My first £100

[networkrail1]

Hi everyone.

I have just put my first £100 into a pot for saveing up £1,500 for a all line rover.

Does anyone have any storys to tell about their trips on ALR's.

Or any advice about it as i have no idea where to buy it.

All the best.

Simon

 

[142094]

You can buy it at the station on the day you leave, or a few weeks in advance.

One thing I'd look at is if you could do some of the journeys cheaper on advance tickets. My next 7 day trip I plan to do next year will be advance tickets only, seeing how far I can get on £100-£150 or so.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Hi everyone.
I have just put my first £100 into a pot for saving up £1,500 for a all line rover.

Blimey - these fare rises are getting ridiculous....!!

 

[MCR247]

That prices is for a 14 day 1st class I think though!

Bear in mind the time restrictions coming into place

 

[networkrail1]

Hi all

The ticket i am going for is a 7 day first class ALR.

The reason for the £1,500 is for the following:-

ALR 7 day First class ticket £650 IIRC.
Enough money for 7 nights in hotels just incase £400.
£400 spending money eg food drink fags ect.

I want to at least get both sleepers in and a trip fron thruso to penzance, eg john o groats to lands end.

All the best.

Simon

 

[142094]

I stayed in B+Bs, think the total for this was around £200.

 

[ainsworth74]

Enough money for 7 nights in hotels just incase £400.

Further to 142094 said you should also consider using the sleepers to help save money on accommodation.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

You're doing the end to end with this Rover?

Have a gander of this thread:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32766




Message me if you need the taxi firm numbers for each end of the country, or any other tips.

 

[networkrail1]

You're doing the end to end with this Rover?

Have a gander of this thread:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32766




Message me if you need the taxi firm numbers for each end of the country, or any other tips.

Yes i do want to do a end to end trip ,however i am not going to use taxis only trains and busses and i plan to start at john o groats and go to lands end in one day.

All the best.

Simon

 

[MCR247]

I did a 7 day first class one and spent £240 on hotels and 2 sleepers. Used premier inn

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes i do want to do a end to end trip ,however i am not going to use taxis only trains and busses and i plan to start at john o groats and go to lands end in one day.

All the best.

Simon

Hope it works out; assuming the timetable is basically how it was for me this year you'll have a very tight connection at Plymouth unless they have re-instated the 09.06 as a through train to Penzance.

If it is a connection and it uses the same platforms as it did for me then try to get off the HST from about the 2nd carriage from the front - the 150/2 for the onwards leg to Penzance *should* be literally straight across the platform for you.

Be aware the bus services at each extremity are rather sparse.

 

[networkrail1]

Hope it works out; assuming the timetable is basically how it was for me this year you'll have a very tight connection at Plymouth unless they have re-instated the 09.06 as a through train to Penzance.

If it is a connection and it uses the same platforms as it did for me then try to get off the HST from about the 2nd carriage from the front - the 150/2 for the onwards leg to Penzance *should* be literally straight across the platform for you.

Be aware the bus services at each extremity are rather sparse.

I wont be going via Plymouth the route i am going to take is:-

THS-INV.
INV-EDB.
EDB-KGX.
Then walk from KGX to PAD.
Then PAD-PNZ on the FGW sleeper.

Key for station codes (for anyone who doesn't know):-
THS = Thurso.
INV = Inverness.
EDB= Edinburgh.
KGX = London Kings Cross.
PAD = London Paddington.
PNZ = Penzance.

All the best.

Simon

 

[4SRKT]

Stay in Youth Hostels. It'll save a fortune. Also, I presume you eat, drink and smoke when you're not on an ALR, so why do you have to budget for food, drink and fags?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I wont be going via Plymouth the route i am going to take is:-

THS-INV.
INV-EDB.
EDB-KGX.
Then walk from KGX to PAD.
Then PAD-PNZ on the FGW sleeper.

I guess you're walking because you don't want to pay the tube fare? Obviously this is pretty mean, but I fully understand 'cos I do it myself! Why not use proper trains instead if there's time? Maybe St Pancras > London Bridge > Waterloo East > Waterloo > Windsor & Eton Riverside > Central > Slough > Paddington (or Reading and get the sleeper there).

 

[networkrail1]

I guess you're walking because you don't want to pay the tube fare?

Hi 4SRKT

The reason i am walking and not using the tube is because A) i wouldn't know where to start with fares and B) i dint like how packed it is, as well as it being underground, claustrophobia runs in the family.

Plus why get the tube when i can have a nice relaxing walk while having a fag and see the sights of London (only been to London twice in my life).

All the best.

Simon

P.S. At one point on my trip i want to use the caledonian sleeper, if i already have a ticket how do i just pay for the berth, as on scotrail's website they want me to pay for a ticket and a berth.

 

[4SRKT]

Hi 4SRKT

The reason i am walking and not using the tube is because A) i wouldn't know where to start with fares and B) i dint like how packed it is, as well as it being underground, claustrophobia runs in the family.

Plus why get the tube when i can have a nice relaxing walk while having a fag and see the sights of London (only been to London twice in my life).

All the best.

Simon

P.S. At one point on my trip i want to use the caledonian sleeper, if i already have a ticket how do i just pay for the berth, as on scotrail's website they want me to pay for a ticket and a berth.

Ring up ScotRail. They're very helpful. You just pay £38 for the berth, or reserve a seat in the seated coach for nowt.

 

[networkrail1]

Hi All.

I am now up to £500 in the saving department only another £1,900 to go now lol.

All the best.

Simon

 

[HST Power]

What are you saving for?

Oops, I know. I didn't realise there was a first page!

 

[networkrail1]

Hi all

The ticket has now changed to a 14 day first class ALR.

This new ticket will now cost £2,500

The reason for the £2,500 is for the following:-

ALR 7 day First class ticket £990 IIRC.
Enough money for 14 nights in hotels just incase £600.
£600 spending money eg food drink fags ect.

Prices are just an estimate as haven't even begun to plan yet.

All the best.

Simon

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I think you'll need to budget more than £600 for the hotels? If you're turning up on the off chance "on the day" you might get a cheap room that they can't shift, but very likely you'll end up being lucky to get a room for less than £50 outside the big towns and more than double that within places like London.

 

[MCR247]

Book in advance at Premier Inns! If you are looking to stay nr London, the Northampton one is £19 very often and has a pretty good LM service

Things like left luggage may be helpful if you wanted to do something like this:

In hotel, on day 4 for example, you have two/three bags, (bearing in mind its a 14 day!) and you notice you will be in London Euston the next morning, and then the evening on the day after. If you specially packed on bag, to keep with you, and drop the other two off at left luggage in the morning, for £12 you can leave the hassle of two more bags in London