Railway Bash Tips

[Sheepyaidan]

Hi All,

I'm not sure if bash is the right word but...

Me and my friend are planning riding the entirety of "The Severn & Solent" Rover map.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr8bb6ac0a0400040155984b49bbe4b3.aspx

Map - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/promotions/Freedom_of_Severn_Solent.pdf

We worked out we can do it in two days.

Does anybody have any tips for doing this?

Also, we are two 13 year olds travelling places we dont know. Will anybody be suspicious?

Thanks,

Aidan

 

[bb21]

Bashing takes two different forms. Some people go for mileage, while others loco-/unit-scratching, and most a mix of the two.

FOSS area is quite possible to complete in a short time frame. If you are including a Saturday then you may wish to consider the Weymouth HST.

No one will be suspicious if you have valid tickets, however as always, be careful with yourself and be vigilant about strangers. Stay on the safe and don't take any unnecessary risks. Obey staff instructions at all times.

Try make sure that you have a phone with you (a bog-standard one if possible) so that your parents can be in touch at any time, and for emergencies.

Keep hydrated.

 

[Kite159]

Ensure you take at least one bottle of water, maybe 2 bottles depending on the weather. Snacks as well come in handy if you are running late.

 

[David Goddard]

Nice little rover that, and a good price too. Enjoy!

 

[Sheepyaidan]

Hi, a new question.

Where do I buy the rover tickets from?

Thanks.


//Aidan

 

[GatwickDepress]

You can purchase it online from FGW's website, under the South West England category:

http://tickets.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/gw/en/journeyplanning/roversandrangers

If that's inconvenient, I believe you can buy it from a ticket office on the day.

 

[Sheepyaidan]

You can purchase it online from FGW's website, under the South West England category:

http://tickets.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/gw/en/journeyplanning/roversandrangers

If that's inconvenient, I believe you can buy it from a ticket office on the day.

Thanks, I never saw that box to the left before! I thought the page was broken!

//Aidan

 

[GatwickDepress]

Thanks, I never saw that box to the left before! I thought the page was broken!

//Aidan

My absolute pleasure. First time I visited the page I thought the exact same!

Hope you have fun on your trip!

 

[fowler9]

Allow a bit of leeway in your schedule for things to go wrong. Have a back up plan to make sure you can get back to your final destination at the end of the day. I remember in my early teens getting stuck in Glasgow after missing the last train heading south. Thanks to a very kind station manager at Glasgow Central, a Mr Colquhoun, we got some free meal vouchers and he arranged for a sleeper to make an additional stop (It may have actually been that he just validated our tickets for the journey, it was a long time ago) at Blackburn I think. From there our parents picked us up and drove us back to Liverpool. If I remember correctly we missed our train because a service we were on from Edinburgh to Glasgow was massively delayed by some less than well behaved football fans.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Yeah, I'd say always have a contingency, or at least plan it so that something can be cut if you don't keep to time (like instead of going to Taunton on one train it might be safer to bail at Castle Cary if you're running a couple of minutes late). Other than that, stay safe, always make sure you have something to drink on you, and keep in touch with those at home (I'm 19 and still text my Mum on days out so she knows I haven't been abducted by shadowy ghost people etc ).

 

[Sheepyaidan]

Allow a bit of leeway in your schedule for things to go wrong. Have a back up plan to make sure you can get back to your final destination at the end of the day. I remember in my early teens getting stuck in Glasgow after missing the last train heading south. Thanks to a very kind station manager at Glasgow Central, a Mr Colquhoun, we got some free meal vouchers and he arranged for a sleeper to make an additional stop (It may have actually been that he just validated our tickets for the journey, it was a long time ago) at Blackburn I think. From there our parents picked us up and drove us back to Liverpool. If I remember correctly we missed our train because a service we were on from Edinburgh to Glasgow was massively delayed by some less than well behaved football fans.

Hi, I'm just looking at my plans and most of our interchanges have long waits and the ones where there short interchange times, it is usually on a line with many trains, therefore we will get home whether on time or later.

Thanks for your tips!

//Aidan
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yeah, I'd say always have a contingency, or at least plan it so that something can be cut if you don't keep to time (like instead of going to Taunton on one train it might be safer to bail at Castle Cary if you're running a couple of minutes late). Other than that, stay safe, always make sure you have something to drink on you, and keep in touch with those at home (I'm 19 and still text my Mum on days out so she knows I haven't been abducted by shadowy ghost people etc ).

Thats ny mums only concern, getting eaten by some alien or something.

Me and my friend agreed we could do it in two days, but because it is a three day ticket we are going to the places we missed on the third day.

Thanks,

//Aidan

 

[fowler9]

Hi, I'm just looking at my plans and most of our interchanges have long waits and the ones where there short interchange times, it is usually on a line with many trains, therefore we will get home whether on time or later.

Thanks for your tips!

//Aidan
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Thats ny mums only concern, getting eaten by some alien or something.

Me and my friend agreed we could do it in two days, but because it is a three day ticket we are going to the places we missed on the third day.

