Liverpool to Cambridge

[ChrisTheRef]

HELP!

My friend is travelling to Cambridge on Thurs 26/11/2009 for a Uni interview.

Arrival in Cambridge 1:30pm LATEST! (could be 12pm if you like)

Returning between 4pm and 5pm

He has a young persons railcard and would prefer to avoid London, but obviously doesn't mind if it'll save him £20!

Cheers folks!

 

[gordonthemoron]

£144.25 via London
£90.50 via Leicester or Grantham

 

[tony_mac]

avoiding London can add between 1 and 2 hours each way to the journey - Euston to Kings Cross is an easy interchange; one stop on the tube or a 10 minute walk down Euston Road.

Use Virgin's website to check fares, as they allow railcard holders to use an off-peak ticket on peak-time trains, it looks like £54.50 return; a Not London anytime ticket is £59.75.
There are advance tickets available, but you won't save much money, and the only 'not London' ones are quite slow (8:22 outward change at Manchester, Doncaster, Peterborough to arrive 13:08 - £21.70 single )

 

[gordonthemoron]

so much for the NXEC website, I concur that £50.40 is the cheapest return fare from Virgin

 

[mathmo]

Having done a similar journey (Runcorn - Cambridge) a fair few times in the past, I strongly suggest your friend goes via London: it's a much nicer journey, with many fewer changes and better options if trains are late. The best ticket for this is the £50.40 Off-Peak Return (route "Any Permitted") mentioned above. It can be done more cheaply but that would be a false economy in this case.

I suggest your friend gets:
08.48 Liverpool Lime Street - London Euston 10.56
then walk or tube to King's Cross (tube is probably easier if you're unsure of the way, as the area outside Euston is unpleasant if you haven't been there before)
then 11.15 to Cambridge if you make it to King's Cross in good time (arrives soon after 12.00) or the 11.45 if you're late (gets in after 12.30). The trains between Cambridge and King's Cross are very good, at xx15 and xx45 in both directions (don't get the slow ones, they're rubbish).

For the way back, just get on the first fast train from Cambridge to King's Cross, then the first Liverpool train from Euston - that's the beauty of this ticket!

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Thanks guys! I think it is £54.50 as mentioned somewhere near the top.

Shame he's left it too late for APs.

Thanks once again