MegaBus/Train

[MikeWh]

I have previously bought ticket number 10 for a HAV - WAT journey at £1.

My 7th ticket was numbered 10 because my sister had 8 and 9. Looks like 8 could be the quota on SWT services.

 

[NathanPrior]

Giving this a try on March 3rd from London to Southampton for £5 return, can't argue.

Even though I'm going Bournemouth I'm gonna get off at Southampton and change, even though the train I'm on goes to Bournemouth, if I change I get into Bournemouth 42mins earlier than I would if I stayed on that train as it stays at Southampton for 15mins or so and calls at every station along the way.

 

[scotsman]

Giving this a try on March 3rd from London to Southampton for £5 return, can't argue.

Even though I'm going Bournemouth I'm gonna get off at Southampton and change

And you will get a Penalty Fare for £94.40 when you do

 

[shinkansen1966]

I been checking on Megabus/Train website and they have some rail journeys for £1.00 with an 50p, has anyone used MegaTrain/Bus? just want some information and wait to do when you pay for a ticket(less)

I've travelled on the train/Megabus several times. It's absolutely fine. On each, occasion, I've done the run between St Pancras and Bradford / Keighley changing at East Midlands Parkway. I've made about 6 round trips. Almost every bus and train was on time and generally got a double seat.

Once they were doing a free seat sale, so I got to Yorkshire for just the 50p booking fee return. Others times, I've paid £6 - £12 return.

Will do the trip again. It's fine.

 

[sheff1]

And you will get a Penalty Fare for £94.40 when you do

And why would that be ?

 

[NathanPrior]

And you will get a Penalty Fare for £94.40 when you do

£8.50 return on the day from Southampton to Bournemouth

 

[Anvil1984]

£8.50 return on the day from Southampton to Bournemouth

Just beware if you get caught at Southampton somehow you will be charged a full Standard Open Single as well because you arent allowed to end your journey short on those tickets

 

[sheff1]

Just beware if you get caught at Southampton somehow you will be charged a full Standard Open Single as well because you arent allowed to end your journey short on those tickets

How can you be ending your journey short when you alight at the destination you have booked to ?

 

[NathanPrior]

Just beware if you get caught at Southampton somehow you will be charged a full Standard Open Single as well because you arent allowed to end your journey short on those tickets

No, I'm on MegaTrain TO Southampton, then getting tickets FROM Southampton to Bournemouth

 

[Anvil1984]

sorry misread

 

[MikeWh]

No, I'm on MegaTrain TO Southampton, then getting tickets FROM Southampton to Bournemouth

And you'll be fine with what you suggest as well. I know the sequence involved from my trip, the fast to Weymouth overtakes the Poole stopper while it sits in Southampton. The only thing to check is whether you'll get advances all the way to Bournemouth any cheaper? Possibly not though.

 

[sheff1]

No, I'm on MegaTrain TO Southampton, then getting tickets FROM Southampton to Bournemouth

Yes, that was very clear in your posts.

Perhaps these people threatening Penalty Fares and the like work(ed) for SWT. Some of that company's staff like to make up rules as they go along, as I and others have found out. :-x

Edit - see one poster had misread

 

[NathanPrior]

And you'll be fine with what you suggest as well. I know the sequence involved from my trip, the fast to Weymouth overtakes the Poole stopper while it sits in Southampton. The only thing to check is whether you'll get advances all the way to Bournemouth any cheaper? Possibly not though.

Advance to Bournemouth would of been about £25 by the time I had enough to buy them, so I'm saving myself easily £10 or maybe more by doing MegaTrain and from then on. It's a shame advance from southampton to bournemouth don't exist

 

[bb21]

Speaking of quotas on megatrain, they are separate for separate destinations too, even if it is all on the same service. I have had a number of occasions before where the 1759 from Bournemouth was priced at £5, whereas the 1740 from Poole (the same service as the 1759) was only £1, so sometimes it is worth checking the prices for a number of destinations.

In addition, a quota for the maximum number of tickets in each tier available to all destinations also seems to be in operation. All tickets sold for travel onboard one service appear to be numbered consecutively. For example, one of the journeys I did a few months back showed £1 fares to all destinations (Bournemouth/Poole/Weymouth amongst others) early on. Then one £1 ticket was booked (numbered 1) to Poole and the Poole fare went up to £5. After that a £1 fare (numbered 2) was booked to Weymouth and the Weymouth fare went up to £5 too. However then the £1 Bournemouth fare also disappeared. When the third ticket was booked, to Bournemouth, it was numbered 3 but was sold for £5. This meant that there was possibly a quota of 2 tickets at the lowest price level for all destinations on that service.

