Lelant to Torquay - Group Save

[Bill Badger]

I’m trying to find a way to book a Group Save for 4 people on line from Lelant to Torquay. (Departing 7.07 on a Saturday, returning 17.18 the same day)

Although Traveline powered Websites allow me to choose FGW Services only they don’t offer Group Save as a ticket option, so I can’t use them.

Webtis sites do offer Group Save, but don’t appear to allow me to exclude Cross County services even when I pick the slower routes option and hence won’t sell me the ticket (nothwithstanding the debate as to whether they are valid on CrossCountry or not!)

Should add I want to reserve seats too as it’s likely to be busy on a summer Saturday, otherwise I would just choose random journeys that are FGW only and travel on the above trains , since Group Save isn’t tied to a particular train.

Cheers,

 

[Mojo]

The FGW website has the option "Groupsave 4" from the dropdown menu under "Railcards," but I can't actually get it to work. It does, however work on the National Express East Anglia website. Just select 4 adults and "Groupsave 4" for the Railcard. A quick test gives the correct fare (£30.00) for the journey you wish to make when booking via the NXEA website.

 

[clagmonster]

One thing that could work is to ask to go via small stations at which your desired Great Western train calls at but the Cross Country doesn't, or alternatively ask to avoid stations at which the Cross Country train calls but the Great Western one doesn't. This will only work when the stations are not timing points, so try to pick stations with no signalbox or junctions.

 

[Bill Badger]

The FGW website has the option "Groupsave 4" from the dropdown menu under "Railcards," but I can't actually get it to work. It does, however work on the National Express East Anglia website. Just select 4 adults and "Groupsave 4" for the Railcard. A quick test gives the correct fare (£30.00) for the journey you wish to make when booking via the NXEA website.

Um - can't get that to work on either FGW NXEA it only offers £60, I'm presuming because I can't make it ignore the Cross Country service.

One thing that could work is to ask to go via small stations at which your desired Great Western train calls at but the Cross Country doesn't, or alternatively ask to avoid stations at which the Cross Country train calls but the Great Western one doesn't. This will only work when the stations are not timing points, so try to pick stations with no signalbox or junctions. .

Nice idea. Ivybridge is the only station the Cross Country service appears to miss, so I've tried forcing the system to go via there but it doesn't make any difference

 

[Mojo]

I've tested it on the NXEA website now and it offers the GroupSave discount. If you can't get it to work, try going to the National Rail website and under "advanced options" select First Great Western only (it will automatically calculate Groupsave when you select 4 adults).

 

[Bill Badger]

I've tested it on the NXEA website now and it offers the GroupSave discount. If you can't get it to work, try going to the National Rail website and under "advanced options" select First Great Western only (it will automatically calculate Groupsave when you select 4 adults).

Scratches head!

I can't work out what I'm doing wrong. Can get Group Save easily enough on the 15.18 or 16.18 for example but not the 17.18 (as this is CrossCountry) and can find no way of deselecting this and catching the 17.11 which is a FGW Service, for which presumably Group Save could be purchased, were I able to force the system to let me use it.

I don't understand the advice relating the NR Website as I can't buy tickets from there

 

[transportphoto]

I’m trying to find a way to book a Group Save for 4 people on line from Lelant to Torquay. (Departing 7.07 on a Saturday, returning 17.18 the same day)

I know this may sound a daft answer, but can't you buy it from a station? I know that Lelant hasn't got a ticket office (or TVM) but surely you can get to a station which has?!

What is the need to buy it online?

 

[Mojo]

What is the need to buy it online?

The OP wishes to make a seat reservation, and presumably he lives in Lelant, or near another station which has no ticket office, and has no plans to visit one.

It will not let you select the 17.11 as there is no benefit to catching this service compared to the 17.57; you will just end up waiting around longer. I am not sure whether you can get a website to do this; but have you considered contacting FGW Telesales who I am sure will be able to do it?

