Swansea to Southampton - how to split?

[Squaddie]

A friend of mine wants to travel from Swansea to Southampton (to see me! ) and back to Swansea on Saturday 11 December. She has a Senior railcard.

The cheapest through ticket appears to be a super off-peak return, at £48.65.

I've worked out that I can get a much better deal by splitting the journey into 4, as follows (cheap day return in each case):

Swansea to Cardiff: 4.35
Cardiff to Bath Spa: 10.50
Bath Spa to Salisbury: 9.25
Salisbury to Southampton: 5.60

Total: £29.70, a significant saving.

I doubt that I'd find a cheaper way of making that journey, but can anyone suggest a similar fare with fewer splits?

Thanks.

 

[DJ737]

G'day

A round trip advance ticket with a senior railcard is 23.75 for Dec 11 but that means a 05:28 departure from Swansea.

 

[Squaddie]

Thanks, but that's a little early for any civilised person to be catching a train on a Saturday morning in mid-winter.

I should probably have made it clear that my friend wants to retain flexibility, because we don't know how long we'll spend chatting, shopping and having lunch, so Advance tickets are not suitable.

 

[OwlMan]

An alternative (especially if they were staying a few days and could use the other two days) is a Freedom of Severn & Solent 3 in 7 rover, railcard price £26-70 (£26-66 rounded up) the only other ticket needed being a Swansea - Cardiff return (£4-35) making a total of £31-05 (depending how the £26-66 is rounded up or down).

Peter

 

[wintonian]

A friend of mine wants to travel from Swansea to Southampton (to see me! ) and back to Swansea on Saturday 11 December. She has a Senior railcard.

The cheapest through ticket appears to be a super off-peak return, at £48.65.

I've worked out that I can get a much better deal by splitting the journey into 4, as follows (cheap day return in each case):

Swansea to Cardiff: 4.35
Cardiff to Bath Spa: 10.50
Bath Spa to Salisbury: 9.25
Salisbury to Southampton: 5.60

Total: £29.70, a significant saving.

I doubt that I'd find a cheaper way of making that journey, but can anyone suggest a similar fare with fewer splits?

Thanks.

Thanks - that’s worth remembering.

An alternative (especially if they were staying a few days and could use the other two days) is a Freedom of Severn & Solent 3 in 7 rover, railcard price £26-70 (£26-66 rounded up) the only other ticket needed being a Swansea - Cardiff return (£4-35) making a total of £31-05 (depending how the £26-66 is rounded up or down).

Peter

It's rounded to £26.65.

That way it doesn’t matter if you just go to Salisbury for the market have a bite to eat and come home, and possibly go the Weymouth, Bristol, Worcester or somewhere just for the sake of it.

This is what I normaly advise if the rover is only 2 or 3 punds more, get it and have a free or allmost free day out.

 

[paul1609]

A friend of mine wants to travel from Swansea to Southampton (to see me! ) and back to Swansea on Saturday 11 December. She has a Senior railcard.

The cheapest through ticket appears to be a super off-peak return, at £48.65.

I've worked out that I can get a much better deal by splitting the journey into 4, as follows (cheap day return in each case):

Swansea to Cardiff: 4.35
Cardiff to Bath Spa: 10.50
Bath Spa to Salisbury: 9.25
Salisbury to Southampton: 5.60

Total: £29.70, a significant saving.

I doubt that I'd find a cheaper way of making that journey, but can anyone suggest a similar fare with fewer splits?

Thanks.

Think the cheapest way is to split at Cardiff a Cardiff to Southampton route salisbury anytime return with a senior railcard is £24.55

 

[Squaddie]

Think the cheapest way is to split at Cardiff a Cardiff to Southampton route salisbury anytime return with a senior railcard is £24.55

Yep, you're right! Thanks for the suggestion.

Yet that makes no sense at all - how can an Anytime return from Cardiff to Southampton (£24.25) be cheaper than a Super Off-peak return (£40.05)?

 

[swt_passenger]

Yep, you're right! Thanks for the suggestion.

Yet that makes no sense at all - how can an Anytime return from Cardiff to Southampton (£24.25) be cheaper than a Super Off-peak return (£40.05)?

The higher price is probably valid via Reading or something. (I haven't looked it up though)...

 

[yorkie]

The only Route Salisbury fare (between Cardiff & Southampton) is the Anytime Return (SOR) at £36.70 (discounted to £24.25), this is because there is no peak / off peak differential on this route (as is the case on several other lines around the country, particularly rural lines). The alternative routeing allows travel via Reading and does have differential peak / off peak pricing.