[dave_wm]

Hello,

We're trying to book tickets for the annual family holiday to St Ives in August, and we're coming across a bit of trouble in reserving the seats we'd like.

We're buying standard Return tickets, in this case an Anytime return from Four Oaks to Cheltenham Spa and an Off-Peak Return from Cheltenham Spa to St Ives - I think this is the cheapest way of travelling on the 0912 Birmingham to Plymouth?

Ideally, we'd like HSTs on both sections of the journey, and this is possible to reserve on the way down, with the 0912 Birmingham to Plymouth, and 1311 Plymouth to St Erth. However, they don't match up on the way back, so we've decided to catch the 1400 from St Erth, wait an hour in Exeter, have tea and catch the 1825 from Exeter to Birmingham.

However, it seems impossible make reservations, either online or via Cross Country's telesales, using these trains, and being potentially busy Summer Friday services, we'd quite like to make them.

To further complicate matters, its 3 Adults and 1 Child, with a Family & Friends Railcard and 16-25 Railcard, neither of which have been bought yet.

Would we be able to make such reservations after booking the ticket (say at a railway station or via telesales) or would this incur an extra charge? Otherwise is there any way of being able to make these reservations at the time of booking?

Thanks,

David

[swt_passenger]

Check your intended date against this:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_..._horizons.html

it may just be that the return date isn't bookable yet

[aleksander]

When are you travelling? Off Peak/Anytime tickets may be on sale online but that doesn't mean reservations are available yet. (If you are travelling in around 3 months time)

[dave_wm]

The reservations are all already available on line, its the specifics of them we're having problems with - specifying we'd like a straightforward change wherever on the way there, but with an hour wait in Exeter on the way back.

[SS4]

You're probably better off going to Four Oaks and getting them to issue the reservations. There is no charge for this although you would need to show the ticket

[dave_wm]

Thanks, it looks like that might be the best bet.

Would that definitely be free? The NRT states that First Great Western charge £5 for seat reservations made after booking a ticket - or is that just at their stations?

[SS4]

I've got reservations issued before for free and haven't heard of the charge but to be on the safe side you may want to wait for a second opinion

[Frontera2]

Send me a DM, I'll be able to sort it out for you.

Originally Posted by dave_wm

Hello,

We're trying to book tickets for the annual family holiday to St Ives in August, and we're coming across a bit of trouble in reserving the seats we'd like.

We're buying standard Return tickets, in this case an Anytime return from Four Oaks to Cheltenham Spa and an Off-Peak Return from Cheltenham Spa to St Ives - I think this is the cheapest way of travelling on the 0912 Birmingham to Plymouth?

Ideally, we'd like HSTs on both sections of the journey, and this is possible to reserve on the way down, with the 0912 Birmingham to Plymouth, and 1311 Plymouth to St Erth. However, they don't match up on the way back, so we've decided to catch the 1400 from St Erth, wait an hour in Exeter, have tea and catch the 1825 from Exeter to Birmingham.

However, it seems impossible make reservations, either online or via Cross Country's telesales, using these trains, and being potentially busy Summer Friday services, we'd quite like to make them.

To further complicate matters, its 3 Adults and 1 Child, with a Family & Friends Railcard and 16-25 Railcard, neither of which have been bought yet.

Would we be able to make such reservations after booking the ticket (say at a railway station or via telesales) or would this incur an extra charge? Otherwise is there any way of being able to make these reservations at the time of booking?

Thanks,

David

[dave_wm]

PM sent.

Thanks