Aberystwyth to Cardiff via Derby

[krus_aragon]

Hi,

I'm going to be combining a work journey with a leisure journey next weekend. I want to go to Derby for the weekend (out 29/06, back 01/07) but will be in Aberystwyth on Friday morning, so I'd rather travel straight from Aberystwyth to Derby, then come back home to Cardiff on the return leg.

I can claim the the cost of the AYW-CDF journey as a business expense, so I could buy an AYW-CDF single (and receipt) and then excess it to an AYW-DBY single, and buy the BDY-CDF leg separately.

Alternatively, The cost of an AYW-DBY off-peak return ticket is practically the same price as the AYW-CDF single, and I won't need to present the ticket to claim, only the receipt. As I've been caught out misinformed on excesses in the past could a learned person check that I'd be correct in asking to excess the return leg only to travel DBY-CDF, and the correct price I'd be expected to pay? I will be using my Y-P railcard for all journeys.

Thanks.

 

[dvboy]

I'm not sure on excesses so I will leave that to someone else to explore.

If not possible to excess then it's a tough one as an advance from Aberystwyth to Cardiff can be as little as £11.20 YP - will your employer allow you to claim for an Anytime Day Single at £32.80 YP?

That would allow you to break your journey at Shrewsbury, get a return from Shrewsbury to Derby (off peak return £21.85 YP) and can break that return journey at Birmingham and use an advance to Cardiff (£15.20 YP)

 

[Paul Kelly]

None of those look to me like situations where an excess would be appropriate. It's neither a change of route, over distance nor change of class. If you got an Off-Peak Return from Aberystwyth to Derby, then on the return leg you would need to buy a new ticket from the point where the routes diverge, which I think would be Birmingham.

 

[bb21]

None of those look to me like situations where an excess would be appropriate. It's neither a change of route, over distance nor change of class. If you got an Off-Peak Return from Aberystwyth to Derby, then on the return leg you would need to buy a new ticket from the point where the routes diverge, which I think would be Birmingham.

Agreed.

I can claim the the cost of the AYW-CDF journey as a business expense, so I could buy an AYW-CDF single (and receipt) and then excess it to an AYW-DBY single, and buy the BDY-CDF leg separately.

Officially you cannot excess an Aberystwyth - Cardiff ticket into an Aberystwyth - Derby ticket as Cardiff is not on a permitted route between Aberystwyth and Derby.

Alternatively, The cost of an AYW-DBY off-peak return ticket is practically the same price as the AYW-CDF single, and I won't need to present the ticket to claim, only the receipt. As I've been caught out misinformed on excesses in the past could a learned person check that I'd be correct in asking to excess the return leg only to travel DBY-CDF, and the correct price I'd be expected to pay? I will be using my Y-P railcard for all journeys.

For the same reason as above, an Aberystwyth - Derby ticket cannot be excessed to a Cardiff - Derby ticket (return portion only) officially, as Aberystwyth is not on a permitted route between Derby and Cardiff.

 

[dvboy]

None of those look to me like situations where an excess would be appropriate. It's neither a change of route, over distance nor change of class. If you got an Off-Peak Return from Aberystwyth to Derby, then on the return leg you would need to buy a new ticket from the point where the routes diverge, which I think would be Birmingham.

Birmingham is not a permitted route on Aberystwyth-Cardiff which is why I suggested Shrewsbury.

 

[LexyBoy]

Birmingham is not a permitted route on Aberystwyth-Cardiff which is why I suggested Shrewsbury.

It is on a permitted route for Aberystwyth-Derby though

 

[OwlMan]

A Swansea - Derby SVR is valid via Shrewsbury and is probably the cheapest ticket for travel from Shrewsbury - Derby - Cardiff (with most flows priced by XC cheap splits are hard to find)

 

[dvboy]

It is on a permitted route for Aberystwyth-Derby though

London midland wouldn't sell me Aberystwyth-Cardiff via Birmingham

 

[yorkie]

London midland wouldn't sell me Aberystwyth-Cardiff via Birmingham

That's because there is no "via Birmingham" fare. They will sell an Aberystwyth-Cardiff via Any Permitted route.

(It is then down to the Routeing Guide to determine if Birmingham is on a permitted route)

They will, however, sell you separate tickets to/from Birmingham if you ask them!

 

[dvboy]

That's because there is no "via Birmingham" fare. They will sell an Aberystwyth-Cardiff via Any Permitted route.

(It is then down to the Routeing Guide to determine if Birmingham is on a permitted route)

They will, however, sell you separate tickets to/from Birmingham if you ask them!

What I mean is if I put in Via Birmingham on WebTIS it tells me no fares are available rather than showing the Any Permitted fare.

 

[LexyBoy]

What I mean is if I put in Via Birmingham on WebTIS it tells me no fares are available rather than showing the Any Permitted fare.

WebTIS will only show fares where a single fare is valid for the journey entered - there is no such fare valid for AYW-CDF via BHM. NRE will show that the journey requires two tickets.

One of NRE's suggestions is Anytime Day Singles Aberystwysth-Gloucester (30.05 YP) and Gloucester-Cardiff (£11.20 YP). This would then require an Off Peak Day Return Birmingham-Derby at £9.75. The fares seem reasonable to me for this journey, but might be hard to explain for expenses purposes (I'd just claim the AYW-GCR ticket).

 

[dvboy]

I've just realised I misread a post earlier.

 

[John @ home]

One of NRE's suggestions is Anytime Day Singles Aberystwysth-Gloucester (30.05 YP) and Gloucester-Cardiff (£11.20 YP). This would then require an Off Peak Day Return Birmingham-Derby at £9.75.

This combination won't work for the OP, who wants to travel Aberystwyth - Derby on 29 June and Derby - Cardiff on 1 July.

 

[LexyBoy]

This combination won't work for the OP, who wants to travel Aberystwyth - Derby on 29 June and Derby - Cardiff on 1 July.

D'oh! Could substitute a GCR-AYW SVR (£41.20) and use the return portion for the AYW-BHM and BHM-GCR trips... but I think dvboy's suggestion is better.