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Stockport - London Euston

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VideozVideoz

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Hi All. Next week (weekday) I need to go to London and cannot find a cheap way to do this journey so I'm looking for some expertise from this forum! I need to be in Euston for 12:30pm and I want to be leaving Euston after 4:30pm. The problem is if I leave Euston between 4:30pm and 7pm a standard return is £275. I don't want to wait until after 7pm because it's far too late and means hanging around at Euston for 2h30mins. Please can someone suggest how I may bring the cost down and travel back around 4:30pm/5pm? Thanks!
 
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dzug2

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You could try an advance single outward and an any time single back - comes to £190

Or try splitting at Milton Keynes - that's sub £200 as well. Advance singles/anytime return

Or Stoke on Trent - there's a £15 LM single from there outward that fits with your times. Nothing much back though

Or via Birmingham might produce something

Edit - those prices (the advance ones) were for Wednesday BTW - availability may vary other days
 
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island

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I suppose it's too late for you to find an Advance?

If so, you could buy an off-peak single for £68.50 and an anytime single back at £139.50, total £208.

There's another way that I'll PM you about.

Finally, you didn't mention whether you're a Railcard holder. If you are, an off-peak return will be fine for you on Virgin Trains as they don't apply off-peak restrictions on most discounted tickets.
 

VideozVideoz

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Hi Both. Thanks for your replies. No railcard i'm afraid :( Older than 26 now!! £208 still very dear
 

sonic2009

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There's an advance going via Sheffield on the 0954 all week but does not get in until 1304 for £46.00....

i'm guessing that is too late?
 

VideozVideoz

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Yes I saw that one! It arrives just a little too late un4tch... thanks for the info though!
 

Squaddie

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Getting a later train back doesn't necessarily have to entail "hanging around at Euston for 2h30mins". You could see a film, visit a museum or gallery or just go shopping - and still end up better off.

Or use National Express, who have day returns for around £35.
 

tony_mac

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there are possibly ways around the evening peak restrictions, for a small cost, but I'm not sure if it's the sort of thing we should write specifically in public. but if you were travelling from Glasgow / Carlisle etc. then the time restrictions are quite different.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Catch the 1630 from Marylebone and change at Leamington into 1812 XC to Manchester. Gets you to Stockport at 2027 which is half an hour earlier than waiting for the 1900 cheap train from Euston.
No restrictions out of Marylebone.
 

bnm

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If journey time is not the most important consideration, the following may suit your needs:

Stockport - Stafford Anytime Return £18.60
Stafford - Leamington Spa Anytime Day Return £19.10
Leamington Spa - Zones 1-6 Off Peak One Day Travelcard £34.00 (No evening restrictions out of London Marylebone or Paddington)
Total £71.70 (0r £67.70 with a SVR from Leamington - London £30.00, if you don't need a Travelcard.)

Possible options:

OUT
0735/0835 XC Stockport - Leamington Spa 0936/1036
0953/1046 CH Leamington Spa - Marylebone 1131/1225

0735 XC Stockport - Reading 1039
1052 GW Reading - Paddington 1124
Tube to Euston or final destination.

RTN
1630/1730 CH Marylebone - Leamington Spa 1758/1858
1812/1912 XC Leamington Spa - Stockport 2027/2127

1630/1730 GW Paddington - Reading 1657/1756
1711/1811 XC Reading - Stockport 2027/2127

1703 GW Paddington - Reading 1729
1741 XC Reading - Birmingham New Street 1918
1931 XC Birmingham New Street - Stockport 2048

All these options call at the ticket split points of Stafford and Leamington Spa.

With all these you will need to factor in the tube to and from Euston or wherever is your destination in London.

EDIT. Or have the best of both. Fast into Euston in the morning on the 0943, 1004 or 1023 then one of the return options from Marylebone listed above. £69.50 for the Off Peak Return.
 
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VideozVideoz

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If journey time is no
EDIT. Or have the best of both. Fast into Euston in the morning on the 0943, 1004 or 1023 then one of the return options from Marylebone listed above. £69.50 for the Off Peak Return.

Interesting this one! Thanks... How do I get the £69.50 off peak return? I've tried national rail journey planner but I cannot force it to let me travel into Euston in the morning but return from Marylebone in the afternoon
 

yorkie

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Interesting this one! Thanks... How do I get the £69.50 off peak return?
You can buy the ticket at any railway station, telesales, rail appointed travel agent, or any rail ticket booking site (and possibly from a guard in advance; many guards would appreciate the commission).

