New to forum, help please - Manchester to Glasgow

[upstartg69]

Just about to buy a disabled rail card for travel between Manchester and Glasgow for the next 6 months only using it once a month, travelling midweek ,very early starts suits me, any tips on cheaper tickets , thanks

 

[Romilly]

Welcome to the forum.

You may want to think about "Advance" tickets, i.e. one-way tickets that are valid only on the train(s) you specify at the time of booking. These are generally available for journeys within the next 12 weeks. Of course, you need to know your travel times in advance for these to be an option.

So looking at a random date (Wed 19 October), with your railcard discount there are Advance singles for £7.60 outward from Manchester on the 0500 or 0716, and returning from Glasgow on the 1309, 1509 or 1709. Total there and back: £15.20.

And tickets at those prices are still available for e.g. 7 September.

 

[ScotTrains]

Cheapest tickets appear to be on Transpennine Trains (£7.60 Std, £21.20 1st class). These trains are direct.

Virgin trains (involving a change at Preston) appear to start from £7.90 Std, £27.70 1st class.

If you want to travel first class I would recommend Virgin as it allows lounge access at both Manchester and Glasgow. If you pick the right trains you can also receive a complimentary hot breakfast and hot dinner with free alcoholic drinks.

 

[adrock1976]

Furthermore as to what has been mentioned above, you can sometimes get the fare cheaper by splitting tickets at Preston.

 

[upstartg69]

Furthermore as to what has been mentioned above, you can sometimes get the fare cheaper by splitting tickets at Preston.

Could you. Give me an example please , do you mean Glasgow to Preston (1 ticket) then Preston to Manchester, confused sorry, david

 

[plastictaffy]

Yes. The trains you travel on must call there though. Of course if you change trauins there then that's the same.
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For example, let's say I am travelling London Euston to Birmingham New Street, with London MIdland as that's the cheapest. Let's say that if I buy a ticket from London to Northampton, and then Northampton to Birmingham, it's cheaper than buying one from Euston to Birmingham' (it isn't, but for the sake of this demonstartion, lets say it is) As long as the train I get on at Euston calls at Northampton - LM's Birminghams all do, then splitting the ticket there is fine.

Let's say that I decide to do the same journey, but split the ticket at Watford Junction. However the train I board at Euston is first stop Leighton Buzzard, and doesn't stop at Watford, I cannot split the ticket there as the train doesn't stop there.

That make more sense??

 

[Romilly]

While I agree with all that has been said, I do not think that splitting tickets at an intermediate calling point will on this particular journey produce anything cheaper than the £15.20 return price, unless of course tickets are being booked shortly before travel at a time when the £7.60 tickets have sold out.

 

[Starmill]

It won't produce a cheaper fare than a through train.

However, as through trains are somewhat limited, the OP may wish to use a Virgin Trains service from Preston (or Wigan North Western) to Glasgow Central. There's a good chance of splitting making that cheaper if the OP is willing to change trains.