Thanks,

//Aidan

Have a great time mate. Always be grateful to your parents for the freedom and trust they are giving you. It will make you a better person in the long run. You will have seen more of your own country and the world and will have the confidence to be more self reliant in the future. I am nearly forty and have friends who start flapping at having to catch a train to London which I find amusing. I have recently spent 6 months travellig right the way around the world on a similar budget to what some people spend on a 2 week trip to an all inclusive in Mexico. I hope you get to do the same, if that is something you would want to do of course.

I just checked with my dad and he confirmed that Mr Colquhoun at Glasgow Central did indeed arrange for the sleeper to stop at Blackburn. Quite an experience.

 

[Sheepyaidan]

Hi,

I didn't notice until just now I couldn't use my ticket until after 9am.

we want to leave Portsmouth Harbour at 0823 and get into at 1143. It stops at Southampton Central at 1010. So could we buy a single to Southampton, and then use the rover to get up to cardiff?

Thanks,

//Aidan

 

[bb21]

You mean it stops at Soton Central at 0910?

If so, yes, a single to Soton is sufficient.

 

[30907]

I just checked with my dad and he confirmed that Mr Colquhoun at Glasgow Central did indeed arrange for the sleeper to stop at Blackburn. Quite an experience.

AND with a Carlisle - Hellifield diversion too ☺

You do have. E the advantage of two travelling together AND mobile phones.

 

[trentside]

Hope you and your friend enjoy the rover trip, Aidan. My first ever trip on a rover wasn't until I was a lot older than you - which is something I regret now, so enjoy the freedom you have to explore some new places.

I concur with other people's advice, to make sure you have a contingency plan to get home if things go wrong - I always make sure I do, even now I can afford hotels and things, because its not something I want to have to worry about. Also, like others have said, make sure you carry plenty to drink and some cash to buy more if needs be - especially in this hot and humid weather!

 

[theblackwatch]

Have a great time mate. Always be grateful to your parents for the freedom and trust they are giving you. It will make you a better person in the long run. You will have seen more of your own country and the world and will have the confidence to be more self reliant in the future. I am nearly forty and have friends who start flapping at having to catch a train to London which I find amusing. I have recently spent 6 months travellig right the way around the world on a similar budget to what some people spend on a 2 week trip to an all inclusive in Mexico. I hope you get to do the same, if that is something you would want to do of course.

I very much agree with this. It will give some good life skills (independence, geography knowledge, reading a timetable), and providing you behave yourselves and don't get into any bother, get home at the time you said etc, your parents will learn to trust you more and give you more independence as you get older. You have the advantage of mobile phones if things go wrong, which didn't exist when I was that age. Good luck!

The London comments reminded me of a time when I was 11 and my Grandma and her sister 'took me' to London. In reality, it was more the other way round. I already knew my way around the tube (despite my age and living 200 miles away), I worked out all the journeys needed to get to the various tourist sights, and we ended the day with an hour or so on London Bridge station in the rush hour where I saw 3 x 33s, a 73 and a host of units before going back to King's Cross for the train home.

 

[Techniquest]

Everyone's already made the same comments I'd have done already, so all I can really add is to have a fantastic time. I love rover trips, as my trip reports on here will show

I'm not far off 30 and I still have to call my Mum when I'm away from home on trips away, at least I use some of the outrageous amount of minutes on my mobile contract that way!

Always try to make sure you have a drink with you, personally I'd recommend buying say a big bottle of pop and a refillable bottle (not a water/squash bottle as they're not manufactured to hold fizzy drinks!) and refill as you go. MUCH cheaper than constantly buying small bottles of pop on the way around the place as you go!

Keeping hold of a few little bits to eat too just in case is always a good idea too, you never know when you'll need it. Travelling can and does make you hungry so just be prepared.

Wherever you go on your trip, enjoy!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Techniquest's posting about food above also reminds me: as obvious as it may be, if you are on some form of medication or have a certain condition make sure you have supplies / medicines on you to cope with it. Falling ill on a train is unpleasant at the best of times.

 

[Techniquest]

Absolutely, and it reminds me of something else too: I would also recommend having a packet of painkillers just in case of a headache developing, or indeed other pain. Trying to travel on a train with a migraine or even a headache can be tortuous!

That being said, if the OP and his friend are under 16 I don't know whether they'd be allowed such things.

 

[tony6499]

Make sure you have a few quid tucked away safely and separate from your other cash in case of emergencies and make sure you have enough credit and power for your mobile just in case.

Hope you enjoy your Rover.

 

[FQ]

I would say keep your phones on all day and keep a debit card (if you have one) with enough cash to last for train fares.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[DarloRich]

Simple stuff really:

1) Keep yourself safe at all times. If it feels wrong to you put yourself somewhere else.
2) TRY to be back at the station you agree with the parental unit at the time you agree
3) Share your itinerary with parents
4) Take some food and drink.
5) Make sure you have some emergency money
6) Don’t get on the wrong train and find yourself next stop Paddington
7) Keep your phone charged up and keep in touch with the old parental unit during the day. Don’t stay out to late on your first go as you need to build up trust.
8)If things start going wrong (wires down etc) don’t be scared to abandoned the day rather than get stuck somewhere.
9) If it does go wrong let the parents know and give them new times and reasons or they WILL ring you at the worst possible time
10) If you are in trouble or worried (not just about connections) speak to the guard or BTP officer.

My parent let me do something similar at your age and it is a great way to get your incipience and experience. (I had been going to the match for a while before that without their knowledge )