SVH ticket from Stoke?

[philjo]

My Advantix CD (NFM3) shows the following single fare for Stoke on Trent to Potters Bar:

SVH - OFF-PEAK S VWC
00000 - +ANY PERMITTED

1 Adult @£ 28.45 = £ 28.45
__________
£ 28.45
Standard Class Single


If I use any of the online journey planners (for 5th October), they all show the off-peak single fare is £55.90 - Am I missing something here, or doesn't the SVH fare actually exist?


I am actually travelling outwards Letchworth to Matlock on 2nd October & return journey is from Stoke on Trent (via Euston) on 5th October. I have a season ticket LET-PBR, so was looking at fares from PBR (which obviously have to go via London as they are lower than those from Stevenage)
Otherwise, I assume the best ticket combination is to gen a £56.90 off peak return PBR-Stoke & go outward via St Pancras & Derby with a single Derby-Matlock?
I was planing to get the 0955 from StP which says off-peak tickets are valid.

Many thanks.

 

[tony_mac]

That's not a real single - it used to be a 'saver half return' or something; it's now called a single - but you can't actually buy then singly.

You can buy it from Virgin's website, but you need to buy the other half of the return at the same time (you can mix these tickets with Advance tickets - so that you can get a reasonably priced return if advance tickets are only available one way).

 

[glynn80]

That's not a real single - it used to be a 'saver half return' or something; it's now called a single - but you can't actually buy then singly.

The SVH is currently listed in the FRPP as an "Off Peak Day Single".

 

[Mojo]

You have to book it on the Virgin Trains website with another ticket; for more info see here where this was discussed a few weeks ago: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25451&highlight=Saver+half

 

[John @ home]

My Advantix CD (NFM3) shows the following single fare for Stoke on Trent to Potters Bar:

SVH - OFF-PEAK S VWC
00000 - +ANY PERMITTED

1 Adult @£ 28.45 = £ 28.45
__________
£ 28.45
Standard Class Single


If I use any of the online journey planners (for 5th October), they all show the off-peak single fare is £55.90 - Am I missing something here, or doesn't the SVH fare actually exist?

A SVH used to be called a Saver Half Return. Confusingly, is a single ticket on a flow priced by Virgin Trains which is only sold together with an Advance single in the opposite direction in order to make up a return ticket. It may have to be bought from the Virgin Trains website - I can't remember that detail.

I am actually travelling outwards Letchworth to Matlock on 2nd October & return journey is from Stoke on Trent (via Euston) on 5th October. I have a season ticket LET-PBR, so was looking at fares from PBR (which obviously have to go via London as they are lower than those from Stevenage)

Well, up to a point, route + Any Permitted Potters Bar - Matlock or Potters Bar - Stoke-on-Trent tickets will be routed via London, but there are cheaper Potters Bar - Matlock fares routed Not London.

Otherwise, I assume the best ticket combination is to gen a £56.90 off peak return PBR-Stoke & go outward via St Pancras & Derby with a single Derby-Matlock?

That may well be the best semi-flexible fare if you definitely want to go via London.

I was planing to get the 0955 from StP which says off-peak tickets are valid.

Yes, Off-Peak tickets (but not Super Off-Peak tickets) are valid on this train. London - Matlock Advance tickets are currently available on the 0955 on 2 October for £20 (or £22 First Class). Potters Bar - Matlock on the same train is £23 (or £125 First Class!!!). If you are reasonably sure of your return plans on the 5th, you may find Advance tickets suit you better.

John

 

[yorkie]

avid Mapp mode>
The Saver Half is a complicated name, it does not clearly indicate that it is half a ticket. The name Saver is not an appropriate name, and customers should buy CDs instead of Savers. Half is too complex.

Off Peak Single is a simple, elegant name. Clearly this ticket is not available singly. Clearly railcard holders can use this at Any Time, again this is clear from the ticket name. Some Off Peak Singles are available singly, and this can clearly be identified in the manuals which we will be happy to keep secret from customers in order to protect customers from misinterpreting the simple rules.
</David Mapp mode>

 

[philjo]

Thanks for your responses.

I have found this info on the Virgin website - it doesn't really answer whether it will help me in this case - i.e. if the outward & return tickets have to be from the same station (in this case out to Matlock & return from Stoke)

I do not know which train I will be retuning on from Stoke, probably one of the 17:12, 17:50 or 18:12 but until the day will not know what time I will be able to get to the station, so can't really get an AP ticket for the return & they are £35 (18:12 has no AP available), so the OPR for PBR-Stoke currently looks like the best option, travelling out via Derby with a single for Derby-Matlock.