Off peak day return train tickets

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 31, 2015

Just installed the new-ish National Rail app to look up some train times and it has given me the option of purchasing my ticket now, for collection on the day of travel. Is there any financial, or other, advantage to buying an off-peak day Gatwick Brighton return in advance? And I presume "Any Permitted" means any time and any TOC?

I have tried to find this info on the web but it's beyond me I'm afraid.

RM-Taylor · Mar 31, 2015

Off peak so travelling will have time restrictions

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 31, 2015

RM-Taylor said:
Off peak so travelling after 10.30am and no return between 4pm and 7.15pm I believe - timings may be different for different TOCs

I'm travelling Good Friday so all day is off-peak right?

Ernest · Mar 31, 2015

RM-Taylor said:
Off peak so travelling after 10.30am and no return between 4pm and 7.15pm I believe - timings may be different for different TOCs

Not Gatwick it isn't , after 9am going south or after 930am going north and no afternoon peak restrictions

8ace · Mar 31, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
Just installed the new-ish National Rail app to look up some train times and it has given me the option of purchasing my ticket now, for collection on the day of travel. Is there any financial, or other, advantage to buying an off-peak day Gatwick Brighton return in advance? And I presume "Any Permitted" means any time and any TOC?

I have tried to find this info on the web but it's beyond me I'm afraid.

The only advantage is that you don't have to wait in the queue behind a bunch of f*ckwits when buying a ticket.
It's no cheaper.

dazzer6666 · Mar 31, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
Just installed the new-ish National Rail app to look up some train times and it has given me the option of purchasing my ticket now, for collection on the day of travel. Is there any financial, or other, advantage to buying an off-peak day Gatwick Brighton return in advance? And I presume "Any Permitted" means any time and any TOC?

I have tried to find this info on the web but it's beyond me I'm afraid.

Just put in a return for today and see what price comes up ?

Ernest · Mar 31, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
I'm travelling Good Friday so all day is off-peak right?

Yes, Bank Holidays is off peak all day, wouldn't happen in Germany though

RM-Taylor · Mar 31, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
I'm travelling Good Friday so all day is off-peak right?

Yep Bank Holidays and weekends are classed as off-peak too

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 31, 2015

Ernest said:
Yes, Bank Holidays is off peak all day, wouldn't happen in Germany though

And I am allowed on all trains including Gatwick Express with an off-peak day return?

RM-Taylor · Mar 31, 2015

Ernest said:
Not Gatwick it isn't , after 9am going south or after 930am going north and no afternoon peak restrictions

I wish all TOCs had the same timings, would make things so much easier.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 31, 2015

8ace said:
The only advantage is that you don't have to wait in the queue behind a bunch of f*ckwits when buying a ticket.
It's no cheaper.

Good call, especially at Gatwick where no one seems to know where they're going.

father_and_son · Apr 1, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
Good call, especially at Gatwick where no one seems to know where they're going.

...and they guys that "manage" the queue for the ticket machines are morons.

More than once I have been called forward and sent around to machines at the far end, only to find they are all in use.

34064 Fighter Command · Apr 1, 2015

Ernest said:
Not Gatwick it isn't , after 9am going south or after 930am going north and no afternoon peak restrictions

This is exactly the kind of detail that makes trying to find the best deal when buying tickets a total nightmare. Apex, Supersaver, Off-Peak, etc.

When I wanted to purchase a ticket from Reading to Leamington Spa ( 2 weeks ago ) my Network Card wasn't valid and I was quoted £ 42 single.

Yet when I purchased a single from Reading to Banbury ( with Network card £ 15 ) and a single from Banbury to Leamington Spa ( without network card, £ 7 ) the total cost was £ 22 single.

Now I understand using the Network Card was one of the principal reasons for the discount, but the option of purchasing two tickets rather than one was not offered by the clerk at the ticket office. It was at my suggestion that she issued separate tickets for the different sections of the journey.

Life would be much simpler if ALL TOC's played by the same rules and based their pricing on pence per journey mile, much like how fuel expenses are calculated.

Ernest · Apr 1, 2015

34064 Fighter Command said:
This is exactly the kind of detail that makes trying to find the best deal when buying tickets a total nightmare. Apex, Supersaver, Off-Peak, etc.

When I wanted to purchase a ticket from Reading to Leamington Spa ( 2 weeks ago ) my Network Card wasn't valid and I was quoted £ 42 single.

Yet when I purchased a single from Reading to Banbury ( with Network card £ 15 ) and a single from Banbury to Leamington Spa ( without network card, £ 7 ) the total cost was £ 22 single.

