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Why is there no 2 day or week return ticket for London area?

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hawaii2468

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The day return tickets are generally much cheaper than two single tickets, however if one has to return the next day or a few days after, he / she has to buy two singles. Why not selling 2 day or week return tickets for the convenience of people who need to stay over in London?
 
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sonic2009

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Im guessing you mean within the former Network South East Area?

Where are you travelling from?
 

wintonian

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There is from outside zone 6 to London Terminals or to Gatwick.

It's to prevent abuse by using the return on more than one day.
 

FGWman

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Back in BR days when the Network Southeast Area was formed all ticket checks at barriers were abolished. As you can imagine if a ticket were valid for 1 week or longer then people would use it again and again.

They kept an off peak return for journeys over 30 miles. There was a network awaybreak which was for shorter journeys and valid for a week. For example London to Reading. Also network stayaway which was valid for one month for longer journeys such as London to Worcester.

Under fare simplification the week one was abolished and made monthly. They never has a return for longer than a day valid in the peak for the simple reason it would be impossible to get through the train and stamp the ticket on a packed rush hour train.
 

pemma

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There isn't such a ticket in other areas either.

If I want to go to Manchester and return the next day I have to pay almost double what I need to pay for an off-peak day return.
 
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Edinburgh to Glasgow only has Day Returns. Completely ridiculous. Last time Scotrail were challenged on this in Meet the Managers they claimed they only offered either Day Returns or Period Returns for simplicity. Although this argument doesn't really hold for me, it's blatantly false. Many Scotrail journeys have both, for example Edinburgh to Leuchars. Obviously, the result is people spend more than they should have to.
 

island

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Irish Rail still offers a five-day return for situations like this.
 

GarethW

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It was valid for return within five days.

Yep, spot on - they were bloomin' useful tickets. Iirc they were available for journeys of more than 30 miles or so within the nse area, and were priced about 20% more than a cheap day.
 

hairyhandedfool

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They were certainly for journeys across the NSE area only, I can't recall what the shortest distance was, but 30 miles sounds about right.

ISTR if there was a Network Stayaway fare (which became a saver return well before simplification) there was an Network Awaybreak fare aswell.
 

zero

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It's to prevent abuse by using the return on more than one day.

But if there are barriers then they should eat the return ticket anyway, at least for straightforward journeys

Also, is it just me or is everyone missing the point? It seems to me that the OP wants a ticket for a situation I often have, where I want to visit somewhere and stay overnight. I want to be able to return the next day for 10p more.. if the return was valid for the next day only, this would have even less potential for abuse than a day return (with a day return you can go back and forth several times until someone stamps your ticket)
 

wintonian

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But if there are barriers then they should eat the return ticket anyway, at least for straightforward journeys

There weren't when this ticketing system was created and a lot of small stations don't have them plus those that do are open first thing in the morning and late in the evening.

Also, is it just me or is everyone missing the point? It seems to me that the OP wants a ticket for a situation I often have, where I want to visit somewhere and stay overnight. I want to be able to return the next day for 10p more.. if the return was valid for the next day only, this would have even less potential for abuse than a day return (with a day return you can go back and forth several times until someone stamps your ticket)

and create yet another ticket type?

How would you fit the ticket type on the ticket "Sup op nxt day r" prehaps?
 

Greenback

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There isn't such a ticket in other areas either.

If I want to go to Manchester and return the next day I have to pay almost double what I need to pay for an off-peak day return.

Edinburgh to Glasgow only has Day Returns. Completely ridiculous. Last time Scotrail were challenged on this in Meet the Managers they claimed they only offered either Day Returns or Period Returns for simplicity. Although this argument doesn't really hold for me, it's blatantly false. Many Scotrail journeys have both, for example Edinburgh to Leuchars. Obviously, the result is people spend more than they should have to.

Yes, it's not only London and the SE. I hear a lot of complaints from people who have to buy two singles to get to Swansea and come back the next day.

They were certainly for journeys across the NSE area only, I can't recall what the shortest distance was, but 30 miles sounds about right.

ISTR if there was a Network Stayaway fare (which became a saver return well before simplification) there was an Network Awaybreak fare aswell.

I think you are right, my recolelctions are the same!

But if there are barriers then they should eat the return ticket anyway, at least for straightforward journeys

Even if there ar ebarriers then judging by this forum there seems to be quite a few people who will retain their tickets for expenses by asking to be let through on showing their ticket.

Not that anyone would do such a thing of course, but it does seem logical to assume that those who might try and exploit this would have no problem with also asking to be let through the manual gate.

We simply can't rely on the existence of barriers to stop people using tickets more than pnce.

Also, is it just me or is everyone missing the point? It seems to me that the OP wants a ticket for a situation I often have, where I want to visit somewhere and stay overnight. I want to be able to return the next day for 10p more.. if the return was valid for the next day only, this would have even less potential for abuse than a day return (with a day return you can go back and forth several times until someone stamps your ticket)

There might be some merit in this idea, but I doubt the TOC's would price it at 10p more than a day return. I would guess it would be halfway between a day return and two singles!
 

b0b

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Yep, spot on - they were bloomin' useful tickets. Iirc they were available for journeys of more than 30 miles or so within the nse area, and were priced about 20% more than a cheap day.

Here's one from my pile:

IMG_0366.jpg
 

b0b

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That return fare from Cambridge to London was £16.80. With inflation, it should be nearer £25.50. It's now £30.50. Seems to have gone up by 20% in real terms.

Well part of that is you can't buy the same "return 5 days" ticket nowadays
 

Oswyntail

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I wonder when the TOCs last did a proper survey of what their customers wanted/needed, rather than asking what tickets they were using. Certainly the short period return is missed
 

bicbasher

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I was a regular purchaser of AwayBreaks between St. Leonards Warrior Square and Forest Hill in the 90s to visit family at weekends. A godsend.
 
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