Watford Junction to Manchester Picc

[jay jay]

Evening all (I am new to the forum but have been reading posts for quite a while now!).

I was wondering if anybody could give me any tips on how I could travel from Watford Junction to Manchester as cheap as possible this Friday afternoon. Of course, I could go to the ticket office and purchase a return ticket as normal but does anybody have any ideas on how to get there just that little bit cheaper?

Thanks

 

[yorkie]

You suggest you only want a single, but then you talk about buying a return ticket. Which is it, so we can advise accordingly?

If you only want a single, then check online (or at the station if that is convenient, or by phone if you prefer call centres) for "Advance" tickets, these are bought in advance and only valid on a specific train, and can save you money.

If you want a return you may find that the cost of two Advance singles at this late stage is not much less than a flexible return ticket, so it may not be worth the hassle. Also you don't say when you are returning, so if you are unsure, you are better off with a flexible return ticket.

If you can give more information (e.g. earliest time you can leave/latest time you want to arrive, any railcard held, is it Manchester Picc itself or are you going somewhere else in Manchester, and return travel details if applicable) we can look up fares for you if you like.

 

[Pumbaa]

Besides - only one through train each day from WFJ to MAN, at 0615 I think... And at a similarly stupid time coming back!

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Advance tickets may still be available with changes, or even from Euston if you don't mind travelling back.

Just specify your details as yorkie mentioned and we'll do our best

 

[87015]

If doing it with on-the-day tickets, give Virgin a wide berth. Take an LM 350 to Kidsgrove on a Crewe service. Kidsgrove-Manchester day single/return. LM also do cheap advance jobs which tend to have wide daytime availability.

 

[yorkie]

Super Off Peak Return £16.00 to Stoke/Kidsgrove available on 13:01, 14:01, 15:01 (Walk on ticket so no need to pre-book), journey time 2h12 mins to Stoke. It's £12.90 from Stoke to Manchester (bizarrely Kidsgrove costs more for a non-day return, and you only get 1 tph so change at Stoke instead) Total is under £30 return - not bad!

On arrival at Stoke, there is a 5 minute wait for the next Manchester service (xx:18 past each hour) with another 7 mins behind that.

 

[jay jay]

My apologies guys for not being clearer. Yes, it is a return I wanted and I do have a 16-25 railcard which I purchased online last week.

The LM option looks good, the journey time is not that bad either! Out of interest, is there a trolley service onboard the London to Crewe London Midland services?

 

[class377man]

Out of interest, is there a trolley service onboard the London to Crewe London Midland services?

I've never seen one (fairly infrequent traveller mind), and the National Rail Enquiries site doesn't indicate any catering on this service I'm afraid.

 

[jp4712]

I use the LM London-Crewe service very often, and the answer to the catering question is 'no on-board service'. There is a few minutes' wait at Northampton and if you're feeling brave, you can nip out there to the coffee shop on the platform. But from experience I can tell you that it's a bit nerve-wracking getting off your train, queueing up for coffee and then willing the shop assistant to hurry up!

There's also a coffee shop at Stoke while you change.