Possible ALR plan for Early 2012

[ushawk]

Morning all, (unsure is this is the right forum )

I am looking to do an ALR early next year and have made a draft plan for it (attatched below). I was wondering if the plan was realistic and possible and could i have some help to do this please.

Also, how would i go about getting seat reservations and sleeper berths, as i would already have the ticket ?

Thanks

Tom

 

[Intermodal]

Seat reservations can be done at any station, should be the same for seated sleeper reservations also, but I am unsure about berths. I will refer my friend who did an ALR to this thread and hopefully he can answer that.

Have you done this using the new timetables that run from December?

 

[ian13]

Seat reservations can be done at any station, should be the same for seated sleeper reservations also, but I am unsure about berths. I will refer my friend who did an ALR to this thread and hopefully he can answer that.

Have you done this using the new timetables that run from December?

Regarding reserving sleeper berths, these can be made at any station. For the ScotRail sleepers, they can also be made through ScotRail telesales.

 

[Brucey]

Last time I bought a rover and needed reservations, I bought them from The Ticket Hut (an agent of Arriva Trains Wales) at Pembrey Station (by phone and email - don't live anywhere nearby).

They were very friendly and allowed me to email over a list of all the reservations I needed. All were done correctly and arrived the following day by post.

There were no fees/charges and I'd highly recommend contacting them. They will do everything (including selling the rover, seat reservations and sleeper berths).

 

[ushawk]

Yeah, done for the next timetable change, subject to engineering work but ill change it around when i have a certain week for travelling. Thanks for recommendation too Brucey, ill look into that.

Also, is it worth paying the £200 or so extra for first class ?

 

[Intermodal]

I think you are the only one who can decide whether it is worth paying for first class or not. Some of the benefits you'll receive include free food, more comfortable seating on some services, free drinks and newspapers, less crowded/noisy environment in some cases. If you want a more "relaxing" experience then I'd say go for the first class ALR, but if you're a pure basher at heart and just want to get around the country a bit and aren't too bothered about it being a particularly luxury experience, go for standard.

 

[ainsworth74]

First class also depends on how much time you will be spending on Inter-city operators. If you're going to be spending a lot of time on EC, FGW, VT, XC, NXEA, SWT (on their long distance routes) EMT (to/from London) and TPE who all offer reasonable first class accomodation and varying degrees of complementary catering then it might be worth while going first class. But if you're planning on slumming around on Northern, ATW, EMT, Scotrail and various South Eastern operators then it probably isn't worthwhile.

 

[Robinson]

I didn't realise 313s were used to Portsmouth...

Speaking personally, I often don't find 1st class to be worth it, at least not on the operators I use most (I can't speak for the regular East Coast or FGW traveller, for instance). I did mine in standard, although I would have upgraded to 1st if I had got a berth on the sleeper (I failed to get one cos the booking engine went up the swanny when I was trying to do so).

 

[ushawk]

Yep, 313's are used between Portsmouth and Brighton now (think i saw somewhere Southern want to use them to Southampton too, not sure though).

15 services i would be travelling on would have decent First Class (excluding Southern and Southeastern) and i would be on the WAG Express too, so it might be worth it - would probably come down to how im feeling when i buy the ticket.

Is there any problems with my plan ?

 

[Brucey]

I didn't realise 313s were used to Portsmouth...

Only been operating for the last 12 months or so. The lack of toilet provisions on these "new" trains caused a little bit of a stir: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/lo..._trains_will_no_longer_have_toilets_1_2298016

 

[IanXC]

Seems like quite a sensible plan time wise - I used a similar approach not wanting to be running for really tight connections and such. What I did find useful was to have a note of other connections so that I could get earlier services if I arrived early enough.

FGW sleeper is really great, get a single birth and enjoy Volo too! Their telesales were excellent - East Coast and ScotRail told me their service wasnt running! Collected the sleeper reservation from a TVM.

Really good selection of services on your plan, I'm tempted to do another next year now!

PS for the overnight in Leeds there is a Travelodge right next to Leeds Station which gives a great view at the correct side of the hotel!

 

[YorkshireBear]

Looks good to me, not sure its what i would do. You miss out some very scenic lines! (which is what i would cover from a personal opinion)
Have you ever been along the settle to carlisle? because if possible you should try to put that in, its well worth a visit but make sure its during daylight hours obviously.

just to add the northern service from carlisle to newcastle should be a 156/142 (i think it should be a 156 but not an expert) and the 0905 leeds sheffield (on sunday) will 99% be a 158.

 

[ushawk]

Totally forgot the S&C to be honest to i'll look at getting it in somewhere and ill add in back up services i could catch if things go wrong too.

 

[Track Basher]

Last time I bought a rover and needed reservations, I bought them from The Ticket Hut (an agent of Arriva Trains Wales) at Pembrey Station (by phone and email - don't live anywhere nearby).

They were very friendly and allowed me to email over a list of all the reservations I needed. All were done correctly and arrived the following day by post.

There were no fees/charges and I'd highly recommend contacting them. They will do everything (including selling the rover, seat reservations and sleeper berths).

I use them as well for my trips around the place. Often order the tickets then email a list of reservations required.

 

[David Goddard]

Hi Ushawk

Thanks for posting this- My wife and I are in the early stages of planning an ALR trip next year and the itiniery you have posted has certainly gave us some inspiration.

Please let us all know how the trip goes, and any major plus or minus points you encounter.

On a separate note, can anyone confirm a couple of points on timing validity. I ask this as part of our attempts to make the maximum possible use and have been studying the sleeper services as a way of doing just that.

Firstly, I am assuming that the ticket becomes valid from 00:01 on day one, and so therefore we can join the previous day (day-1)'s Down Night Riveriera as it calls Reading 0037- That way we can arrive in Penzance by 0800 before the day has really began!

Secondly, does the ticket expire at exactly midnight at the end of Day14, or is it valid to complete a journey that ends the following day? ie can we board the 2145 ex Penzance Up Night Riviera that gets back to Reading at 0427?