Reserving seats online?

[pne]

Is it possible to reserve seats online (e.g. through a web page or app), or at least by email or over the phone?

I'm in Germany, so by the time I'm actually in England and have access to a UK ticket office it'll probably be too late -- if I remember correctly, you can only reserve seats until 2359 the day before or something like that.

Is there a charge for seat reservations? If you hold a flexible (non-train-specific) ticket, could you reserve seats on (say) the 1330, 1400 and 1430 trains out of a given station in case you're not sure in advance which of them you'll take but would like to ensure you have a seat whichever one it ends up being?

Or can seat reservations only be booked while booking the ticket itself?

 

[Tetchytyke]

You can reserve a seat separately to buying the ticket, but you can only have one, you can't just hedge your bets and book a seat on loads of trains.

You can't do it online but if you ring customer services of the TOC you're intending to travel with they should be able to do it.

 

[westv]

You can reserve a seat separately to buying the ticket, but you can only have one, you can't just hedge your bets and book a seat on loads of trains.

Some people mistakenly believe that if they have an anytime ticket and a reservation then the reservation is valid for any train!!

 

[BlueFox]

Some people mistakenly believe that if they have an anytime ticket and a reservation then the reservation is valid for any train!!

And some people think that if they have a reservation with an anytime ticket they have to travel on the reserved train.

 

[Merseysider]

Seat reservations are free. If you post details of the journey you'll be making, and any preferences (window/aisle etc) I'm sure one of us will be happy to get that done for you. You can only reserve for one journey per ticket, as otherwise it'd be unfair on other passengers who also want reservations.

Edited to add that some train companies, such as CrossCountry, are happy to make reservations for you if you contact them via Twitter. Others, such as Transpennine Express, will reserve you seats if you phone them.

 

[pne]

Seat reservations are free. If you post details of the journey you'll be making, and any preferences (window/aisle etc) I'm sure one of us will be happy to get that done for you. You can only reserve for one journey per ticket, as otherwise it'd be unfair on other passengers who also want reservations.

Thank you for the offer!

The trip is in three weeks' time; if it can only be one journey reserved per ticket, I'll probably best ask again a bit closer to the time when I may have a better idea of the specific time of the trip.

Edited to add that some train companies, such as CrossCountry, are happy to make reservations for you if you contact them via Twitter. Others, such as Transpennine Express, will reserve you seats if you phone them.

Also good to know, thank you!

 

[robbeech]

Where is your origin and destination and are you in First or Standard? It may be fairly unnecessary to book certain seats on certain trains for example if its likely to be a less busy time.

 

[pne]

Where is your origin and destination and are you in First or Standard?

I'll be travelling from Manchester Airport (MIA) to Bangor (BNG) on a Tuesday late morning/noon, then back on a Thursday morning, in Standard.

MIA-BNG probably via Arriva Trains Wales via Earlestown (but depending on when the plane arrives and how much time I need to retrieve luggage etc. I don't know which train this will be -- scheduled plane arrival is 1025).

BNG-MIA I haven't quite decided yet but probably Virgin to Crewe (which I have a First Advance for so that seat is taken care of), then either Northern to the airport or possibly Virgin/ATW/Northern to Wilmslow and then Northern to the airport from there depending on where and for how long I break that journey.

(Incidentally, does anyone have any recommendations for places to eat near Crewe or Wilmslow stations, or at Manchester Airport? Even better if they serve food before 12 as I have to be at the airport no later than 1400 and so will probably take, at the latest, the train arriving there 1304 which leaves Crewe at 1234 and Wilmslow at 1257.)

 

[CommuterPigeon]

As far as I am aware, neither Arriva Trains Wales or Northern offer seat reservations specific to seats on their services currently. Northern may have started since the new franchise as I've not used them for a while, but I believe ATW stopped offering this around 6 years ago.

I shouldn't think the services should be too busy that time of day though, so you should be able to get seats.

 

[pne]

Thank you!

 

[Starmill]

Arriva Trains Wales definitely offer 'real' seat reservations! However you will probably not need one at that time of day, especially if you catch a Llanduno train which originates at Manchester Airport, you should have your pick of seats.

 

[Quakkerillo]

At that time and Arriva Trains Wales, I doubt you'd need one. I even had a ATW guard tell me and another passenger he doesn't understand why they exist, as the train is so empty, and they're not used at all really.

 

[Ash Bridge]

(Incidentally, does anyone have any recommendations for places to eat near Crewe or Wilmslow stations, or at Manchester Airport? Even better if they serve food before 12 as I have to be at the airport no later than 1400 and so will probably take, at the latest, the train arriving there 1304 which leaves Crewe at 1234 and Wilmslow at 1257.)

The Miller & Carter which is virtually opposite Wilmslow Station forecourt gets very good reviews on TripAdvisor, food served from 12:00pm 2 courses for £10.95 Lunch Menu, as you leave the station cross the road and it is on the left hand side literally 2 mins walk.

 

[nitten_travell]

... You can only reserve for one journey per ticket, as otherwise it'd be unfair on other passengers who also want reservations....

Does this mean if you have, say, a return ticket and wish to break the journey on the return leg you can only make one seat reservation, and have to chance it on other journeys? Or can multiple reservations for different journeys on different days be made? For example, reserve a London to Newcastle seat and then a Newcastle to Edinburgh seat two days later?

 

[Merseysider]

Does this mean if you have, say, a return ticket and wish to break the journey on the return leg you can only make one seat reservation, and have to chance it on other journeys? Or can multiple reservations for different journeys on different days be made? For example, reserve a London to Newcastle seat and then a Newcastle to Edinburgh seat two days later?

You can reserve one seat for each portion of the journey. Maybe my post wasn't entirely explicit - there's no limit on breaking your journey and having different trains reserved for different parts of it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

At that time and Arriva Trains Wales, I doubt you'd need one. I even had a ATW guard tell me and another passenger he doesn't understand why they exist, as the train is so empty, and they're not used at all really.

They don't appear to get placed on any train originating at Machynlleth, FWIW - have they even got a printer there?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does this mean if you have, say, a return ticket and wish to break the journey on the return leg you can only make one seat reservation, and have to chance it on other journeys? Or can multiple reservations for different journeys on different days be made? For example, reserve a London to Newcastle seat and then a Newcastle to Edinburgh seat two days later?

I see no reason why you couldn't do that. What you can't do is reserve on two trains for the same part of the journey because you're not sure which you'll use.

 

[nitten_travell]

You can reserve one seat for each portion of the journey. Maybe my post wasn't entirely explicit - there's no limit on breaking your journey and having different trains reserved for different parts of it.

Thanks for the clarification. It sounds like the sort of thing most easily done at a booking office.