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Milton Keynes - Northallerton

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DarloRich

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Dear all,

I am taking my nephew to the parental unit for a few days, including a surprise visit to Railfest. We will be travelling from Milton Keynes to Northallerton. There will be me and my 5 year old nephew travelling. I hold a friends and family rail card.

Now digging around I can find the following fares (combined prices 1 adult and one child) :

1) Milton Keynes - Euston return £16.75

2) Kings Cross - Northallerton return £74.75 ( That is an EC advance in each direction)

I have used all of the resources in my possession to get those fares. Am I missing something because they seem to have gone up quite a bit!

I would like to take him through London in at least one direction as the East Coast Trains will be something new for him. I don’t mind changing but would prefer direct and I cant really change all the time like I often do on my trips ;) . Obviously I can’t set off early or travel late with a 5 year old in tow.

Can anyone help with a different fare or advise me on any cheaper options? I thought I was doing really well with all this :roll::roll:!

Finally, is there anyway to work out what traction will be allocated to a particular EC service?


Thanks, as always!
 
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SickyNicky

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I feel that I should point out that the +ANY PERMITTED Super Off Peak Return is valid via London and with your railcard would cost £103.30 for both of you.

That's not a whole lot more that the £91.50 for advances, includes a cross London transfer and gives you flexibility to catch any train you like within the time restrictions.

If you wished to go via London only one way, you could buy the £88.80 Off Peak Return routed NOT VIA LONDON and then excess one way to route +ANY PERMITTED for half the difference. That would be a total cost of £96.05 to go via Birmingham one way and via London the other on flexible tickets.
 

mikeg

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A better option if you don't mind not taking the train might be to get a National Express coach to Thirsk from the Coachway. Seems to be approx. £65 for an adult and a child, and is faster than taking the train (at least, faster than not via London, probably a bit slower than +any permitted). To get to Northallerton you could then walk to the station (about 30 mins if you walk fast enough) - £3.80 for an SDS with your railcard. I don't think there's any buses from the town centre after the coach gets in :(

However on the way back there will be Dales and District buses running to the town centre (unless it's a Sunday) and they cost £3.30-£3.60 for a single last time I used them (a few months ago)

I'm struggling to get the trains any cheaper and realise that you have a preference for East Coast, but it's there as the 'cheap option'
 
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SickyNicky

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A better option if you don't mind not taking the train might be to get a National Express coach to Thirsk from the Coachway

Does that allow for travel via London? If it does, the price isn't too bad (if you can cope with a coach). For myself, I would pay the extra for the train.
 

mikeg

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I don't think so, the coach is direct headed Northbound from the Coachway to Thirsk. Not sure how permitted routes are calculated by National Express!
 

pitdiver

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There are two options using the coach from MK Coachway 1) Depart 1155 changing at Leeds Arriving Thirsk 1745 2) Departing MK Coachway 1435 Arriving Thirsk 1845 Direct

Fares From £40.50 on the early service £48.00 for the later service. These are single fares
1 Adult + 1 Child
 

DarloRich

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Thanks for your advice - There is a direct National Express coach from the MK coachway to Thirsk ( the Newcastle one irc). I have done it myself before now and it can be tiresome if you are held up by problems en route. I have also used the Leeds/Bradford service and taken the train from Leeds. Both coaches I used were lightly loaded and not uncomfortable.

However, I am a little reluctant to take a young child on such a long journey as it will be the first time we have been over such a distance. Plus my nephew likes his trains so I thought it would be an excuse for a long trip out on trains he hasn’t travelled on before (or since he was tiny!) He is used to Pendos, Voyagers and Desiros and the little chugga along the Martson Vale line. His favourite seems to be the “snazzy” EMT Meridian we took once or twice to London! I think we will have a trip on a northern pacer just to show him how the other half live!

That said if I were going alone I would use the coach if I could not get a decent train fare. National Express has improved a great deal over recent years and I am slowly coming to offer them some grudging respect!
 
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