Newcastle to London 28th March

[Kryten2340]

Hi,

Not sure if this should go here or gen discussion but I'm travelling to Kings Cross on 28th March, returning on the 30th. Currently East Coast only has advance tickets up to the 28th. Based on the last time I traveled (2 years ago but in July) the next weeks fares were released 2 weeks later.

Is this still the trend?

Main reason I ask is I don't get paid until the 24th and concerned the cheapest fares will go straight away. Obviously nothing I can do about it but is this a quiet time for East Coast and won't have any problems or should I expect the cheapest fares to go by then?

 

[MKD]

Well I think you'd be best buying the Advance ticket Newcastle to London ASAP as East Coast current January Sale at flat rate of £10, with 28 March the LAST day you can buy for on that offer!

Go via their Sale page to see the £10 fares (if any left, were LOADS as I typed this)...
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/january
[If you've previously visited the East Coast site you MAY need to clear cookies to ensure the £10 standard £25 first Sale prices show up]

The January Sale offer runs out on 10th, and actual seats on specific trains run out whenever their allocation system decides!

This National Rail page gives an indication of when the various TOCs have released advance tix up to, though I haven't always found it accurate in the past - ie always best to just try the TOC's own website to see what's really on offer today
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/44703.aspx

(Note the East Coast Sale prices are ONLY through their own site and that link, whereas other Advance tickets MIGHT be better value eg via a £back site to say RedSpottedHanky where you have redeemed some Tesco Clubcard points at double value.)

 

[yorkie]

Buy for the 28th now in the Sale.

Book the 30th later, but they are likely to go on sale this Friday.

 

[MKD]

FYI: East Coast have extended booking for the 'Sale' to Fri 10/1, so hopefully you can still bag a Fri 28/3 £10 EC Flat Fare down on Fri (still some when I looked today 9/1) and at the same time have opportunity to be sure you can get an Advance back on Sun 30/3 at price you're happy with - assuming you can find a cool friend to let you buy on their credit card or whatever to see you through to your pay day

 

[Kryten2340]

Sorted mate cheers. Will book the return tomorrow. Kinda wishing I went first class but looks like I may have found free wifi so not too fussed.

On a side note I will be using the tube in zones 1-4. Is there any advantage to getting an Oyster card compared to a day ticket?

 

[CallySleeper]

On a side note I will be using the tube in zones 1-4. Is there any advantage to getting an Oyster card compared to a day ticket?

From 19th Jan you won't be able to buy Z1234 travelcard, only Z123456. Were you to use Oyster then the most you would pay (off peak, no railcards) would be £7.70*, as apposed to the Z123456 travelcard which is £8.90.

*Not including cost of the card (£5).

 

[Kryten2340]

Got the return leg booked today. £27.95. Is this now the cheapest fare for an advance single? Last time I travelled which I admit was two years ago was £15. Still can't complain, £40 round trip and I'm saying at a mates so no hotels to worry about

 

[Romilly]

£15 (if booked on the East Coast website) is still the cheapest "Advance" ticket between Newcastle/Durham and London Kings X, but Sundays are busy days on the East Coast Mainline, and the £15 fare is available from Newcastle on 30th March only on the 0750, 0850 and 0925 departures.

 

[CallySleeper]

Doesn't the promotion end on the 28th?

 

[John @ home]

£15 (if booked on the East Coast website) is still the cheapest "Advance" ticket between Newcastle/Durham and London Kings X

Doesn't the promotion end on the 28th?

The £15 ticket mentioned by Romilly is not the £10 or £15 EC Flat Fare (which was indeed an offer available for travel until 28 March 2014 only) or the £12 newspaper Reader Offer (which appears in local newspapers 2 or 3 times a year). It is the £16.85 Advance Single, which is reduced by 11% to £15 if purchased at eastcoast.co.uk.