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Forewarning about train tickets to Leeds.



O

ofco8

Well-known member
May 18, 2007
2,387
Brighton
Myself and wife and another couple have decided to go to Leeds match and long weekend (we will have enough loyalty points) and decided to book train and hotel early to get best deal.
We are staying from Friday to Monday.
Went on to National Rail site and picked trains with best times and fare to suit us.
After selecting the train route Brighton to St. Pancras then King's Cross to Leeds (and vice versa) went to buy tickets.
However, the site defaults to East Coast and their site does not give the St. Pancras option. They instead direct you to another later train via Victoria and tube to King's Cross.
Firstly, don't want to lug cases on tube and secondly not enough time given to cross London, especially if Victoria train has a slight delay.
After a ding dong with the first guy on East Coast he put the phone down (after I had waited 10-15 minutes to get through). I rang again (10-15 minutes to get through).
Another guy who couldn't help as he said Brighton/ St. Pancras option not on their schedule.
He then suggested I talk to East Coast tele sales and lo and behold the girl found the St. Pancras option and booked us on those trains.

Why have they made the business of booking train tickets littered with obstacles? Problem is all these different franchises who struggle to work together.

Anyway, good luck if you are going to the match by train.
 






H

HalifaxSeagull

Active member
Aug 24, 2010
772
The Leeds London train always seemed quite dear, we always end up going from Manchester for much cheaper fares. worth a look if you've for plenty of time. theres also a company called great central trains that run to Halifax. Then it's only a £5 35 min train into Leeds centre.
 




Bladders

Bladders

Twats everywhere
Jun 22, 2012
13,672
The Troubadour
Just tried it on the Southern website for those dates.

£74 per person return.
 






Beach Hut

Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,966
Living In a Box
There is another option, go free 1st class..................
 






Herr Tubthumper

Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,523
The Fatherland
ofco8 said:
Myself and wife and another couple have decided to go to Leeds match and long weekend (we will have enough loyalty points) and decided to book train and hotel early to get best deal.
We are staying from Friday to Monday.
Went on to National Rail site and picked trains with best times and fare to suit us.
After selecting the train route Brighton to St. Pancras then King's Cross to Leeds (and vice versa) went to buy tickets.
However, the site defaults to East Coast and their site does not give the St. Pancras option. They instead direct you to another later train via Victoria and tube to King's Cross.
Firstly, don't want to lug cases on tube and secondly not enough time given to cross London, especially if Victoria train has a slight delay.
After a ding dong with the first guy on East Coast he put the phone down (after I had waited 10-15 minutes to get through). I rang again (10-15 minutes to get through).
Another guy who couldn't help as he said Brighton/ St. Pancras option not on their schedule.
He then suggested I talk to East Coast tele sales and lo and behold the girl found the St. Pancras option and booked us on those trains.

Why have they made the business of booking train tickets littered with obstacles? Problem is all these different franchises who struggle to work together.

Anyway, good luck if you are going to the match by train.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the arcane world of UK train ticketing. Ernest will be along shortly to defend the indefensible.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,523
The Fatherland
Gazwag said:
Why use the national rail site and not the southern rail one. I find the latter much easier.
Click to expand...

I found it easier to leave the country and move somewhere where you don't have this complete and utter joke of a rail shambles.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,523
The Fatherland




Commander

Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
12,890
London


Herr Tubthumper

Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,523
The Fatherland
Commander said:
Shame you don't get that to the Amex eh?
Click to expand...

I take great comfort in the fact that he, kind of, subsidises my AMEX rail fare.

Get on, get on, get on, get on my Groovy Train!
 


GOM

GOM

living vicariously
Aug 8, 2005
3,225
Leeds - but not the dirty bit
HalifaxSeagull said:
theres also a company called great central trains that run to Halifax. Then it's only a £5 35 min train into Leeds centre.
Click to expand...

or stay on the Grand Central to Bradford and its a cheaper (4.60) and quicker (20 mins) train to Leeds
 










L

LadySeagull

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2011
1,237
Portslade
jonny.rainbow said:
You can get a 3rd off on east coast if you book in a group of 3 or more.
Click to expand...

That's true - they have lots of offers like that.

And with any train tickets for a longish distance it's always worth splitting the tickets and seeing whether that's cheaper:

Split ticket app reveals hidden cheaper rail fares


And to/from London from Brighton off-peak you can buy a Group Save 3 or Group Save 4 ticket (3 or 4 travel for the price of two). Then price the rest using the tickety split app or searching manually for split tickets, choosing any main station along the journey to try out the 'split' - just takes a few searches on the national rail website and you can see if there are savings to be made (you do not have to get off the train at the 'split' station).




HTH
 








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