London to Rochdale

[Essexman]

I want to travel from London to Rochdale, out via Leeds & back via Manchester, staying overnight at Rochdale and breaking my return journey at Macclesfield.

The only flexible 'saver type' tickets I can find specify either via Doncaster (super off peak return £93.50) or Manchester (off peak return £70).

It would seem reasonable that the more expensive ticket should be valid by either route, but perhaps reasonableness went out with privatisation.

I can do it on advances, but am not sure how long my meeting will be in Macclesfield.

Is there a flexible return that is valid by either route?

 

[yorkie]

Buy the cheaper ticket. A change of route excess is half the difference in price (£11.75).

This is the only type of excess that you can legitimately ask for at the time the original ticket is purchased IMO, and the right to this is mentioned in the Routeing Guide.

The excess is the same price whether bought in advance, on the day or even board the train (some ticket office staff do not know how to do this type of excess correctly, but guards are usually clued up!)

 

[Essexman]

Buy the cheaper ticket. A change of route excess is half the difference in price (£11.75).

This is the only type of excess that you can legitimately ask for at the time the original ticket is purchased IMO, and the right to this is mentioned in the Routeing Guide.

The excess is the same price whether bought in advance, on the day or even board the train (some ticket office staff do not know how to do this type of excess correctly, but guards are usually clued up!)

Thanks. I'll pay on the train. The booking office at my local station will struggle with a return to Rochdale let alone a change of route excess.