NRES does not sell tickets, but will give you prices and will direct you to a Toc booking website of your choice.

 

[yorkie]

17.11 from where to where? If you are heading east, there are going to be loads of free seats to choose from, as the trains don't fill up at Penzance! Going west there is perhaps more of an issue. I agree telesales may be the best bet if you can't get to a station easily.

 

[Bill Badger]

17.11 from where to where?

17.11 from Torquay to Newton Abbot arriving at 17.21

It will not let you select the 17.11 as there is no benefit to catching this service compared to the 17.57; you will just end up waiting around longer

The 17.11 allows me to connect at Newton Abbot with the 18.10 to St Erth, where there is a good connection to Lelant. The 17.57 misses the connection at Newton Abbot, so I don't get back to Leleant until an hour later.

However, the system won't allow me to catch the 17.11 as it keeps putting me onto the 17.18, which is the CrossCountry Service, where they won't offer Group Save on line.

have you considered contacting FGW Telesales who I am sure will be able to do it?

Looks like the only option. I would rather have done it on line since, as this thread domonstates, it takes some explaining!

 

[flymo]

The 1711 & 1718 trains from Torquay to Newton Abbot are both operated by FGW, it is the 1810 from Newton Abbot - St. Erth that is operated by Cross Country. If you were to get the 1711 from Torquay you would still be on the 1810 Cross Country service from Newton Abbot to St. Erth. Maybe why that is why the £30 fares are not shown for the 1718, only £60.

 

[Mojo]

The 17.11 allows me to connect at Newton Abbot with the 18.10 to St Erth, where there is a good connection to Lelant. The 17.57 misses the connection at Newton Abbot, so I don't get back to Leleant until an hour later.

As posted by someone above, you cannot book on the 18.10 as this is an XC service who do not accept Groupsave. There is an 18.21 FGW service from Newton Abbot, which gets into St Erth at 20.53, but the train to Lelant doesn't leave until 21.46, so you'd be better off on the 18.41 from Newton Abbot to St Erth (17.52 from Paignton) which arrives St Erth at 21.11.

The 17.52 from Paignton does connect with the 17.21 from Newton Abbot also, if you wanted to wait in St. Erth for 50+ Min.

 

[Bill Badger]

The 1711 & 1718 trains from Torquay to Newton Abbot are both operated by FGW, it is the 1810 from Newton Abbot - St. Erth that is operated by Cross Country. If you were to get the 1711 from Torquay you would still be on the 1810 Cross Country service from Newton Abbot to St. Erth. Maybe why that is why the £30 fares are not shown for the 1718, only £60.

Thanks - don't know what made me confuse the 17.18 and 18.10 trains!

As posted by someone above, you cannot book on the 18.10 as this is an XC service who do not accept Groupsave. There is an 18.21 FGW service from Newton Abbot, which gets into St Erth at 20.53, but the train to Lelant doesn't leave until 21.46, so you'd be better off on the 18.41 from Newton Abbot to St Erth (17.52 from Paignton) which arrives St Erth at 21.11.

The 17.52 from Paignton does connect with the 17.21 from Newton Abbot also, if you wanted to wait in St. Erth for 50+ Min.

Think it's clearer in my head now! Will probably book seats on the 18.41, although probably not really necessary heading west at that time. Should be albe to do that on line too

I'm right in thinking that so long as we're not splitting up, we are not tied to the trains I book if we deicde to travel earlier or later.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Have ended up booking the 07.07 from Lelant and the 16.18 from Torquay, although I expect we will return later.

With reference to other threads about Cross Country and Cross Country, at no time was there any indication that Group Save wasn't valid on their services, other than the trains which the Website would offer the Group Save fare for. However, as Group Save is not restricted to one particular train, that isn't of much help when you receive the tickets.

I even clicked on the link for more information about Group Save and all it said was that the ticket was valid on participating operators, but doesn't say who they are!

Cheers