AndyNLondon
Member
- Joined
- 20 Jan 2014
- Messages
- 189
I was looking up fares for Alexandra Palace (my local station) to Reading, and noticed a few listed on brfares.com that have route "Not via London", e.g. this super off-peak return. Which got me wondering, what route(s) is this ticket be valid on? AIUI, the valid routes for a "A to B not via X" ticket are the permitted routes that don't go through X - correct? And my inexpert reading of the routing guide is that the only permitted route from Ally Pally to Reading is "London". Which implies that there's no way to use the ticket, which surely can't be right?
I've tried to get the National Rail website to offer me one of these tickets, but asking it for Alexandra Palace to Reading avoiding London Terminals it shows two options: AAP - Highbury & Islington - Richmond - Reading; or AAP - Highbury & Islington - Vauxhall (by tube) - Clapham Junction - Basingstoke - Reading. And it prices both of these as multiple single tickets, suggesting that the "not via London" tickets aren't valid for those routes.
(The question is theoretical for me, as in practice I'd probably want to go via Paddington anyway, to meet a friend there, but it piqued my curiosity and I figured that if this forum can't come up with an answer then who can?!)
I've tried to get the National Rail website to offer me one of these tickets, but asking it for Alexandra Palace to Reading avoiding London Terminals it shows two options: AAP - Highbury & Islington - Richmond - Reading; or AAP - Highbury & Islington - Vauxhall (by tube) - Clapham Junction - Basingstoke - Reading. And it prices both of these as multiple single tickets, suggesting that the "not via London" tickets aren't valid for those routes.
(The question is theoretical for me, as in practice I'd probably want to go via Paddington anyway, to meet a friend there, but it piqued my curiosity and I figured that if this forum can't come up with an answer then who can?!)