King's Lynn to London

[plothi]

I'm travelling King's Lynn to London tomorrow, my destination is near Victoria and St James's Park. It's for an afternoon meeting, so I can travel off peak (arriving early afternoon, leaving early evening).

I have no railcard and I'm looking for the cheapest fare -- I don't mind if it's a bit slower (e.g. changing at Cambridge).

I think that the best option is an off-peak return to Clapham Junction (£36), travelling short (just to Victoria). Is there a better way?

And could I use the travelling short option to terminate my journey (or start my return journey) at St James's Park Underground instead of Victoria? Would it make any difference whether the journey was via King's Cross, Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale?

 

[bb21]

You can end your journey at St James's Park since you are allowed to break your cross-London transfer somewhere en route.

I don't think you can start short at St James's Park, but I may be wrong.

 

[plothi]

Thank you. Not sure whether St James Park qualifies as 'en route' from King's Cross to Victoria, although I guess that it is 'en route' from Liverpool Street to Victoria. Does this make a difference? National Rail Enquiries says you can break at an 'intermediate' station. Or is it just OK that you can, in principle, go from King's Cross to Victoria on the Circle Line instead of the quicker way on the Victoria Line?

 

[bb21]

Thank you. Not sure whether St James Park qualifies as 'en route' from King's Cross to Victoria, although I guess that it is 'en route' from Liverpool Street to Victoria. Does this make a difference? National Rail Enquiries says you can break at an 'intermediate' station. Or is it just OK that you can, in principle, go from King's Cross to Victoria on the Circle Line instead of the quicker way on the Victoria Line?

There is no reason I can see why St James's Park should not be considered reasonable. You are not forced into using the Victoria Line.

 

[soil]

Kings Lynn - Dartford is £33.50

The London - Dartford bit is valid from Victoria (among others).

 

[Romilly]

It's also a £33.50 off-peak day return from King's Lynn to Swanley (and a greater proportion of trains to Swanley come out from Victoria). Like Dartford, Swanley is just outside the London Travelcard zones. And for another occasion, the off-peak return is only £34 allowing return the same day or any later day within a month. Both are valid outwards weekdays on the 0827 or any later train (there are cheaper super off-peak options at weekends). And as well as being valid on the underground between Kings X and Victoria, both are also valid on Thameslink between St Pancras and Swanley (calling after Blackfriars at Elephant & Castle and then down through Catford and Bromley) in case that gives you added flexibility another time.

 

[plothi]

Thank you, not sure how I missed that option. I've used a Dartford ticket before, on an off-peak return (travelling back on a different day).

I think that I'd dismissed Dartford as an option before when I was just going to King's Cross (no onward travel by underground), as the ticket price is the same, but I forgot about it for this trip.

The National Conditions seem fairly clear about breaking the journey by stopping short at an intermediate underground station, but not so clear about starting short on the return journey. I'll probably just start the return journey at Victoria but for future reference can anyone answer this one?

 

[Muzer]

I would be inclined to say you can't, since you can break a journey but then have to make your own way (ie walk or pay for onward tube/bus trips) for the remainder of the journey across London.

This would imply to me that it'd be like having done a (nonexistent) broken journey from Victoria to St. James's Park, and so you would have to pay yourself to get from St. James's Park to King's Cross or Liverpool Street.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[yorkie]

You can't start at an LU station that isn't both in the list of interchange stations and appropriate for the journey being made.

You may find our RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide helpful, in particular RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide - Section 7 - Integrated fares: 7.3 London Underground & DLR

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1315636#post1315636

 

[bicbasher]

I'd just get off at Victoria and walk to your final destination. It's not that far at all.

 

[plothi]

Thanks again for the advice and, yorkie, for the link.

I bought King's Lynn to Swanley off-peak return, travelled short via King's Cross to St James's Park, then started my return journey from Victoria, via Tottenham Hale. I took the circle line to St James's Park, as I assumed that I could be challenged on the 'reasonable route' provisions if I went to Victoria and changed there for St James's Park. I had plenty of time, so this was fine.

Just looking at doing the same journey at peak times, and then it looks like the Clapham Junction ticket beats the Swanley/Dartford option.