Open ended question about Northern Rovers

[pennine]

Next Tuesday I am considering purchasing a rover, the trouble is I'm not sure which to get, I am torn between Freedom of the North East and the North Country one. I do want to get some mileage in, and have no preference, but wondering which one is best from other peoples expereinces.

I feel inspired by other members trip reports, that i want to take the lunge and start my first rover and report.

Any feedback will be welcome!

 

[d1672]

Hi,
I've used the FoNE one earlier this year and I based myself in Hull for the week. I got a return ticket from Cumbernauld to Carlisle and then used the rover. I really enjoyed it.
I had no problems using the rover at all and bought some plusbus tickets as well e.g. Hull, Leeds and York.

Thomas

 

[pennine]

Hi,
I've used the FoNE one earlier this year and I based myself in Hull for the week. I got a return ticket from Cumbernauld to Carlisle and then used the rover. I really enjoyed it.
I had no problems using the rover at all and bought some plusbus tickets as well e.g. Hull, Leeds and York.

Thomas

Hi there Thomas, thank you for that. I think the reason I am torn is that I haven't done the section of WCM and I coukd potentially use the class 350 and pendolino (rarity for me as I live in Redcar). But on the other hand have never visited North Lincolnshire. Its these sorts of descions that makes these trips so difficult for me.

Did you do the Settle to Carlisle line? This is one I am yet to do!

 

[Starmill]

The Freedom of the North East is a very good one indeed, covering as it does all the way down to Retford - Sheffield (and the Doncaster - Gainsborough bit too, not that it is easy to find a train on there) and the Settle and Carlisle plus the Tyne Valley line in their entireties. I certainly enjoyed mine, and you can get the value out of it by just doing Leeds to York once a day given how overpriced some tickets are on this route.

 

[ashworth]

I'm sure the Freedom of the North East would be a fantastic ticket to get and very good value if you get the 7 day version. It's something I must do sometime. The 4 day versions are not such good value and the North Country one is not available in a 7 day version.
I've just got back from staying with friends in Blackpool during which I made very full use of the similar 7 day North West Rover.
Off again later this month down South and already got a 7 Day Southern Daysave for exploring the South Coast. Very good value as there are no time restrictions on this one. Covers all Southern Services from London and South coast stretching from Ashford and Hastings right across to Portsmouth and Southampton.

 

[Buttsy]

I did a FoNE a few weeks ago and think I got my money's worth.

Saturday: (Oxford) - Sheffield - York - Pontefract Baghill (walk) Pontefract Tanshelf - Wakefield Kirkgate - Meadowhall - Habrough - Gainsborough Central (walk) Gainsborough Lea Road - Retford - Hull. (Plan was to go from Lea Road straight to Doncaster, but lightning strike meant train was 30 late into Gainsborough Central.)
Sunday: Hull - Hessle (walk) North Ferriby - Hull - Doncaster - Wakefield Kirkgate - Leeds - Gargrave (walk) Skipton - Bingley - Leeds - Hull (via Castleford).
Monday: Hull - Brough -Selby - Soult Milford (walk) Sherburn-in-Elmet - Moorthorpe (walk) South Elmsall - Leeds - Harrogate (walk) Starbeck - Knarsborough - York - Howden (walk) Eastrington - Hull.
Tuesday: Hull - York - Newcastle (walk) Manors - Newcastle - Nunthorpe - Grosmont - (Goathland) - (Whitby)
Also did a walk from Whitby to Cloughton along the old trackbed on Wednesday and had a trip out to Seamer & back from Scarborough on the Thursday before heading back to York and Oxford.

I would say that the FoNE is pretty good value.

 

[ainsworth74]

I guess it depends on how desperately you want to try out the 390 or the 350! Personally if you're keen on trying them I'd do the North Country Rover as I don't think that bit of North Lincolnshire is that interesting stock/scenery wise. Also the North Country would enable you to do S&C, Tyne Valley, and Cumbrian Coast which are all worth doing (and I'd rank Cumbrian Coast over that bit of North Lincs). Also the electric services in the Leeds triangle (Skipton, Bradford Forster Square and up to Ilkely) are quite good for novelty (an electric train in Northern livery? What is this witchcraft!) and also to see a high quality EMU (333s).

Also a good break from the Cumbrian Coast Line can be had at Ravenglass by doing the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.

 

[pennine]

I guess it depends on how desperately you want to try out the 390 or the 350! Personally if you're keen on trying them I'd do the North Country Rover as I don't think that bit of North Lincolnshire is that interesting stock/scenery wise. Also the North Country would enable you to do S&C, Tyne Valley, and Cumbrian Coast which are all worth doing (and I'd rank Cumbrian Coast over that bit of North Lincs). Also the electric services in the Leeds triangle (Skipton, Bradford Forster Square and up to Ilkely) are quite good for novelty (an electric train in Northern livery? What is this witchcraft!) and also to see a high quality EMU (333s).

