NXEC Advance Bookings

[DannyBoy]

Hi all,

Does anyone know what day of the week, and about what time, they change the advance booking dates forward a week?

Explanation: At the moment theyre booking until 9th August, and have been since midweek last week (not sure what day). Im looking to book the cheapest possible tickets between the 10th and 14th, but I'm wondering whether its worth staying up tonight to snap the cheapest possible tickets up, in case it changes at Midnight?

Thanks in advance for any help
Dan

 

[clagmonster]

They normally get changed on a Thursdau afternoon or on a Friday.

 

[DannyBoy]

Thanks very much!! Bed-time for me

Dan

 

[ashworth]

NXEC are usually very good at releasing their AP tickets for booking on time and they are usually available by Friday afternoon at the latest. I booked a ticket for the 6th August when it became available last Friday afternoon.

I wish EMT would be as well organised, especially at weekends, as I am still waiting to be able to get cheap AP tickets to/from Nottingham to Norwich on 18th July. There are currently none avialble as yet for any Saturday beyond the end of June.

 

[DannyBoy]

Well they sent the notification email this morning, and updated their website with booking up til 16th August, but the AP fares arent up yet, so it's just a waiting game from here I suppose!

It's quite important, cause the fare DOUBLES if I dont get the cheapest ones, from £16 per person single (which is mind-bogglingly cheap) to £32.05 per person. And its 2 people there and back, so a £64.20 jump is one I wish to avoid!

Dan

P.S The journey in question is Newcastle to Great Yarmouth

 

[andylloyd]

Well they sent the notification email this morning, and updated their website with booking up til 16th August, but the AP fares arent up yet, so it's just a waiting game from here I suppose!

It's quite important, cause the fare DOUBLES if I dont get the cheapest ones, from £16 per person single (which is mind-bogglingly cheap) to £32.05 per person. And its 2 people there and back, so a £64.20 jump is one I wish to avoid!

Dan

P.S The journey in question is Newcastle to Great Yarmouth

Dan,
you may be better breaking your journey up via NXEC and other toc's.
Newcastle - Peterboro with nxec and then your onward routes from there. It should be a lot cheaper doing it that way than booking the whole thing with NXEC

 

[theblackwatch]

Newcastle - Peterboro with nxec and then your onward routes from there. It should be a lot cheaper doing it that way than booking the whole thing with NXEC

That's not my experience with tickets to East Anglia - I've found tickets from Yorkshire to Ely/Cambridge/Ipswich/Norwich for under £12 one way in recent months.

It would appear that, despite NXEC claiming that tickets for journeys up to Aug 16th are available, they are not all on the system yet (as I have found APs from Newcastle to Great Yarmouth for the w/c 3rd but not 10th). This is something I have experienced before, generally they appear within a day or two.

It's worth checking for them appearing as often as you can, ie every hour or two. I was after an AP out of KX back home a few months ago - they weren't on sale at 9.30, they were by 12.30, and by 15.00 some of the cheapest tickets had already gone!

 

[ashworth]

I don't know the full details of how fares for AP tickets are worked out and how they are released. However, I wonder if the fact that tickets are not available to East Anglia has something connected with EMT and the fact that I cannot get AP tickets for July from Nottingham to Norwich. Your route would include the EMT section from Peterborough to Norwich.

If and when they do become available I wonder if you will be able to get through cheap AP tickets to Great Yarmouth. In the past I have never been able to get an AP ticket from Nottingham to Lowestoft and have always had to split the ticket at Norwich. It would be always be advisable to check fares to Norwich in case they become available first.

 

[DannyBoy]

Well Ive had a look at Newcastle to Norwich, and it seems all, except 1 of the trains on the return leg, have sold out at the AP fares. Considering theres still 1 full journey to Great Yarmouth in each direction on w/c 3/8, I find that quite hard to believe. I mean, theres still some AP fares for July still going.

Do yous think I should wait until the full journey fares come online and keep checking, or start making other plans?

As for breaking the journey up, whilst I've seen that idea on here a few times, I strongly doubt I could get any cheaper than £16 single. But if it does come that I've lost out on those tickets, I will look into it.

Thanks for your help everyone
Dan

 

[yorkie]

I don't know the full details of how fares for AP tickets are worked out and how they are released. However, I wonder if the fact that tickets are not available to East Anglia has something connected with EMT and the fact that I cannot get AP tickets for July from Nottingham to Norwich. Your route would include the EMT section from Peterborough to Norwich.

Yes, if they are reservable trains it won't let you do it. The only way round it is to persuade the website to offer you alternative, non-reservable trains. For example it might work if you specify via Cambridge?

I once got someone a ticket changing at Stevenage for Finsbury Park, Highbury & Islington, Stratford to Colchester, on non-reservable trains. NXEC allowed travel into King's Cross and he cycled to Liverpool St.

 

[DannyBoy]

Hi all,

Just a little update, I suppose, to put this thread to bed.

The tickets I wanted came online today. The times were alright (arrive GYM 10/08 21:17, depart 13/08 12:17, but since its a 3 night stay, the times didnt bother me that much anyways. At least it allows breakfast on the return leg

Total cost of the 4 day journey, including guest house? £130.

Thank you all for the replies

Dan