in question and who I am with.

I would not spend 7 hours in Preston in the circumstances described.

 

[yorksrob]

Depends on what the saving would be and how good the pubs at the break point are.

 

[Lrd]

I would not spend 7 hours in Preston in the circumstances described.

If I were to spend 7 hours in Preston then I would be spending a lot more than £30 at the pub. (£30 being the saving the OP has made)

 

[Bob Ames]

I would be more than happy to wait 7 hours at Manchester Airport station if it meant I could bash home instead of paying £65 for a taxi.

 

[Yew]

Depends entirely on the stock and the station pubs. I once went Nottingham to Edinburgh via London in order.to use the sleeper. Nice trip

 

[richw]

Depends where the break is, the saving involved, and if I have to be at the destination by a certain time.

 

[orpine]

I like to spend my time in libraries, so outside of a Sunday, a long break isn't a problem. And some places have libraries open on Sundays too. 7hrs would be pushing it for a library, but even in Preston I could probably find something to do. Think of it as a bonus "day trip".

 

[tractakid]

The tickets I found for family this weekend involved an hour in Birmingham, which they were happy to do.

The cheapest advance itinerary from MK to North Wales is often an overnight wait at Wolverhampton starting from 0027 at MKC. If I was travelling alone I would probably do this.

I wonder whether I'd be forced to remain in the station to avoid breaking my journey.

 

[John @ home]

I wonder whether I'd be forced to remain in the station to avoid breaking my journey.

No.

C. USE OF TICKETS

16. Starting, breaking or ending a journey at intermediate stations

For the purposes of this Condition and Condition 11, you will be treated as breaking your journey if you leave a Train Company’s or Rail Service Company’s stations after you start your journey other than to:

• join a train at another station, or
• stay in overnight accommodation when you cannot reasonably complete your journey within one day, or
• follow any instructions given by a member of a Train Company’s or Rail Service Company’s staff.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/NRCOC.pdf

There is no doubt that a passenger for north Wales who arrives in Wolverhampton at 0027 "cannot reasonably complete [their] journey within one day".

 

[dvboy]

The cheapest advance itinerary from MK to North Wales is often an overnight wait at Wolverhampton starting from 0027 at MKC. If I was travelling alone I would probably do this.

5 minutes in Wolverhampton centre is enough for me, and I live here!
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I wonder whether I'd be forced to remain in the station to avoid breaking my journey.

No, station security would actually ask you to leave if you were there much beyond the last arrival of the night.