Megabargain !!!!

[Butts]

I have this week purchased a ticket on Megatrain for a journey from Edinburgh to Birmingham for the princely sum of £1 (plus 50p booking fee)
The trip is in August on a Thursday on the 1852 Virgin Service.

I have a couple of questions:

I have the printed confirmation with the booking reference - is this what you have to show The Ticket Inspector ? (ie you don't need a seperate ticket) It has not got a barcode on.

Why are these bargain basement travel opportunities not given much publicity in the media etc - perhaps there is only 1 £1 fare on each train !!

I normally travel 1st Class due to the length of the journey but for a quid I'll put up with the cramped 2/6's.

Will have to utilise my "Bite Card" (another underpublicised moneysaver) to stock up before boarding !!!

 

[CheshirePaul]

I used MegaTrain a few weeks ago and went from Crewe to Glasgow Central for £1 each way.

I had no problems with the conductor checking tickets, Just show him your booking confirmation print out and you will be fine.

Enjoy your bargain journey.

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

If you have opted to receive a ticket via SMS then you can simply show that to whomever checks your ticket. I've bagged me some £1 London/Liverpool tickets for August.

 

[Clip]

They dont want to advertise them too much as the general public would be up in arms if they all couldnt buy them.

but thats a steal.. And i believe only a couple available each day

 

[route:oxford]

They are great aren't they.

Megatrain tickets are quite rare, but always worth taking a moment to check for.

It's just a shame that Birmingham is so poorly connected with the rest of the UK after 9pm, otherwise I'd use the 18.52 service whether by megatrain, advance purchase or full price.

 

[Smethwickian]

I have this week purchased a ticket on Megatrain for a journey from Edinburgh to Birmingham for the princely sum of £1 (plus 50p booking fee)
The trip is in August on a Thursday on the 1852 Virgin Service.

I have a couple of questions:

I have the printed confirmation with the booking reference - is this what you have to show The Ticket Inspector ? (ie you don't need a seperate ticket) It has not got a barcode on.

Why are these bargain basement travel opportunities not given much publicity in the media etc - perhaps there is only 1 £1 fare on each train !!

I normally travel 1st Class due to the length of the journey but for a quid I'll put up with the cramped 2/6's.

Will have to utilise my "Bite Card" (another underpublicised moneysaver) to stock up before boarding !!!

I've travelled half a dozen times in the last couple of years on the 1852, often midweek and usually with a Megatrain ticket (anywhere from £1 to £5 - so well done for getting the £1 this time), and it was never crowded - in fact, often barely a handful on by the time it gets to Brum. Only exception, I suppose, might be Festival time.

If you use your Bite card at Upper Crust, ask if they still have buy-five-coffees-get-one-free loyalty cards, likewise there should still be a buy-four-get-one-free hot drinks card at Pumpkin.

 

[All Line Rover]

Why are these bargain basement travel opportunities not given much publicity in the media etc - perhaps there is only 1 £1 fare on each train !!

I believe that there is only 1 £1 fare available on the 06:19 Birmingham to Edinburgh, the 18:52 Edinburgh to Birmingham, and the 21:07 London to Liverpool services. The 06:19 and 18:52 only seem to have about 3 £3 fares too.

A few days ago I booked a ticket for me and mum on the 21:07 service to Crewe (I did it very early in the morning). It came up with £1 for 1 person, but £4 for 2 people, which gives the impression that only 1 £1 fare is available on that service.

There are exceptions, though, such as the 05:57 Crewe to Glasgow and 20:10 Glasgow to Crewe services, where many £1 fares are available (the 20:10 in particular is very quiet).

 

[bb21]

I have this week purchased a ticket on Megatrain for a journey from Edinburgh to Birmingham for the princely sum of £1 (plus 50p booking fee)
The trip is in August on a Thursday on the 1852 Virgin Service.

I have a couple of questions:

I have the printed confirmation with the booking reference - is this what you have to show The Ticket Inspector ? (ie you don't need a seperate ticket) It has not got a barcode.

To answer your original question, yes, the confirmation printout is sufficient. In fact, the T&Cs state that only the reference number is required so you could have just written it down on a piece of paper. It is not compulsory to print anything out.

 

[46100ROYALSCOT]

hopefully relevant to this topic if not please move to appropriate. If I am travelling on a Megabus / train ticket and the booked train is cancelled or late can I use my ticket on another train?

 

[John @ home]

If I am travelling on a Megabus / train ticket and the booked train is cancelled or late can I use my ticket on another train?

Yes, if it is cancelled.

Reservation terms and conditions

19. If the train you are booked on is cancelled, you may travel only on the next train provided by the carrier, or you may have a full refund of the fare (and the booking fee). ...

Compensation for delays is not offered.

http://uk.megabus.com/terms.aspx

 

[First class]

Reservation terms and conditions

19. If the train you are booked on is cancelled, you may travel only on the next train provided by the carrier, or you may have a full refund of the fare (and the booking fee). ...

Compensation for delays is not offered.

http://uk.megabus.com/terms.aspx

Is it not possible that whatever TOC it is could just refund the megatrain fare plus booking fee and say sorry that's us done with you??
Depends on how you read the terms IMO.

 

[telstarbox]

A bargain indeed - personally I'd prefer to see fewer £1 tickets (and other supercheap advances like £3 Liverpool - Manchester) if it meant walk-up tickets were cheaper than, for instance, £107 to get from Edinburgh to Birmingham.
Having said that - what a deal! Enjoy the trip.

 

[Butts]

To everyone who replied for your interesting comments.

I am quite chuffed to think that I got the only £1 fare available on the 1852 Edinburgh to Birmingham if thats the case.

How about this scenario if I bale out at Wolverhampton and get on a train to Sandwell & Dudley without leaving the Station will that be ok. I will get a Wolves to S&D ticket in advance and take it with me.

It will cost three times as much to do this short journey as hundreds of miles from Edinburgh.

Why don't the Megatrain fares faciltate a Wolverhampton option (the train stops there) to save this tomfoolery on my part !!!

 

[bb21]

Why don't the Megatrain fares faciltate a Wolverhampton option (the train stops there) to save this tomfoolery on my part !!!

Because it is demand-dependent and only offered for flows with low passenger numbers.

How about this scenario if I bale out at Wolverhampton and get on a train to Sandwell & Dudley without leaving the Station will that be ok. I will get a Wolves to S&D ticket in advance and take it with me.

We have covered this topic in many discussions before. In short, the answer is 'no'. You're not permitted to stop short with megatrain tickets and, if caught, could be liable for the full single fare for the journey you actually made (and I believe that excessing is not an option with megatrain bookings). In reality, it is debatable how enforceable it is in scenarios such as the one you described above. We do not condone such behaviour, and you do so at your own risk.

 

[Butts]

Because it is demand-dependent and only offered for flows with low passenger numbers.

Is Edinburgh-Wolverhampton much more popular than to Birmingham ???

We have covered this topic in many discussions before. In short, the answer is 'no'. You're not permitted to stop short with megatrain tickets and, if caught, could be liable for the full single fare for the journey you actually made (and I believe that excessing is not an option with megatrain bookings). In reality, it is debatable how enforceable it is in scenarios such as the one you described above. We do not condone such behaviour, and you do so at your own risk.

Point taken - suitably chastised !!!


Have just got up early and blagged the return journey on the Monday Birmingham to Edinburgh for £1 !!!!

So that's £3 return Edinburgh - Birmingham (including booking fee)

Normally I would object to a 50% booking fee but I think I can overlook it on this ocassion !!!!!