Lancaster - Buxton

[S19]

Any tips for getting a cheap ticket for this journey?

Outward Friday 2nd July arriving around 1800hrs in Buxton
Return Saturday 3rd July ASAP after 0500 hours.

So far quoted £27.60 return.

On the National Rail website it gives me a return train earliest at 0627, yet there is a train to Manchester Oxford Road departing Buxton at 0559? That's a bit weird.

 

[Deerfold]

Any tips for getting a cheap ticket for this journey?

Outward Friday 2nd July arriving around 1800hrs in Buxton
Return Saturday 3rd July ASAP after 0500 hours.

So far quoted £27.60 return.

On the National Rail website it gives me a return train earliest at 0627, yet there is a train to Manchester Oxford Road departing Buxton at 0559? That's a bit weird.

The 0559 train to Manchester won't get you to Lancaster any earlier (unless there's problems with the 0627) so I can understand it not being given by the journey planner. There's nothing to stop you catching it and hanging around in Manchester.

 

[northwichcat]

I think it's unlikely that you can save by spilt ticketing as you aren't returning the same day and your journey isn't that long compared to for instance Manchester to London so you don't have many options for finding two different off-peak returns valid for your journey.

 

[cuccir]

You can get an advance single Lancaster to Piccadilly on the 15:13 departure for £7, and back on the 07:45 departure for £6.50. These would connect with appropriate services to/from Buxton. An anytime return Manchester-Buxton is £13.80, so that brings you to £27.30, a whole 30p off!

If you are looking to save money, a return to Buxton from Preston is £19. You can then get a national express coach from Lancaster-Preston for £6.30. That invovles leaving Lancaster at 10:10 though on the Friday, and getting back in at 10:20 on the Saturday. There are also local bus services Lancaster-Preston (stagecoach numbers 40,41) which might be cheaper/more regular, though I don't know the cost. If you go for the bus option, you could get 05:59 out of Buxton and arrive into Preston for 07:57. You could then get the 08:30 bus out of Preston.

 

[S19]

I think i'll just pay the full fare. Just wondered if it was at all possible as someone saved me about £25 on here with another fare

I'm not that much of a penny pincher to have to resort to bus travel

 

[yorkie]

I wouldn't save a few pence using an Advance ticket. Some TOCs want you to do this as there is always a chance you'll be forced to pay £10 to change it, or even pay again for a brand new ticket! The savings have to be substantial for me to bother with them.

 

[S19]

I wouldn't save a few pence using an Advance ticket. Some TOCs want you to do this as there is always a chance you'll be forced to pay £10 to change it, or even pay again for a brand new ticket! The savings have to be substantial for me to bother with them.

Totally understand what you're saying and couldn't agree more

 

[ashworth]

I also totally agree. I would never buy AP tickets to just save a few pounds, just for the sake of getting the cheapest journey. It's not worth the inflexibility of being tied down to your booked train only.

However, I am usually willing to put up with the inflexibility of AP tickets for journeys where I am saving for example £20 or more on a return journey. I have to be 100% sure that it is a journey that I won't have to cancel and book the cheapest fares up to 12 weeks in advance (if there are any!).
I always do plenty of research first to find if I can do the journey by splitting tickets. If its only a few pound more I would rather go for something like split tickets than AP.