Eric
Member
Can anyone advise and help which is the quickest and cheapest way to do this journey please as my wife's sister has recently died and we need to attend the funeral next Thursday.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Bradford to Fishguard
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Just to clarify you mean Thursday 18 April? Is there any time you have to arrive by on the Thursday or is the arrival flexible? Are you wanting flexible tickets or are you happy with advance purchase booked train only tickets? Do you require tickets for the return journey? If so when are you coming back (unless you need flexibility)? Do you hold any railcards?
ForTheLoveOf
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 6,416
Are you looking for a journey to Fishguard or onwards travel to Ireland?
Eric
Member
Two together railcard and travelling as cheaply as possible on a single for Thursday.
Coming back Tuesday morning.
I'm getting prices at around £216
First thing I'd suggest is to put your journey details into Trainsplit as I'm seeing prices as low as £148.33 for trains on 11/04 returning 16/04.
I've got it down to £182.71 (including the small % TrainSplit take) on their website. Leading Bradford Int. at 10:41, arriving 18:56 on Thursday 18, and leaving at 09:54 on Tuesday and arriving at 17:39. That was when I clicked the 'allow slower journies' option.
(Apologies for the poor quality on the screenshot, I'm on my work computer and they're awful
)
pdq
Member
- Joined
- 7 Oct 2010
- Messages
- 803
Worth checking the fares from Huddersfield. Whenever I travel to Tenby, the fares from HUD are vastly cheaper than from Batley. It may be that the Trainsplit fares do that already. Also have a look at fares from Manchester, as sometimes advances are available on that leg but not on the connections.
Paul Kelly
Verified Rep - BR Fares
If you value flexibility, then I think splitting at Todmorden is the way to go. Two railcard-discounted Off-Peak returns from Todmorden to Fishguard & Goodwick, Route VIA MANCHESTER, come to just £132.90. I can't see anything cheaper than 2 singles each way between Bradford and Todmorden, which adds another £12.60 for a total of £145.50.
Eric
Member
Cheers for the advice, so it's looking like the best option is to split at Todmorden and via Manchester?
I never knew it was such a long journey. I know it'll be a 142/150/155/158 to Manchester from Bradford but what will the other trains be?
I never knew it was such a long journey. I know it'll be a 142/150/155/158 to Manchester from Bradford but what will the other trains be?
The TfW stock is likely to be 175s. I believe the relevant work is diagrammed to be that. However it is not unheard of for other units to deputise. I'm aware of 150s having done Manchester to South Wales!
Eric
Member
What are my other options? Anything via Leeds and down to.Cardiff? My wife is a bit infirm and the thought of spending 3 hours on a 150 when spending a lot of moemy doesn't sound appealing.
ForTheLoveOf
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 6,416
You could go via Birmingham and take a Voyager down as far as Bristol, changing for an IET there to Swansea. Some people may prefer that, others may prefer minimising the number of changes or avoiding those trains for whatever reason! As may be self-evident, the ticket route "via Manchester" isn't valid via Leeds. From Leeds there are not many cheap options available to get down, though you could schedule your journey to catch an HST down to Bristol.
Take indigo2's flexible option even though it's a fraction more expensive, travel an hour earlier than strictly necessary, and give yourself an hour's break en route. So if a 150 shows up at Piccadilly, wait for the next one - to get two on the trot would be very bad luck.
Or travel via London on Advances, which will take as long but maybe more comfortable. I've not checked prices.
Be aware that Maundy Thursday is as busy a day as it gets for travelling - do you have to travel that day, or could you go earlier?
extendedpaul
Member
If the funeral is actually on Thursday, as the original question implies, surely the outward travel would need to be on Wednesday given the length of the journey ?
Eric
Member
It's actually Friday morning but because it takes so long to travel we have to leave the day before. National Express are just as bad with a eight hour journey.
- Status