I've tried national rail journey planner but I cannot force it to let me travel into Euston in the morning but return from Marylebone in the afternoon
It is unclear to me what you wish to achieve by trying to force the National Rail website to do this?

The National Rail website does not sell tickets. But in any case you will not get reservations returning by a different, slower, route by booking online, as you don't get the option to specify different 'via' points in different directions. Also note that there is no point trying to get reservations on trains out of Marylebone anyway as they do not offer seat reservations (as far as I know).

If you want to read the restriction code, to satisfy yourself that there is no restriction out of Marylebone in the evening, then to do this, make a journey enquiry, click Check Fares, select a ticket (e.g. Off Peak Return), then look in the blue box under this table titled 'Tickets' and you can then click on the ticket type in this box, this opens a page with generic information about that ticket type, scroll to the bottom of this page, and under 'Restrictions' there is a hyperlink that reads "view the complete list of 'Validity Codes' applicable to the ticket type that you have selected" clicking this hyperlink opens the full restriction text of that ticket in a PDF file. (A full list of all restrictions is available in PDF files for both Advance and Off Peak fares). In this case, a Stockport-London Terminals Off Peak Return has the restriction code 2C.
 

VideozVideoz

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You can buy the ticket at any railway station, telesales, rail appointed travel agent, or any rail ticket booking site (and possibly from a guard in advance; many guards would appreciate the commission).


It is unclear to me what you wish to achieve by trying to force the National Rail website to do this?

The National Rail website does not sell tickets. But in any case you will not get reservations returning by a different, slower, route by booking online, as you don't get the option to specify different 'via' points in different directions. Also note that there is no point trying to get reservations on trains out of Marylebone anyway as they do not offer seat reservations (as far as I know).

If you want to read the restriction code, to satisfy yourself that there is no restriction out of Marylebone in the evening, then to do this, make a journey enquiry, click Check Fares, select a ticket (e.g. Off Peak Return), then look in the blue box under this table titled 'Tickets' and you can then click on the ticket type in this box, this opens a page with generic information about that ticket type, scroll to the bottom of this page, and under 'Restrictions' there is a hyperlink that reads "view the complete list of 'Validity Codes' applicable to the ticket type that you have selected" clicking this hyperlink opens the full restriction text of that ticket in a PDF file. (A full list of all restrictions is available in PDF files for both Advance and Off Peak fares). In this case, a Stockport-London Terminals Off Peak Return has the restriction code 2C.

Yep I know you cannot buy on National Rail but I was just using it to give me times/prices. So I'm guessing that my ticket would say 'London Terminals' on it since I cannot get the website to specifically travel into Euston and return from Marylebone?
 

yorkie

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Yep I know you cannot buy on National Rail but I was just using it to give me times/prices. So I'm guessing that my ticket would say 'London Terminals' on it since I cannot get the website to specifically travel into Euston and return from Marylebone?
The price of a ticket from Stockport to London Terminals is £69.50.

That may, or may not, be the best ticket for you, depending on whether you are going somewhere in London that is much beyond the Marylebone/Euston areas.

You can find times by performing separate searches. bnm has provided some example times, but do you have any particular time in mind?

There are trains from Marylebone to Birmingham departing at xx00 and xx30 past the hour (with an additonal at 1636, and the one that should be 1830 is actually 1833). They all call at Banbury and Leamington, where Cross Country trains also call. Alternatively Moor St to New St is a short walk.
 

OwlMan

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You can use London Midland from Stoke

Anytime day return...................Stockport - Stoke £14-10
Off Peak Day Return LM Only.......Stoke - London £31 (valid on trains below)
Total £45-10

Stockport dep....0743 / 0758
Stoke arr...........0812 / 0842
Stoke dep..........0854
Euston arr..........1149

Euston dep...........1829
Stoke Arr..............2105
Stoke dep.............2119
Stockport arr.........2147



Peter
 

island

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Commission? Do guards really get paid commission? How does that work? (are there threads elsewhere on the Forum which cover it?)

Yes, certain train operating companies pay commission to guards regarding onboard sales. Others don't. 5% is a common commission rate. But don't assume it applies across the board.
 
