Lewes - Kew Gardens

[Skarpur]

Hi,

In a couple of weeks it is likely that I will be travelling from Lewes - Kew Gardens on a Wednesday morning, needing to arrive at about 0900, returning after 1700, and on a Thursday where I need a one way Lewes - Kew Gardens, arriving about 1100, then heading over to Kings Cross/St Pancras in the evening.

I've got the basis of the route being Lewes (via Brighton depending on times) - Clapham Junction - Richmond - Kew Gardens.

I have a 16-25 railcard and I was wondering what my best options are for the Wednesday and then for the Thursday? With being a northerner I'm not very adept with how tickets +travelcards work and where they're available from. I'm also just slightly worried about buying the wrong thing and having an invalid ticket for the times I need to travel at.

Thanks

 

[NSEFAN]

My approach to this would be to use a single of some description from Lewes to Coulsdon South, and then get an anytime day travelcard (Z1-6) for London, which means:

LWS - CDS anytime day single = £12.00
Anytime day travelcard = £14.80

Both including a 16-25 railcard. Your ticket office should be able to issue both tickets. You wouldn't have to actually get out at Coulsdon South, just be on a train which passes through.

This is pricing for a weekday, so obviously a weekend or bank holiday would mean you could use an off peak/advance single and off peak day travelcard, further reducing the price, but as you're travelling on a weekday, this is the best I could come up with.

I hope I have got this right, and I'm sure Yorkie can find you a better price!

 

[paul1609]

For the Wednesday you need a Lewes to Kew Gardens Anytime day return route "not London" which with your railcard is £21.50.
For the Thursday if you can book ahead theres a Southern Advance to Clapham Junction for £2 to £6 plus a one day travelcard £5 or Oyster.
If you dont want to restrict youself to a specific train you need a Lewes to z1 to 6 off peak travelcard which again with you railcard is £14.15 if booked via the Southern website (includes a 15% discount).

I wouldnt advise splitting at Coulsdon South as its not the cheapest fare and your train would have to call there. The Lewes trains generally bypass Coulsdon South on the quarry line.

 

[yorkie]

I hope I have got this right, and I'm sure Yorkie can find you a better price!

Thanks, but paul1609's a better expert on Southern area fares

 

[Skarpur]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll take paul1609's advice, hopefully taking a Southern advance ticket, just need to completely firm up my itinery before booking!

 

[Skarpur]

Hi again. I'm trying to book the Lewes to All Zones travel card, its showing up as £14.15 on the Southern Website, yet they then want to charge me £6 for postage rather than allowing me to collect it from a fastticket machine. East Coast want to do the same, but obviously without the discount. I can book through London Midland at £16.60 and collect from the machines. Is there any reason why certain websites won't let me book to collect at a station and prefer to charge me extortionate delivery charges?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Managed to answer my own question, seems its due to fraud that they're not allowing tickets to be collected from the machines .

 

[tony_mac]

Managed to answer my own question, seems its due to fraud that they're not allowing tickets to be collected from the machines .

But this only applies to the cheap tickets, (first class and period returns seem to be exempt) and seemingly only to tickets within the southern region.

That's very odd.

 

[Skarpur]

Indeed, the woman at Southern who I spoke to said it should be available again soon but for the moment its just a case of buying at the station. In the end I booked through London Midland which seems to be willing to let me collect from the machine in Lewes.