Leeds>Oxford>Bristol>Levenshulme>Leeds

[tomoufc]

Hi all - wondering if you can help?

I am travelling:

15/09 Leeds to Oxford
16/09 Oxford to Bristol TM
Bristol TM to Levenshulme
17/09 Levenshulme to Leeds

Could someone advise me of the chepest way to do this with flexible off peak tickets? I know Leeds to Oxford can be routed via Sheffield or Manchester, meaning that I can break my journey on the return leg at Levenshulme, but making an additional journey to Bristol has complicated this.

Thanks

 

[Romilly]

By way of initial thoughts, I wondered whether this could be done on just one offpeak return to Bristol Temple Meads, relying on the offpeak return conditions that entitle you to continue your outward journey on day 2 if it cannot be completed on day 1.

The best I could come up with was an Edinburgh-Bristol OPR at £168.20 - tickets from south of Edinburgh do not seem to allow journeys to Bristol to go via Oxford (I hasten to add that I would be surprised if this was the cheapest option). That certainly allows (Edinburgh) - Leeds - Oxford - Bristol going out, and would allow Bristol - Leeds - (Edinburgh) or Bristol - Levenshulme - (Edinburgh) on the way back, but not Bristol - Levenshulme - Leeds - (Edinburgh). So you would need a single between Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds in addition to the Edinburgh-Bristol OPR. But, as I say, I strongly suspect that there are cheaper options.

The restriction code for the OPR imposes no restrictions on break of journey, but does not allow travel on trains scheduled to depart between 0429 and 0930 (this time restriction would also apply to the Oxford-Bristol leg on day 2).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

An OPR from Leeds to Bath (routed Not London) might work.
It seems to be valid via Oxford or Manchester/Bristol, and allows break of journey.
It's the same price as Leeds-Bristol (£111.80) with the same restriction (2V - after 0930 basically), but with greater route options.
It would test the BoJ small print rules though.
A separate Bath-Bristol single might be needed to simplify things at Bristol.

 

[button_boxer]

An OPR from Leeds to Bath (routed Not London) might work.
It seems to be valid via Oxford or Manchester/Bristol, and allows break of journey.
It's the same price as Leeds-Bristol (£111.80) with the same restriction (2V - after 0930 basically), but with greater route options.
It would test the BoJ small print rules though.
A separate Bath-Bristol single might be needed to simplify things at Bristol.

I was about to suggest Leeds to Swindon, which is the same price and may be less likely to invite questions from staff about whether it's valid both ways round the Birmingham-Didcot-Bristol triangle. NRE gives me options both ways that have journey times within 20 minutes of each other.

 

[30907]

I was about to suggest Leeds to Swindon, which is the same price and may be less likely to invite questions from staff about whether it's valid both ways round the Birmingham-Didcot-Bristol triangle. NRE gives me options both ways that have journey times within 20 minutes of each other.

Without checking, I wonder if Swindon-Leeds via TM rather than Parkway is valid? Chippenham might be the optimum!

 

[tomoufc]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It seems Swindon would be the best option - although I'd need to purchase an anytime day single from Oxford to Bristol on the 16th, since I would need to arrive in Bristol before 09:30. Is that correct?

Via Bristol TM is valid, because the routing maps show 'Bristol Group', and the route via Bath.