Also a good break from the Cumbrian Coast Line can be had at Ravenglass by doing the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.

Well my S&C virginity needs to be taken! As for Cumbrian coast, most of its new territory for me having only done the section from Carlisle to Maryport.

Will have to do the hard bit now and do the planning!

Out of curiosity, do any telesales sell this ticket to collect at TOD or is it something for the booking office?

 

[ainsworth74]

I quite enjoy planning! It's spending the money the plan requires I don't like

Booking office (or possibly on train) though you could certainly try asking some telesales if they could do it for you (Scotrail seem to be fairly good from what I've heard).

 

[pennine]

I quite enjoy planning! It's spending the money the plan requires I don't like

Booking office (or possibly on train) though you could certainly try asking some telesales if they could do it for you (Scotrail seem to be fairly good from what I've heard).

Well luckily, I've been ok on the money front this time, and when I have in the past, I always decided against doing the rover - which is what I always regret.

Maybe I'll pay a visit to the legend at Redcar ticket office, despite having a go at me for collecting my tickets over the counter the other day :P

 

[ainsworth74]

Can't say I blame you for that the ticket machine there is horrible!

 

[pennine]

Can't say I blame you for that the ticket machine there is horrible!

Lol, unresponsive buttons, tickets ripped, sometimes unable to connect to reservation system despite collecting tickets a few days after buying then. As soon as they converted to Star I started collecting from there as she said it was easy to do. Technology ey!

 

[ainsworth74]

It was the crushing disappointment for me. I see it and think 'Huzzah a ticket machine, finally collecting tickets will be easy at any time of day!' only to see the results and wonder which idiot authorised buying that piece of junk...

Still gives more work to the ticket office and that's only a good thing!

 

[pennine]

It was the crushing disappointment for me. I see it and think 'Huzzah a ticket machine, finally collecting tickets will be easy at any time of day!' only to see the results and wonder which idiot authorised buying that piece of junk...

Still gives more work to the ticket office and that's only a good thing!

I had the same enthusiasm originally! S&B type would be more preferable!

 

[Starmill]

Also the electric services in the Leeds triangle (Skipton, Bradford Forster Square and up to Ilkely) are quite good for novelty (an electric train in Northern livery? What is this witchcraft!) and also to see a high quality EMU (333s).

Agree 100% the novelty of things like an accessible toilet, automatic announcemtns and air conditioning on a Northern train (a 158 does not count!) - witchcraft is about right!

However the honour of Northern's livery on an EMU lies firmly on my side of the pennines, not yours :P
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It was the crushing disappointment for me. I see it and think 'Huzzah a ticket machine, finally collecting tickets will be easy at any time of day!' only to see the results and wonder which idiot authorised buying that piece of junk...

Same with my local station. I wish they would actually open our ticket office sometimes though... At least the new Northern Parkeon trial ticket design has provided a source of amusement on that front :P

 

[pennine]

I will deffo do the WYPT electrics (no credit to Northern there :P )
The planning of this is proving to be a bit of 'face palm'.
I think I have written off the idea of doing the whole Cumbrian coast, as by the time I get to Carlisle most of the day has gone.

It is a shame you can't pass through Manchester as this would mean getting to the west marginally quicker.

Time to have another think about this me thinks!

 

[IanD]

I will deffo do the WYPT electrics (no credit to Northern there :P )
The planning of this is proving to be a bit of 'face palm'.
I think I have written off the idea of doing the whole Cumbrian coast, as by the time I get to Carlisle most of the day has gone.

It is a shame you can't pass through Manchester as this would mean getting to the west marginally quicker.

Time to have another think about this me thinks!

If you pay £5.10 (£3.95 with a railcard) from Redcar to Billingham you could do this Mon-Fri:

Redcar C Dep 0807
Middlesbrough Arr 0820 Dep 0832
Newcastle 0951 1022
Carlisle 1157 1247
Carnforth 1610 1632
Leeds 1815 1849
Middlesbrough 2014 2057
Redcar C 2110
(or leave Leeds 1917 change at York and Darlington to arrive same time)

 

[pennine]

If you pay £5.10 (£3.95 with a railcard) from Redcar to Billingham you could do this Mon-Fri:

Redcar C Dep 0807
Middlesbrough Arr 0820 Dep 0832
Newcastle 0951 1022
Carlisle 1157 1247
Carnforth 1610 1632
Leeds 1815 1849
Middlesbrough 2014 2057
Redcar C 2110
(or leave Leeds 1917 change at York and Darlington to arrive same time)

I like you! Thank you very much!

 

[IanD]

I like you! Thank you very much!

You could also change at Skipton to sample the WY electrics.