Now I understand using the Network Card was one of the principal reasons for the discount, but the option of purchasing two tickets rather than one was not offered by the clerk at the ticket office. It was at my suggestion that she issued separate tickets for the different sections of the journey.

Life would be much simpler if ALL TOC's played by the same rules and based their pricing on pence per journey mile, much like how fuel expenses are calculated.

A ticket clerk is told not to offer 'split tickets' only between the 2 stations you ask for but to sell 'split tickets' if you ask for them

Mr Banana · Apr 1, 2015

34064 Fighter Command said:
This is exactly the kind of detail that makes trying to find the best deal when buying tickets a total nightmare. Apex, Supersaver, Off-Peak, etc.

When I wanted to purchase a ticket from Reading to Leamington Spa ( 2 weeks ago ) my Network Card wasn't valid and I was quoted £ 42 single.

Yet when I purchased a single from Reading to Banbury ( with Network card £ 15 ) and a single from Banbury to Leamington Spa ( without network card, £ 7 ) the total cost was £ 22 single.

Now I understand using the Network Card was one of the principal reasons for the discount, but the option of purchasing two tickets rather than one was not offered by the clerk at the ticket office. It was at my suggestion that she issued separate tickets for the different sections of the journey.

Life would be much simpler if ALL TOC's played by the same rules and based their pricing on pence per journey mile, much like how fuel expenses are calculated.

Don't know if it would help you, hombre - and apologies if you already know about it - but Tickety Split could be good for this sorta thing: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/split-cheap-train-tickets/?_ga=1.265188553.737882441.1425551228

x

Tom Hark Preston Park · Apr 1, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
Good call, especially at Gatwick where no one seems to know where they're going.

Don't know if you ever fly on Easyjet, but they'll sell you a train ticket from Gatwick to Brighton while you're in the air. Saves all that faffing around in shambolic queues at Gatwick. It's even a couple of quid cheaper than buying one at the station. Recommended.

34064 Fighter Command · Apr 1, 2015

Surely a prime example of how the railway is run for the benefit of it's shareholders, and not it's customers ( FFS, I am NOT a customer, I am a passenger ).

No wonder I travel by bus these days - it costs me £ 6.50 to make a Newbury - Reading return journey by Bus, AT ANY TIME. Do that by train and you could be charged as much as £ 9.40 ( again at any time ). I will concede the off-peak fare is £ 0.40 cheaper, but if I want to be in Reading early I'll stick with the bus thanks.

34064 Fighter Command · Apr 1, 2015

Mr Banana said:
Don't know if it would help you, hombre - and apologies if you already know about it - but Tickety Split could be good for this sorta thing: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/split-cheap-train-tickets/?_ga=1.265188553.737882441.1425551228

x

It would be if I could afford a computer, broadband, and a smartphone contract, but right now I'm trying to save money, not spend it ( ok I do have a smart phone and may be getting a pay-as-you-go SIM but accessing all these web based 'agencies' still requires a large capital outlay first ). Which is why I usually turn up at the ticket office brandishing a Network Card ( which again at £ 30 ain't cheap ).

sten_super · Apr 1, 2015

34064 Fighter Command said:
Life would be much simpler if ALL TOC's played by the same rules and based their pricing on pence per journey mile, much like how fuel expenses are calculated.

Absolutely this. The splitting up of the rail network is a great example of a break-up of a natural monopoly gone wrong.

Ernest said:
A ticket clerk is told not to offer 'split tickets' only between the 2 stations you ask for but to sell 'split tickets' if you ask for them

For me this is tantamount to mis-selling. They should be renamed from 'Customer Service' to 'TOC Service' because that's exactly who their advice is best for.

I'm quite surprised that there's not yet a train booking website which offers a way of calculating the cheapest ticket - Tickety Split shows that it is possible, and I'd think that any website which guaranteed to offer you the cheapest possible ticket would gain market share very quickly.

mona · Apr 1, 2015

34064 Fighter Command said:
Surely a prime example of how the railway is run for the benefit of it's shareholders, and not it's customers ( FFS, I am NOT a customer, I am a passenger ).

No wonder I travel by bus these days - it costs me £ 6.50 to make a Newbury - Reading return journey by Bus, AT ANY TIME. Do that by train and you could be charged as much as £ 9.40 ( again at any time ). I will concede the off-peak fare is £ 0.40 cheaper, but if I want to be in Reading early I'll stick with the bus thanks.

But aren't they increasingly run by the same companies......Abellio, First etc.

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