Hull to Isle of Wight via Reading?

BangOnBeef · 18 Oct 2019

Hi All,

I will be travelling from Hull to Isle of Wight on 29th October leaving Hull at 1233.
After an overnight on the island, I need to travel to Reading (30/10/19) and overnight again (x2) before finally returning to Hull on 1st November, leaving Reading around 1700.

Could any of you experts please advise the best way to undertake this?
Cost shouldn't be to the detriment of convenience.

Thanks in advance.

RailUK Forums

JBuchananGB · 18 Oct 2019

trainsplit.com is your friend.
For the outbound comes up with
a) Hull to Grantham Advance Single (Hull Trains only)
b) Grantham to Kings Cross Advance Single (Hull Trains Only)
c) Zone 1 to Shanklin (for example) Advance Single (SW trains & Wightlink)
From Shanklin to Reading the best seems to be an Off peak day single
Then for the last bit from Reading to Hull it comes up with an assortment of six tickets based on departing Reading on the 17.15 Cross Country service to Manchester

JB_B · 18 Oct 2019

I think the simplest solution (but not especially cheap at £182.50 ) would be a super-off peak return from Hull to Shanklin (route: + Any Permitted and Wightlink )

Continuing the return journey from Reading would be valid on XC and via London (valid leaving London from 18.15 on Fridays).

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=HUL&dest=SHN&rte=981&ldn=1&tkt=SSR

JBuchananGB · 18 Oct 2019

The trainsplit combination which I referenced would have been £171.15 so maybe for simplicity's sake the super off-peak return for £11 more is better, and the route via London leaving Reading at 17.11 gets to Hull half an hour before the route via Birmingham and Sheffield.

kieron · 19 Oct 2019

BangOnBeef said:
Hi All,

I will be travelling from Hull to Isle of Wight on 29th October leaving Hull at 1233.

The Isle of Wight is a pretty big place. Just looking at through fares:

Hull-East Cowes (K280) costs £161.25 "not via London", or £168.80 "any permitted".
Hull-West Cowes (K279) costs £162.95 "not via London", or £170.50 "any permitted".
Hull-Ryde Hoverport (H301) costs £166.80 "any permitted".
Hull-Yarmouth (K023) costs £174.10 "not via London", or £179.40 "any permitted".
Hull-Ryde Esplanade (RYD) costs £177.70 "any permitted".

I haven't checked the off peak restrictions, so I'm not sure if all of these would be useful for you, but it's hard to predict what would suit you without knowing which route you'd like to use.

JBuchananGB · 19 Oct 2019

The OP stated that he would start his journey on the 12.33 Hull Trains service to Kings Cross, which is why my initial offering was split advance tickets using that service, and which rules out any tickets routed "not via London". I picked Shanklin as an example destination as it is as far as you can go by train on IoW, but agree there must be options for the other destinations. @JB_B well spotted that Super Off-Peak returns are valid from KGX 1815 on Fridays (restriction code 1L) which means that departing Reading at 17.11 or 17.28 works, catching 18.48 from KGX, but the OP would be well advised to make a reservation if it is his intention to catch that train! Advance Single tickets for that journey currently on offer for £58, which when combined with the other tickets might beat the Super-Off Peak Return fare.

kieron · 19 Oct 2019

I mean no criticism. All I was concerned about was that the cost varies quite a lot depending on which Solent crossing BangOnBeef wishes to use, and so I'd rather not try to come up with a suggestion which turns out to be poor value because I didn't guess what it is correctly.

paul1609 · 20 Oct 2019

There's no way I'd pay £180 for this journey you can do both the long legs on National Express for £30 plus a ferry ticket plus a single from Portsmouth to Reading.

Belperpete · 22 Oct 2019

paul1609 said:
There's no way I'd pay £180 for this journey you can do both the long legs on National Express for £30 plus a ferry ticket plus a single from Portsmouth to Reading.

I can't find any National Express journeys leaving Hull at mid-day on the 29 Oct to Portsmouth at any price, let alone £30.
There is a service leaving at 0940, but that takes nearly 10 hours, whereas the train journey only takes 5 and half hours.
Coming back, National Express don't seem to offer any journeys from Reading to Hull.

Having travelled by National Express once, I vowed never to travel with them again. They over-booked the coach, and just left everyone who couldn't get on to fend for themselves.

paul1609 · 22 Oct 2019

Belperpete said:
I can't find any National Express journeys leaving Hull at mid-day on the 29 Oct to Portsmouth at any price, let alone £30.
There is a service leaving at 0940, but that takes nearly 10 hours, whereas the train journey only takes 5 and half hours.
Coming back, National Express don't seem to offer any journeys from Reading to Hull.

Having travelled by National Express once, I vowed never to travel with them again. They over-booked the coach, and just left everyone who couldn't get on to fend for themselves.