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A midweek return flight from Manchester to Heathrow can be done for £150. BMI. You are probably too late now though for a cheap deal.
 

VideozVideoz

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Thanks everyone for your suggestions! It's been amazing the amount of responses I've had both public and PM. Time is important as I didn't fancy hanging round London just to catch the 7pm home. Nor did I really fancy the slow Marylebone via Banbury option or the painfully slow London Midland service. I've bitten the bullet and here's what I've bought:

Single Stoke-Euston 10:12am - £28.85
Single Euston-Stoke 5:20pm - £97.00

Didn't seem so bad in the end and I will buy an off-peak return to get to Stoke.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Well just my luck... I missed the 17.20 back and had to upgrade my ticket for £29.00! Turned out to be an expensive trip hehe. Some idiot wanted to drive me to a different tube station as he said I would get back to Euston quicker... I knew it wasnt a good idea but went along with it. Oh well, home now
 

All Line Rover

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Hi All. Next week (weekday) I need to go to London and cannot find a cheap way to do this journey so I'm looking for some expertise from this forum! I need to be in Euston for 12:30pm and I want to be leaving Euston after 4:30pm. The problem is if I leave Euston between 4:30pm and 7pm a standard return is £275. I don't want to wait until after 7pm because it's far too late and means hanging around at Euston for 2h30mins. Please can someone suggest how I may bring the cost down and travel back around 4:30pm/5pm? Thanks!

I would recommend the following:
  • until 5pm - Go to the Bank of England Museum. It's FREE and extremely interesting! [BANK/MONUMENT]
  • 5pm to 6pm - If it's a Friday, go to Borough Market. There are lots of free samples and nice food. [LONDON BRIDGE]
  • 6pm to 7pm - Go to John Lewis. At that time, there should be some great reductions on delicious food in the food hall. [BOND STREET/OXFORD CIRCUS]
  • 7pm - Take the first off-peak train to Stockport.

All the intermediate tube journeys would be direct, and it would also be direct on the Victoria line from Oxford Circus to Euston. (If it isn't a Friday, just look round the shops on Oxford Street or Tottenham Court Road, or go to Waterstones Piccadilly or Gower Street - the Gower Street Waterstones is just a few minutes walk from Euston.)

OK you may spend a bit, but it'll be less than £25. That's a lot less than paying for an Anytime fare, and you'll enjoy yourself in the process! :D
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Getting a later train back doesn't necessarily have to entail "hanging around at Euston for 2h30mins". You could see a film, visit a museum or gallery or just go shopping - and still end up better off.

I completely agree. I mean it's London we're talking about here! (and it's a weekday, so places open late!)
 

yorkie

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The £97 ticket is an Advance ticket, which technically holds no value whatsoever (this of course is rather harsh as discussed in another topic) once you miss the train, this is a saving of £19 compared to a fully-flexible single that can be bought on board the train (or, if a barrier check is in place, sold at the barrier).

Perhaps you were excessed £19, and charged a £10 admin fee. It would have been cheaper to simply buy on board/at the barrier. If I am only saving around 17% when booking in advance compared to buying on board/at the barrier, then I would do the latter, as I would consider the saving far too small for the risk of having to buy a new ticket.

So, they were lenient! They could have said your £97 ticket is worthless and that you need to buy a new £116 ticket. They have done this before, which got them featured on Watchdog. It is unclear whether Virgin have changed policy as a result of this programme or if you encountered a particularly helpful & lenient member of staff.
 

VideozVideoz

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The guy at Euston did say to me he wasn't supposed to 'upgrade' my ticket, Virgin had told him he should really sell a brand new ticket. I watched the cash register and you are exactly right.. £19 ticket upgrade plus £10 admin charge. So after running from tube to tube and up to Euston mainline station, I was knackered and I incurred a £29 charge as a result. That's what I call a recession-proof business!
 

yorkie

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Fast-forward to around 11:07, is that not the conclusive evidence that a RC-discounted fare can be excessed to a full fare, which we talked about a few weeks ago?
They absolutely can be, I have had it done myself and even the infamous G4S at Manchester did it last month for people on the Hadfield-Penistone cycle ride! If anyone still doubts this, I will scan my ticket in! We've also had guards on here state it can be done.
 
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