Season ticket to Meldreth - Options

[An_Engineer]

My current set of circumstances have meant that I now find myself regularly commuting 4 day a week from London (Zone 3) to Meldreth (Cambridgeshire). Either King's Cross or Finsbury Park work equally well on the London side (though lack of e-ticket availability at Finsbury park is...annoying)

Now this is a bit of a pricey commute so I've been looking at season ticket options and they seem....poor value for money or flexibility. A weekly travelcard from Finsbury Park offers only a 14% discount from 5x day return tickets, which only works out if I can absolutely guarantee I'm in the office 5 days a week (which does happen occasionally but is a bit unpredictable and only when absolutely necessary). A monthly is barely any better, saving only 3% over 4x weekly tickets. And as far as I can find, there are no flexi-tickets available, nor any tickets with London Zone's 1-3 included (and carnet tickets are well and truly gone).

Is my best option truly to buy day returns (and use pay as you go on LU section)? Are there any better options I'm missing?

 

[Haywain]

There won't be flexi tickets as they are not available for journeys to/from London Underground. Your best option is probably to split tickets, but it will help give advice if you can give us the details of the underground part of your journey.

 

[sonic2009]

Do you already pay for travel within the London Zones?

 

[miklcct]

Which zone 3 station are you at? If it is a National Rail station it may be possible to have some good value National Rail only season tickets.

 

[Watershed]

My current set of circumstances have meant that I now find myself regularly commuting 4 day a week from London (Zone 3) to Meldreth (Cambridgeshire). Either King's Cross or Finsbury Park work equally well on the London side (though lack of e-ticket availability at Finsbury park is...annoying)

Now this is a bit of a pricey commute so I've been looking at season ticket options and they seem....poor value for money or flexibility. A weekly travelcard from Finsbury Park offers only a 14% discount from 5x day return tickets, which only works out if I can absolutely guarantee I'm in the office 5 days a week (which does happen occasionally but is a bit unpredictable and only when absolutely necessary). A monthly is barely any better, saving only 3% over 4x weekly tickets. And as far as I can find, there are no flexi-tickets available, nor any tickets with London Zone's 1-3 included (and carnet tickets are well and truly gone).

Is my best option truly to buy day returns (and use pay as you go on LU section)? Are there any better options I'm missing?

The reason that you're not seeing any Flexi season tickets, and why the season tickets might seem poor value, is that this is a "contra peak" commute.

This means that the Anytime Day Return, around which the other fares are based, is cheaper than it is in the direction towards London.

However, "normal" season tickets can't be priced cheaper in one direction than another, because they are valid for unlimited travel in any direction, and so you would otherwise end up with Cambridge to London commuters (legitimately) buying a cheaper London to Cambridge season ticket.

The price and availability of Flexi seasons is based on a complex formula, but in essence - there isn't a "contra peak" Flexi season because it would be more expensive than just buying daily tickets. Again, Flexi seasons are valid for unlimited travel in either direction on the activated dates, so they can't be priced directionally.

Flexi seasons also aren't available for journeys entirely within the Zones, or journeys which involve a London Underground component.

You haven't said where exactly in Zone 3 you're coming from, but I suspect your cheapest option may well be to just buy daily tickets, if you're not sure you'll make enough journeys to justify a season ticket. An annual season offers a further discount of around 13% compared to a monthly season, if that helps.

If you're eligible for a 16-25, 26-30, Veterans or Disabled Railcard then this would change the calculations significantly in favour of daily tickets, as this would give you a full 1/3 off.

Unfortunately this is one of many journeys where the advent of Flexi seasons is bad news, as it meant that carnet tickets were withdrawn. These were, IIRC, directionally priced as they were only valid for one return journey in the correct order.

 

[An_Engineer]

In answer to all your questions, my origin station is either Wimbledon or South-Wimbledon (both are within walking distance). And yes, I know it's a hell of a commute (but it's worth it...I think).

While technically I think I could do this route national rail only, it doesn't seem a great route (relies on the thameslink train from wimbledon, which is slower than getting on victoria line via other rail or tube).

Thanks @Watershed for explaining the ticketing. It does seem like dailies are my way to go, as I just don't think I'll be in the office enough to make even an annual season ticket worthwhile.

On the plus side, I'm exploring moving to north London to at least cut out the LU part of the journey, so I'll eventually be saving on that.

 

[paul1609]

If you are content to only use Thameslink from Wimbledon you can use key go for the whole journey or if you want to use London Underground and or SWR or other operators you can use contactless to kings X or Finsbury Park and then key go from there, doesn't save any money but it avoids the need to buy tickets.

 

[30907]

In answer to all your questions, my origin station is either Wimbledon or South-Wimbledon (both are within walking distance). And yes, I know it's a hell of a commute (but it's worth it...I think).

While technically I think I could do this route national rail only, it doesn't seem a great route (relies on the thameslink train from wimbledon, which is slower than getting on victoria line via other rail or tube).

Another National Rail only option is via Waterloo/Waterloo East, London Bridge and Blackfriars. I don't know if that is worth considering?
(I would walk Waterloo-Blackfriars personally, but I'm not sure how that would affect the fare.)