Are you happy to travel via Coach? Megabus are currently offering £8 single each way between Newcastle and Sheffield Meadowhall, then purchasing a Meadowhall to Derby Off Peak Return for £19.60 will bring the cost down to £35.60.
Outward :
0630 Newcastle, John Dobson Street - Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange 1005 £8.00
1028 Meadowhall Train Station - Sheffield arr 1037 dep 1047 arr Derby 1119
Return :
1656 Derby - Sheffield arr 1731 dep 1739 arr Meadowhall 1746
1830 Sheffield Meadowhall - Newcastle, John Dobson Street 2205 £8.00
For reference Meadowhall Train Station is next door to the Interchange bus stops.
That would be £35.60 return.
Its not ideal in terms of journey duration or changes (and depends on your definition of dinner time), but this is cheaper.
1 July
16:25 Newcastle to Newark Northgate Arr 18:17 Advance £16.55
(Walk to Newark Castle approx 1 mile)
19:03 Newark Castle to Derby Arr 20:02 Anytime Day Sinle £8.30
(Changing in Nottingham)
7 July
19:40 Derby to Newark Castle Arr 21:02 Anytime Day Single £8.30
(Changing in Nottingham again, walk to Newark Northgate)
22:59 Newark Northgate to Newcastle Arr 02:11 Advance £10.50
(Changing in Doncaster)
Total: £43.65
(Advance availability as at 19:30 11/06/13, and using eastcoast.co.uk for their own advance discount)
Depends how important cost is ultimately!
The return is fine, is there any earlier for going out to Derby (I want to be there before noon), thanks.
I just don't want to pay a lot if I can get cheaper.
Will going to Doncaster than changing be cheaper?
That was the earliest train from Newcastle at anything like that price. You could do the Sunderland-Doncaster, Doncaster-Derby that you'd mentioned earlier for £24 for the outward - all the tickets are singles so theres no reason you have to return via the same route you went!
How early can you travel on the outward journey?
I would prefer between 16:00 and 18:00
Cheers!
You previously said you wanted to arrive into Derby before 1200?
Oh sorry! I thought you meant when going back... I want to get there around noon time or before hand and I want to come back to the toon after tea time.
How about:
Newcastle 09:35 - York 10:31 Advance £10
York 10:45 - Chesterfield 12:06 Advance £9.50
Chesterfield 12:06 - Derby 12:26 £3.50
(York to Derby is the same train)
Total outward £23
So will that be one way £23 and 2 changes? Newcastle > York > Chesterfield > Derby?
What do you mean York to Derby is the same train?
Sorry I am noob at trains... bare with me haha.
What site will I use to buy these?
Cheers so much, I knew I could get down compared to the £180 odd I've seen and that haha!
You can buy all of them on www.eastcoast.co.uk. You don't need to pay separately, just keep adding all these tickets into the basket and pay in one go.
The £171 (which I think is what you mean) Anytime Return is a fully flexible ticket valid for one month in the return leg and valid on any train. Its flexibility means higher price.
What's the maximum you would be looking at paying?
If you're not sure which day you'll return, then an Off-Peak return for £86.90 seems the best bet.
Which site are you using to get the £86.90, I've been reading 80 odd quid single there and 40 odd quid back and the returns are like 180 odd quid? From the thetrainline.