Skipping first leg

[XmaX]

I need to get to Gatwick Airport on a Sunday, and then return to Cambridge on the same day. Cambridge-Gatwick return is very reasonably priced, but I will be obviously skipping the first leg of my journey. To make things worse, I intend to travel on a very early morning train to Gatwick (much earlier than the first train from Cambridge arrives to London), making it obvious that I have started my journey from London.

Would this work?

 

[tsr]

Starting short, as it is often known, is perfectly OK with many tickets, and often done. If it is, your motives and requirements should not be questioned by staff.

So that either myself or somebody else can check it is valid on this occasion, just a couple of questions spring to mind:
1. You seem to want to start your outbound journey in London. Whereabouts in London is this?
2. Which day are you travelling? This may affect the choice of ticket.
3. Do you have a specific ticket in mind?

 

[XmaX]

Starting short, as it is often known, is perfectly OK with many tickets, and often done. If it is, your motives and requirements should not be questioned by staff.

So that either myself or somebody else can check it is valid on this occasion, just a couple of questions spring to mind:
1. You seem to want to start your outbound journey in London. Whereabouts in London is this?
2. Which day are you travelling? This may affect the choice of ticket.
3. Do you have a specific ticket in mind?

Thanks. I was aware that starting short is legal (on a non-advanced ticket), but thought that starting from London very early might be an issue.

As for my travel plan, I am based in Cambridge, but I need to be at Gatwick at 5 am on Sunday, and then return to Cambridge in the evening. I have a party to attend on Saturday evening in London, so my current plan is to buy a cheap advance Greater Anglia ticket to London for Saturday (£5-6 with travelcard), and then buy Cambridge-Gatwick super off-peak day return for £14.85 (departing from Victoria). This seems cheaper than buying an off peak return Cambridge-London, and an off-peak day return London-Gatwick.
Or is there another way?

 

[najaB]

Thanks. I was aware that starting short is legal (on a non-advanced ticket), but thought that starting from London very early might be an issue.

Nope, starting short is either permitted by the ticket conditions or not. I'm not aware of any ticket type that has a restriction of what time you can start, other than using an off-peak ticket during peak times. Even then, the worst that can happen is they ask you to pay the difference.

 

[button_boxer]

The restrictions for that ticket do not prohibit break of journey or apply any time restrictions (only restrictions on which days the ticket is valid), and I don't believe there are time restrictions or minimum fare issues on any railcards at the weekend[1], so you are perfectly entitled to start your journey short in London early on a Sunday.

[1] the fare you quote is the railcard discounted fare but you didn't say which type of railcard.