Most Bournemouth/Poole/Weymouth journeys appear to have only one £1 fare available, and the same applies to EMT services for Leicester/Derby/Nottingham.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Advance to Bournemouth would of been about £25 by the time I had enough to buy them, so I'm saving myself easily £10 or maybe more by doing MegaTrain and from then on. It's a shame advance from southampton to bournemouth don't exist

Don't forget that you can get 10% off megatrain fares with an NUS Extra card.

 

[NorthOxford]

I wonder if megabus/megatrain would go further north than York? Going to Scarborough or Whitby on summer weekends would be great!

 

[General Zod]

Megabus does have a service between London/Oxford and Middlesbrough from where you can catch the train to Whitby. The trains are infrequent though.

 

[Deerfold]

Megabus does have a service between London/Oxford and Middlesbrough from where you can catch the train to Whitby. The trains are infrequent though.

Lots of local buses Middlesborough to Whitby:

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/uploadedfiles/Services/North_East/newh93,X93_301011_051011.pdf

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/uploadedfiles/Services/North_East/nesk5,5a,X5_220112_170112.pdf

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/uploadedfiles/Services/North_East/nejeX60_280511_190411.pdf

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/uploadedfiles/Services/North_East/neduX61_220411_010411.pdf

 

[Splitix]

Just spotted this thread and I thought I would say that I've written a simple Android app to make searching for Megatrain tickets a little easier.

https://market.android.com/details?...51bGwsMSwxLDEsInVrLmNvLnRvbWRlZS5tZWdhYnVzIl0.

The two key features are that you can filter by "train" up front (the website doesn't allow this) and also allow searches over a range of dates.

I let the app languish in the app store in a broken state for quite a while so it's picked up quite a few bad reviews but I'm pretty sure it works OK now. Would love to hear if it's useful for anyone.

 

[MarkyMarkD]

Do you have a PC version of that, Splitix?

 

[Splitix]

Do you have a PC version of that, Splitix?

Nope, 'fraid not.

 

[MarkyMarkD]

OK! Thanks, anyway.

 

[34D]

Do you have a PC version of that, Splitix?

Or a blackberry version?

 

[LondonJohn]

I use Megabus/Megatrain only when I can get a £1 ticket - I think sometimes there is just one at that price. So cheap it's worth a little inconvenience.

The 50p booking fee is charged only once if you book several journeys together. I sometimes book on two services an hour or two apart to give some flexibility/insurance, though that isn't always possible on the train routes.

I only really use Megatrain when the tickets are £1 each, (rarely £4). In November I was able to book Waterloo-Soton on XMAS Eve for £4, returning on 27 Dec for £1 and back down again for £1 on New Years Eve and back to London on 2 Jan for £1 so 2 return trips for £7.50.

You do have to be careful though because I booked a Saturday journey from Waterloo to Southampton together with a few other trips all on one reservation to pay the 50p booking fee and engineering works was introduced on that weekend and they cancelled the train but the email that I got cancelled ALL the journeys and refunded the money. Was a hassle to try and get the other bookings reinstated.

I really do wish there would be Sunday megatrain tickets between Southampton/London but I guess there are not as they know thats a popular journey for weekends away.

 

[34D]

You do have to be careful though because I booked a Saturday journey from Waterloo to Southampton together with a few other trips all on one reservation to pay the 50p booking fee and engineering works was introduced on that weekend and they cancelled the train

Can they cancel after you've agreed a contract? Surely you should be able to travel on other trains?

 

[AlterEgo]

Can they cancel after you've agreed a contract? Surely you should be able to travel on other trains?

If the train is cancelled, you are able to take the next available service on a Megatrain ticket. Or, you can get a refund.

 

[34D]

If the train is cancelled, you are able to take the next available service on a Megatrain ticket. Or, you can get a refund.

London John suggests he received an automatic refund?

 

[bb21]

London John suggests he received an automatic refund?

Megatrain do that sometimes. I believe that the passenger is entitled to travel on the next service if the booked one is cancelled, which is what happened to some of us a few months back.

They should not be allowed to unilaterally cancel the contract to the detriment of the passenger if there is no breach from the passenger's part.