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Student rail travel help please.



1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
I know there's plenty of train travel experts and students on here, so anyone able to help with this please?

Our eldest is due to start 6th form college at Lewes in September. Travel will be from Hastings by train each day. On enrollment (a week or so before the course starts) I'm assuming a 16-25 railcard or a Sussex Student Card will be issued/applied for. Not sure how that works exactly, i.e whether we have to pay the £30 for a 16-25 card or if we bypass that and get a Sussex Student Card? Does it pay to buy one of the many season tickets with the Sussex Student Card or just buy daily with a 16-25 card I wonder? Meanwhile, I suppose full fare will have to be paid for the trip over for the enrollment day? (accompanied open day visits have been done on a friends and family railcard).

Sorry to sound like a bit of an idiot, but it seems like in all the homework we've done, including looking into travel grants, we've come out with more questions than answers, and I'm keen to know exactly where we stand before enrollment day. Anyone on here able to offer some clear advice I can make perfect sense of please?
 

TheJasperCo

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2012
4,587
Exeter
Have you looked at NUS cards? They offer a range of discounts across big-name high street brands, and I believe they include further discounts off the student rail card. All for only thirty odd quid a year. Sorry if that sounds like a bit of an advertisement, but it's an option that's open to you son if you want.
 

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Have you looked at NUS cards? They offer a range of discounts across big-name high street brands, and I believe they include further discounts off the student rail card. All for only thirty odd quid a year. Sorry if that sounds like a bit of an advertisement, but it's an option that's open to you son if you want.

I haven't no, so thanks, all advice greatly appreciated. It's all new to me and we're learning as we go along. I'll look into it.
 

fataddick

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2004
1,601
The seaside.
Student railcard is worthless in your case as there is a £12 minimum fare before 1000 mon to fri. The only ticket would be a full price season ticket

You get 30% off season tickets with a SSC. Surely Hastings-Lewes is a long enough journey for that to kick in?
 


No you don't. No railcard gives a discount on seasons

WRONG! This one does.


http://www.connexions360.org.uk/travel/publictransport/pages/raildiscounts.aspx

Sussex student card

Are you aged 16 to 19 and a full-time student at college or sixth form? If you live in East Sussex, West Sussex or Brighton and Hove you can now get 34% off your rail season ticket to college with a Sussex student card. With your card you can buy discounted rail season tickets online at Southern railway - Sussex Further Education Season Ticket website.

The Sussex Student Card scheme is due to cease in July 2014. We are hopeful that an alternative scheme can be found and will discuss options with the rail operator. Updates on this will appear here.

For more details on the rail season tickets, go to Southern railway - Further education season tickets terms and conditions.


http://www.southernrailwaytickets.com/buytickets/furthered/FurtherEd.php?sEvent=TicketDetails

FURTHER EDUCATION Season Tickets

Welcome to the Sussex Further Education Season Ticket Website

The following local authorities have arranged for full time Further Education students in their areas to receive 34% discounts on the price of rail season tickets:

West Sussex County Council
East Sussex County Council
Brighton and Hove Council

Tickets must be purchased a minimum of seven days in advance, and 14 days in advance over Christmas/Easter periods.


Ticket Information

Tickets must be purchased a minimum of seven days in advance, and 14 days in advance over Christmas/Easter periods.

Tickets must have a minimum validity of one month. Any period above one month is possible up to a year. However if you require a season ticket for longer than 10 months and 13 days then you will be sold an annual ticket.

To qualify for a discounted season ticket you must live in one of the above areas highlighted above, and have a valid Sussex Student Card. Please speak to your school, college or local authority about applying for this card

On this site most tickets are sold at one third below their normal price. However a minimum fare applies based on the equivalent of £30.80 per month. In some case it may be cheaper to buy a full price ticket from your local station and in this situation you will be informed on screen.

You should have your student photocard (issued by the above Local Educational Authorities) ready, as you will be asked for the number.

Thank you for deciding to travel by train to school.

Please note: You must be a registered southern user to order tickets from this site. If you are registered, please ensure that you are logged in before you continue. Non-registered users should follow the link below to sign up for an account before continuing.
 
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1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Student railcard is worthless in your case as there is a £12 minimum fare before 1000 mon to fri. The only ticket would be a full price season ticket

That would explain what the college was saying about having their own card that can still be used during peak times. Would this be the Sussex Student Card then?

The college website isn't overly helpful and I couldn't seem to get loads of info on travel on the open day, only that some financial help may be available (we've applied for a bursary as we're just above the council grant threshold) and that they have a railcard scheme in operation.
 


Country Seagull

Active member
Jan 11, 2013
227

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
No you don't. No railcard gives a discount on seasons

The Sussex Student card does. See the info Lord B has just posted that is exactly the info I had before regrading this card (thanks Lord B anyway).

I'm keen to know if any students have worked out the best option from experience. I suppose it will ultimately depend on her college timetable, because as I understand it she may not be in college 5 days a week every week anyway [of term time].

It still all feels like a minefield to me, as working out the cheapest train fares always seems to :(
 


1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Further education season tickets give 34% off of season tickets in Sussex, though they like to keep quite about them. Saved me a fortune when EMA went, was free as well.

http://www.connexions360.org.uk/travel/publictransport/pages/raildiscounts.aspx

http://www.southernrailwaytickets.com/buytickets/furthered/FurtherEd.php?sEvent=TicketDetails

I seem to remember young persons railcards can only be used on weekends and weekdays after about 10:30.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

The connexions360 site is where I've mainly been getting my info from already. I suppose I'll just have to wait until she has a college timetable in place before I can really get down to the nuts and bolts, but was hoping to have a clearer picture in my mind before that.
 


LB that is not a railcard as it can only buy a season ticket in advance to your school or college and not on train or booking office. There is an easement on cheap day fares from hastings so you can travel on the 0836 to lewes at the off peak rate
But not in time for the start of the College Day.
 

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
But not in time for the start of the College Day.

Exactly. Although some days, if her first lesson isn't until later, then maybe. You can see why I'm getting myself all confused and befuddled = confuddled :blush:

Looks like the monthly 1/3 off season ticket price you quote maybe the best option more often than not so far.
 
Exactly. Although some days, if her first lesson isn't until later, then maybe. You can see why I'm getting myself all confused and befuddled = confuddled :blush:

Looks like the monthly 1/3 off season ticket price you quote maybe the best option more often than not so far.
I travel most days on the train that Ernest says offers a cheap off-peak return ticket from Hastings to Lewes, even though it's earlier than the time normally allowed for such tickets. All I can report is that there aren't many students using it.

I'd recommend her to get the Young Persons' Rail Card as well, though. There is plenty of travel that she will want to make that isn't covered by the Student Card - and the saving is well worth having.
 


Country Seagull

Active member
Jan 11, 2013
227
Thanks.

The connexions360 site is where I've mainly been getting my info from already. I suppose I'll just have to wait until she has a college timetable in place before I can really get down to the nuts and bolts, but was hoping to have a clearer picture in my mind before that.

I'd recommend getting the card anyway, doesn't cost anything (unless they've changed it) and is more likely than not to end up being the cheapest option. Colleges do sometimes fiddle around with timetables into the term so watch out for that.
 

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