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Using Rail Travel Vouchers.

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6862

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I'm sorry if this question is answered elsewhere but I haven't been able to find the answer through searching.

I received £34.80 (vouchers worth £18.00 and £16.80) in RTVs for a delayed journey - my question is how do I use them if the journey I want to pay for is less than the value of one of the vouchers? The journey in question will cost £7.70 and the RTV terms and conditions clearly states that there can be no change given - but can they give me change in RTVs?

I would be buying the ticket at the station on the day of travel.

Is it worth the hassle which this would presumably cause or should I just pay by cash and wait until I next do a journey which will cost more than £16.80?
 
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No change at all, you lose the remaining value.

Use them for first class? You can also buy things like catering vouchers for spending onboard (ATW, Virgin East Coast, Virgin West Coast all have these). You can buy the catering vouchers at any station.
 
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6862

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Thanks for the quick and helpful reply. I can wait to use them at a later date so I won't be going first class - it's only from Oxford to Earley! I should be able to spend them all - I should be making a journey in December which will probably cost about £34.00 (it's the reverse of the journey I was delayed on) and I will spend them then if not before.
 
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Starmill

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The alternative is to wait until you know you need to buy more than one ticket in one transaction, until the sum of the ticket values is more than the voucher.
 

najaB

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Is it worth the hassle which this would presumably cause or should I just pay by cash and wait until I next do a journey which will cost more than £16.80?
If you are going to be in the TfL area any time soon, you can use a RTV to buy a ticket and Oyster top-up at the same time.
 

gray1404

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Yes, never waste any of the value on them. Wait until you need to buy a few tickets (plan ahead a bit) and buy them all in one go. I've done this with several Advances too - never feel you must us RTVs on simple walk up tickets only.

- Some TOCs will issue them for smaller values if you ask them too if you send them back.
- London Midland will allow you to build up a sum of vouchers until you have £30 then send you a cheque if you send them back in.
- Some TOCs will issue new ones if they are about to expire if you send them back in (although note that Northern will NOT do this.) It all depends on who issued them.
- Southern will allow you to even exchange RTVs they have issued for cash if you take the vouchers to one of their ticket offices.

I have a sum of RTVs building up, would I be able to use them to buy a Sailrail ticket from Liverpool to Douglas, Isle of Man? This would save me a lot of money having to buy a ticket on my card with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.
 
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Merseysider

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gray1404 said:
I have a sum of RTVs building up, would I be able to use them to buy a Sailrail ticket from Liverpool to Douglas, Isle of Man? This would save me a lot of money having to buy a ticket on my card with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.
Yes, providing the clerk is competent enough to issue a SailRail ticket (shouldn't be a problem at most stations).

Alternatively, the RTVs can be used over telesales but they require the vouchers before you get the ticket, for obvious reasons.
 

gray1404

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Sailrail to the Isle of Man is the one ticket I've actually been able to get Merseyrail to issue at stations. Although they do insist on calling the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to make a foot passenger reservation for you before they'll issue the ticket (booking offices have received a memo from ME telling them to do that.). Other offices I've booked it with, Northern at LIV and East Coast over the telephone and VT online don''t bother making a ferry reservation for you and I've phoned the Steam Packet myself to book (they don't even bother asking for any ticket details anymore any just take your word for it that you have a Sailrail ticket).

I think I'll have the Travel Centre at Liverpool Lime Street issue this without any problems :)

I see it a lot when checking in for the Steam Packet, passengers who have Sailrails but no reservations for the ferry bit. In the event you buy a Sailrail and then phoned the Steam Packet to reserve and found there were no seats, they'd have to refund you without any admin charge.
 

causton

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Indeed, most competent clerks should be able to issue you with a Sailrail. Anybody wishing to book Advances with RTVs, feel free to pop to your local ticket office - if the clerk is any good they will be happy to do it as it livens up our day a bit ;)
 

6862

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Thanks for all the replies - although I wasn't planning on using SailRail or going to London any time soon the information is nevertheless useful.
 
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