Torquay to Preston cheapest ticket

Cheapest ticket needed. Trainsplit offering £120 ish but need it much cheaper.

Torquay to Preston
Outward 19 Sept 7am onwards
Return 20 Sept 1.30pm onwards
1 adult, no railcard

Really need a good fare

National Express are offering £98.10 (including £1 booking fee).
Torquay-Birmingham 9:10 - 15:25
Birmingham-Preston 17:00-20:00

Preston-Exeter 15:35-22:50
Exeter-Torquay 23:40-00:20

For trains, it's probably a bit close to see many cheap advance tickets. If you've already tried a few different routes (Hereford, Manchester, etc.), there may not be anything better around.

In my 5 minute search I see absolutely nothing for rail that beats the Torquay to Crewe return route Hereford at £100.80. At £50 each way, all the way from Torquay to Crewe, and available to buy at the station immediately before departure it certainly doesn't represent awful value for money, even when the rather slow journey is accounted for.

If that's out of budget, have they tried car shares?

The itineraries kieron has found for National Express look most suitable. They're pricey but I doubt a rail fare would go below £98.

If you can deal with returning on Saturday, I managed to get an itenary @ 40.70 (+£2 ish)


Thursday 19th September.
09:17 Torquay - 09:28 Newton Abbot
09:34 Newton Abbot - 09:53 Exeter St David's
10:07 Exeter St David's - 10:19 Exeter Sidwell Street (local bus)
10:35 Exeter Sidwell Street - 20:00 Preston (Lancs) (National Express)

(Note, you may want to take an earlier train or a taxi through Exeter, to make this connection more comfortable, however, the train before the 09:17 is the 07:17)

Saturday 21st September
09:45 Preston (Lancs) - 17:45 Exeter Sidwell Street (National Express)

(Walk)

18:27 Exeter St David's - 19:12 Torquay

Fares:
£27.60 (Inc booking fee), National express
£13.10 Torquay to Exeter St David's off peak return
~£2 for the bus.

I think this may well be the best option; spend the night in a coffee shop, and have a sleep on the bus.

Edit: to get the NEx fare, I typed Exeter -> Preston

Shotton said:

Thursday 19th September.
09:17 Torquay - 09:28 Newton Abbot
09:34 Newton Abbot - 09:53 Exeter St David's
10:07 Exeter St David's - 10:19 Exeter Sidwell Street (local bus)
10:35 Exeter Sidwell Street - 20:00 Preston (Lancs) (National Express)

(Note, you may want to take an earlier train or a taxi through Exeter, to make this connection more comfortable, however, the train before the 09:17 is the 07:17)

Click to expand...

For 0717 read 0825. However the Offpeak Return isn't valid earlier, so the taxi option would be cheaper! You could go through to Central and walk but it's a bit tight.

30907 said:

For 0717 read 0825. However the Offpeak Return isn't valid earlier, so the taxi option would be cheaper! You could go through to Central and walk but it's a bit tight.

Click to expand...

Weird; trainsplit suggested 07:17 then 09:17.

Iirc the anytime return fare was around £4 extra, so probably a matter of the OPs personal preference.

Shotton said:

(Note, you may want to take an earlier train or a taxi through Exeter, to make this connection more comfortable, however, the train before the 09:17 is the 07:17)

Click to expand...

Shotton said:

Weird; trainsplit suggested 07:17 then 09:17.

Click to expand...

Can you obtain a screenshot? The Off Peak Return should be barred to depart Torquay 0430–0832 inclusive. Could you have been looking at a weekend? When I look, the 07:15 is shown as requiring an Anytime, with no 07:17 shown.

Fares are displayed correctly; I just don't see the 08:25 departure.

Also, apologies, it is indeed 07:15 and not 07:17.

Search parameters:

Torquay to Exeter St David's
Outbound
19/09/2019 07:00
Return
20/09/2019 18:00

I have tried pressing intensive search but still don't see the departure.

It does show up on RTT, however. Along with the 07:55 departure, which also doesn't appear on trainsplit.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C21736/2019/09/19

The 0755 is shown in Fast mode.

You can get bus 12 or 22 from Torquay to Preston for a few quid.

Get my coat (is it still an open-topper?).