There is a connection from Hull using an express bus to Leeds at 11.10 on the 29th for £17 but if I was doing the journey, £180 for the train would just be massively out of my reach.
Id probably use the National Express option down to London walk across the road to Victoria and then use Southern who have very reasonable advances to Portsmouth. Coming back Id again use train to london breaking at Reading as required. I'm pretty confident that Id have £100 plus change in my pocket from the £180 rail fare quoted.

Travel by National Express or Megabus a fair amount now, never seen the issues you mention. I have seen up to 5 relief coaches provided for a popular National Express service at Victoria.

Belperpete · 22 Oct 2019

paul1609 said:
if I was doing the journey, £180 for the train would just be massively out of my reach.

I have to agree there, I too would baulk at a £180 fare. I am thinking of doing a trip to the IoW next year, and from where I live the rail fare can be reduced considerably by splitting tickets. Not to the same level as NatEx admittedly, but then I would also baulk at 10 hours on a coach. Your coach/rail option does look a good compromise.

The NatEx fare to IoW includes the Hoverspeed, and I would like to travel on that, as I have never been by hovercraft - need to try it at least once! Unfortunately from where I live I can't seem to book a through rail ticket including the Hoverspeed route, journey planner finds the times but won't offer a fare.

Belperpete · 22 Oct 2019

paul1609 said:
There is a connection from Hull using an express bus to Leeds at 11.10 on the 29th for £17

The NatEx web-site didn't offer that when I asked. Is this something that you have to book separately? If so, what happens if the bus runs late (e.g. road blocked by traffic accident) and you miss the connection?

BangOnBeef · 25 Oct 2019

Hello, Thanks to all for your help! Just to confirm, if I purchase a Super Off-Peak Hull to Ryde, this will allow the return journey from Ryde to Reading via Basingstoke and then Reading to London Kings X?

Chumba · 25 Oct 2019

Can't comment on the fares, but I travel to the IOW regularly for work using the train. The train arrives at Portsmouth Harbour and it's only a few feet to walk down the slope to the catamaran. Catamarans and trains are normally quite close together for times so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Be at the front of the train as you arrive and it'll be less to walk and quicker if its cutting it fine due to any delay.

If you did get a national express coach, they terminate at Portsmouth harbour transport hub and its about 5 mins from the coach to the catamaran via Portsmouth harbour station. There aren't any barriers to negotiate to get to the platforms at the station for the very reason of the catamaran being at the end of the platforms.

JB_B · 25 Oct 2019

BangOnBeef said:
Hello, Thanks to all for your help! Just to confirm, if I purchase a Super Off-Peak Hull to Ryde, this will allow the return journey from Ryde to Reading via Basingstoke and then Reading to London Kings X?

Yes - heading from Portsmouth to London there's a mapped route via Reading on map combination BB+BL. To get to Reading you'll need to go via Eastleigh, Winchester, Basingstoke ( you can't go via Southampton.) See attached the relevant part of map BB (from http://data.atoc.org/routeing-guide section D )

paul1609 · 25 Oct 2019

Belperpete said:
I have to agree there, I too would baulk at a £180 fare. I am thinking of doing a trip to the IoW next year, and from where I live the rail fare can be reduced considerably by splitting tickets. Not to the same level as NatEx admittedly, but then I would also baulk at 10 hours on a coach. Your coach/rail option does look a good compromise.

The NatEx fare to IoW includes the Hoverspeed, and I would like to travel on that, as I have never been by hovercraft - need to try it at least once! Unfortunately from where I live I can't seem to book a through rail ticket including the Hoverspeed route, journey planner finds the times but won't offer a fare.

To get a fare via the Hovercraft (which imho is well worth it for the experience) you need to put your destination as Ryde Hoverport. This doesn't include travel on Island Line but there are all sorts of deal on the island itself depending on what you want to do there. Assuming you live in Belper there are a range of fares from there including advances priced by cross country. you can buy those on the Southern website and probably others).
Its worth mentioning that on a trip to the IOW it may be worth splitting in London or Banbury if you prefer to avoid London and purchasing a network railcard if you are not entitled to another (senior, youf, plastic millennial, disabled etc).

Chumba · 26 Oct 2019

Belperpete said:
I have to agree there, I too would baulk at a £180 fare. I am thinking of doing a trip to the IoW next year, and from where I live the rail fare can be reduced considerably by splitting tickets. Not to the same level as NatEx admittedly, but then I would also baulk at 10 hours on a coach. Your coach/rail option does look a good compromise.

The NatEx fare to IoW includes the Hoverspeed, and I would like to travel on that, as I have never been by hovercraft - need to try it at least once! Unfortunately from where I live I can't seem to book a through rail ticket including the Hoverspeed route, journey planner finds the times but won't offer a fare.

Hovercraft is great, very quick and definantly an experience. It is quicker but dearer than the catamaran. Both go to the same place on the IOW. However the hovercraft is prone to cancellation especially as we begin to get into autumn/winter. National express coaches drop right outside the terminal next to,the funfair, but you can also walk it from harbour station in about 10-15 mins. Or get off at Portsmouth and southsea and there’s a hover bus to transfer you.

Hull to Isle of Wight via Reading?

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