Many, many thanks for all of the advice so far guys!
You can renew your Y-P right up to the day before your 26th if that's any help. Only a one year one though.
you can buy another railcard the day before your birthday in November which will then be valid fo a full year until the day before your 27th Birthday.
If your current YP runs out in May and you use the railway a lot, I'd renew it then and do it again the day before your birthday. Only do that, however, if you've clearly made your money back from the first transaction.
Well, I'm definitely glad to hear that I can renew my current YPR like that then! I know it's the most expensive of the railcards...But I have to say I'm still happy to pay the price for it. The savings I make mean the initial outlay makes perfect sense!
I suppose the anniversary of my YPR does throw a spanner in the works for a "just in time" renewal. I originally purchased my first one a few days after my 16th birthday and intended to renew it annually on that date, but since then there have been a couple of renewal lapses lasting a month or so (I knew I wasn't travelling for a while, so decided to hold renewal until the next journey to extend my coverage a bit) and at one point I got 15 months for the price of 12 when renewing because of a promo that was on at the time.
Obviously; When May comes around I'll need to renew to keep my current YP benefits going as they exist now, but I'm not so sure if I'll make up £28.00 of savings between that point and just before my 26th. There will be one point immediately after expiry where I won't be able to use the network for about six weeks anyway (Lots of stuff going on then, and no time for bashing) and after that I'll be making about 4-5 trips to Derby along my "usual", plus maybe a couple of trips to West Wales and Staffordshire before my 26th.
Does anyone reckon that for the time between May and November, I might be better off paying full fare on my Derby runs, trying for Advances on the Wales/Staffs ones, and holding off on my YP renewal until November?
incidentally, a friend of mine went to renew his Y-P online just before his 25th, and was given the option of a 3 year one
If I could get hold of a three-year YPR right now, I'd be really chuffed! Assuming from the posts above that age is only taken into account at time of purchase, YPR start date, and it would indeed be legal for me to do so, then I could get a three year YPR right now and enjoy the benefits right up until I'm 28!
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That said, I doubt that I'd be allowed to purchase one...Not with my D.O.B being clearly visible on my photocard and no doubt registered on the YPR website computer. That said; If I
could buy one when my current YP expires, how much would that come to? It might work out cheaper in the long run than buying two standard YPRs in the space of a year even if I was ordered by NR to surrender the three-year railcard on my 27th birthday!
A Network Railcard will come in handy for your regular journey it would appear, not sure if it allows you to use Virgin from Euston to Birmingham in the ex-NSE area though
Yes you can split ticket with you Network Railcard but the rule that your train must stop where the tickets split will still apply.
Since discovering the Chiltern route, I tended to stay away from the WCML and Reading -> Brum feeder because of the higher fares charged by VWC and AXC at the time. That said, I've since started considering WCML routes again after discovering that Virgin aren't the only TOC running services between Euston and Liverpool...
I know the idea of me choosing a 350 over a 390 may seem very strange for a speed phreak like myself, but obtaining the lowest fare is my main concern when it comes to choosing rail journeys. When doing WCML runs where speed or enjoyment is a consideration, I'll often buy a London Midland OPR to cover my journey in full, then try for a VES/VDS Advance on Virgin on top - Regarding the cost of the Advance as a "High speed supplement" (Similar to those charged in Europe) which can be used if I make the specific Virgin service, but if I miss it the LM fare will still get me there in the end!
If travelling via High Wycombe, a Network Railcard should be valid as far along the line as Banbury.
When ye say that, do ye mean that all fares on an NWR have to be "cut" there, or can a through ticket to a further destination be purchased at the NWR discounted rate?
In other words: I'm travelling from Marylebone to Moor St. on a direct Chiltern service, and I'm buying my ticket with a Network Railcard. Which of the following applies?
- I may buy an individual, direct off-peak return ticket between MYB and BMO which costs 33% less than normal as the NWR discount is applied to the entire journey, or
- I have to buy two sets of return tickets split at Bicester North; The MYB-BCN return attracting the 33% NWR discount due, and the BCN-BMO return being charged at full fare.
Unfortunately a Network railcard has much tighter restrictions on it than a YPR. During the week, it can't be used at all before 10.00, and after that it's a £12 minimum fare, so your split tickets may only work at the weekend.
Oh dear Gods...I find the minimum fare rules and conditions on the YPR tricky enough to understand and comply properly with! If ye remember some of my older posts, there was one point where I bought a YP CDR from the Guard which I
thought was valid for YP discount without minimum fares being applied...But other users here determined that the minimum fare rule
did actually apply, and that I should've really bought a full-fare CDR instead!
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Last time I had someone without a family railcard, or child, on a family railcard ticket who was too dumb to take the option of excessing their ticket (£30), or leaving the train when asked, they were nicked, and fined a total of £450. They did have a child ticket as well.
Ahh...Cheers for thy story, Flamingo! That at least eliminates considering the Family Railcard in my case!
(Just out of curiosity though, do the rules require that the holder travels with their
own children? If not, a Family Railcard might still be worth considering for bashing days where it's possible to have a friends son (Who does like the railways) present.
)
Get a job on the railway and 'flash the pass' or get a car. Easier said than done of course.
Tell me about it...When one of my relatives joined LUL in the 70's, they got a 75% off BR PRIV pass that they've still been allowed to retain and make use of to this day! When I worked for LUL myself a few years ago (It was a very short stay mind...Curse those Bloody Chavs on the apprenticeship!) all I got was a poxy six-zone Oyster card which I was ordered to hand back when I left! :roll:
Given my situation regarding my disability and my known inability to work in customer facing roles, I fear the chance of me ever getting a job in the railway that I can actually do is
extremely slim...Especially seeing that SWT recently had a push for new drivers, which I've gone and missed completely!
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ad::cry:
