Ticket Validity and Seating

[dhouk]

Hi All,

Long time lurker, first time poster!

I'm traveling with my mom, dad, sister (adult) and a friend (also adult) and 2 little brothers (both under 5) this Friday to London Padd from Gloucester. Total of 5 adults (1 with yp!) and 2 children which are below 5.

We have 4 GroupSave tickets which have the ticket type of Super Offpeak R (Returning Sunday) and 1 adult ticket with the YP discount applied which is also Super Offpeak Return.

We would like to travel on the 10:46, arriving Padd at 12:37.
This Service from NRE

I want to check that our Super Offpeak tickets are valid on this service into London at this time. I'm sure they are myself but its that self doubt that creeps in!

We also did not reserve seats so would like to know where the best place on the train would be to get a seat together.. if there is an unreserved coach/seats and which coach would these be and would this be at the front or rear of the train as it leaves Gloucester (Gloucester is a reversing movement).

Hope I'm clear in what I'm asking if not please feel free to prod me more :P

Thankyou!

 

[bb21]

Is the ticket from Gloucester to London? If so you are absolutely fine.

 

[yorkie]

When travelling with FGW, it's best to book reservations at the same time as purchasing tickets, otherwise a reservation fee may be charged (depending on where you book )

You can reserve seats for the 5 paying passengers, but of course not for the under 5s who are meant to travel on someone's lap (but if the train is not busy, and the seats are not required by paying customers, then they may occupy seats).

You may already know this, but for routes without GroupSave discounts, it may be better to purchase a Family Railcard, as this gives a discount of 1/3 off (not quite as good as GroupSave) and the Under 5s would get 60% off, and be entitled to seats if tickets were bought for them. That's much cheaper than full price adult tickets and the kids travelling free.

Back to your journey with FGW, a seating plan can be found here: http://help.thetrainline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4238/~/first-great-western-seating-maps

Usually Standard Class, (and specifically Coach A, the Quiet Coach) is at the 'country' end of the train, and First Class is at the London end of the train. However, on routes that involve reversals, the trains can often end up the 'wrong' way round (until they can next be 'turned' on the Greenford branch).

Seats 41-44 in Coach B & D, or seats 69-70 + 75-76 in Coach C are unreserved.

 

[lemonic]

Also Coach E is completely unreserved and so is Coach F if it is a Standard coach (only on some trains). These coaches will be roughly in the middle of the train.

 

[dhouk]

OK - Thanks. The tickets are from Gloucester to Padd route via Stroud. So all good on the train itself.

Any chance that some seats will be available for us, preferably together (not fussed too much about the table on a HST) or should I head to the ticket office tomorrow and ask for reservations to play safe and just pay the fee?

 

[island]

Coach A is normally at the front of the train as it enters Gloucester, therefore at the rear when it leaves.

I'm a regular user of Gloucester station and can advise that coaches E and F normally line up between the doors from the ticket hall and the footbridge on the platform at Gloucester. If you want a table then probably reserving is advisable as there are only two tables per coach and the unreserved ones will be taken at Cheltenham Spa. If you're OK with airline-style seats I wouldn't bother with reserving. Just make sure you're at the station for when the train arrives, which is normally around 8 minutes before it leaves.

 

[LexyBoy]

No need to reserve at all, there will be loads of seats. You might be lucky and get a table in B or C (at the left/welsh end of the train). Sunday is liable to be busy though, when are you travelling?

 

[34D]

No need to reserve at all, there will be loads of seats. You might be lucky and get a table in B or C (at the left/welsh end of the train). Sunday is liable to be busy though, when are you travelling?

This Friday, as per the opening post.

For a family group including little children, I would try to make reservations personally.

 

[dhouk]

Thanks for your responses.
We are returning on Sunday on the 14:27 Padd service into Gloucester at 16:24.

How would I go about securing reservations now? (A table seat, thinking about it, would be preferable). Is it too late? Can it be done at Gloucester ticket office?

 

[island]

It can be done at most staffed stations, including Gloucester or Cheltenham Spa.

 

[IanD]

Or you could ring ScotRail telesales and do it over the phone

08457 55 00 33

or

01752 675670 (if saynoto0870 is correct).

They're usually quite happy to issue reservations when you already have tickets even for non-ScotRail services.

 

[bb21]

Just beware that officially there is a £5 fee payable per seat, but not every clerk will ask you for it.