Outward: St Pancras - Ramsgate, Back: Ramsgate - Thanet Parkway - St Pancras

[dmncf]

I want to travel outward today (Friday 19/01/2024) at around 16:30 from St Pancras International to Ramsgate.
I want to travel back tomorrow (Saturday 20/01/2024) at around midday from Ramsgate to St Pancras International, but breaking our journey for a few hours at Thanet Parkway to see the station and former hoverport.
We are one adult and two children and we hold a Family & Friends Railcard.
I would appreciate advice on the best fare, because there are various routes and there's possibly that confusing Southeastern Kids For A Quid offer that clashes with using a Family & Friends Railcard. Thanks.

 

[30907]

NRE is giving me £53.95 using a Weekender ticket and the normal F&F discounts (or £54.00 with an Offpeak Return. No problem about breaking your journey on the return.
SE on their website will allow one of the children to travel for £1, so reducing the cost to £45.10 (Weekender). Whether you can get that combination on another site or at a machine I can't say.

You could save slightly more by choosing a Via Herne Bay ticket and then get an Excess fare at Ramsgate to return via Canterbury/Dover and Ashford. That would get it down to around £42, but not all stations are good at issuing these, so you might not wish to chance it.

 

[dmncf]

Thanks very much, 30907 - I bought the £45.10 tickets from the SE website.

 

[paul1609]

NRE is giving me £53.95 using a Weekender ticket and the normal F&F discounts (or £54.00 with an Offpeak Return. No problem about breaking your journey on the return.
SE on their website will allow one of the children to travel for £1, so reducing the cost to £45.10 (Weekender). Whether you can get that combination on another site or at a machine I can't say.

You could save slightly more by choosing a Via Herne Bay ticket and then get an Excess fare at Ramsgate to return via Canterbury/Dover and Ashford. That would get it down to around £42, but not all stations are good at issuing these, so you might not wish to chance it.

I wouldn't recommend a via Herne Bay ticket for Ramsgate. The route via Ashford is significantly quicker and more interesting now.

 

[30907]

I wouldn't recommend a via Herne Bay ticket for Ramsgate. The route via Ashford is significantly quicker and more interesting now.

Not sure - but maybe I'm influenced by childhood journeys from Bromley S

 

[eastwestdivide]

Depends on your definition of ‘interesting’ I suppose. Via Herne Bay gives you the occasional sea view, the panorama of the Medway Towns with bonus Russian submarine, and a fair few orchards and hop gardens.

edit: @dmncf do let us know how easy it was to get from Thanet Parkway to the coast at Pegwell Bay