7 Day all line rover.

[RJ]

I'm based in South London and did a 7 Day First Class All Line Rover earlier this year. The kindly sleeper staff allowed me a berth as I showed them my Priv so that took care of two nights. I sought to get full value out of it so I found I was leaving home at 04:30 and returning at 22:30 on a few of the days. Consequently, I got two breakfasts on some mornings, such as one where I got the 06:27 Virgin service out of Euston to Crewe to connect with the WAG Express.

One night, I stayed over in the East Midlands and caught EMT down to London the next morning. Think I took the 06:15 out of KX to York one morning as well. There aren't enough hours in the day to be held back by pathetic time restrictions.

FGW, XC, GC (180) are all a waste of time in First Class unless you're actually going somewhere on those trains, rather than just riding up and down the country like I was. Grand Central was by far the worst - the coach was too busy, there was litter all over the tables when I boarded at York, the power points weren't working, so hot food was also off and the host was a miserable so and so who was concealing options from the trolley. On XC, I travelled between Birmingham NS and Durham. I was the only one in First Class for the entire trip and saw the host twice at most. The offering was a crappy selection of crisps, biscuits, fruits and juices.

As far as All Line Rovers go, I think they're best done on a Priv if you can get hold of one. At first, I wanted to see the country, but at £680.00 I decided that the HoW and Pennines could wait until I got a Standard Class rover. Whilst First Class is a nice novelty, the food, especially between breakfast and dinner is typically of low value and can easily be bettered going to a cafe. Sandwiches are but a couple of pounds in M&S. Standard Class accomodation is decent on most IC trains these days with comfy seats and power points. FC certainly wasn't worth the £570 odd premium I paid. Plus, I picked the wrong week - it was snowing, so all the scenery looked the same, plain white . That said, the feeling of virtual ultimate freedom on the rails was something to behold. I did do a few branches, such as Whitby, Saltburn and Bishop Auckland. I was quite taken aback by the blast furnaces by South Bank, quite glad that the Pacer bounced straight past

Having covered chunks of the country on East Midlands Rovers, Northern Day Rangers and the Govia Staff Pass (which I made sure I used to its full potential,) I didn't feel I missed much by sticking to the IC trains with short detours. For me, part of the experience was sampling the local trains, up north they're a bit different to the 455/456s I'm used to

 

[Cliveblackpool]

You have got to plan it, time goes too quickly, too easy to miss the last train home that night! Build in alternatives, depending on weather, delays, or simply choice.
Spending long hours travelling you can feel like you are still moving even when you get off!!
The 8 in 15 South West rover looks good value.

 

[bb21]

The 8 in 15 South West rover looks good value.

Flexi Rovers allow you time to rest between days so that it is easier to get maximum value out of them. They are an easier option to start with if it is the first time for someone using a Rover.

8-in-15 SW is incredible value.

 

[221129]

Where does the Freedom of SW cover ?

 

[bb21]

Where does the Freedom of SW cover ?

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/manag...3191d753a5b/areaMap/Freedom_of_South_West.pdf

 

[CC 72100]

Flexi Rovers allow you time to rest between days so that it is easier to get maximum value out of them. They are an easier option to start with if it is the first time for someone using a Rover.

8-in-15 SW is incredible value.

It is. Having done a 3 in 7 SW, I can more than testify! Although for me it was a cheaper way to travel to uni and back whilst 'exploring' a bit on the way, I could see the potential there for a lot more use of it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/manag...3191d753a5b/areaMap/Freedom_of_South_West.pdf

So you could do Penzance - Swindon for example. (the 07:41 PNZ - PAD) takes that route, I think that's the longest journey available on it.

 

[221129]

As tempting as it is ive already done most of the lines in the SW so an ALR is my preference

 

[142094]

I was quite taken aback by the blast furnaces by South Bank, quite glad that the Pacer bounced straight past

Technical point - those are coke ovens, the blast furnace is further east at Redcar. But going past one of those on a cold winter morning when they;re about to unload a new batch is quite some sight to see.

 

[the sniper]

I'm based in South London and did a 7 Day First Class All Line Rover earlier this year.

As far as All Line Rovers go, I think they're best done on a Priv if you can get hold of one.

Being a Priv holder, I don't know how you could bring yourself to buy a first class ALR, what with the difference being a whopping £560+! I'd like to do the First, but as you say you found out, I could never see it being worth that difference.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Example - You could buy a freedom of SW 8/15 £100.50
plus a Explore Wales Flexipass 4/8 £89 and or South Wales Flexi 4/8 £60
or Heart of England Rover 7 days £92
West midlands day ranger £21.60 connection via Worcester?

 

[philjo]

I was thinking of doing a 1st class 7 day ALR this summer but might use the 4 days in 8 Scotrail rover instead - either the Highland one or the freedom of Scotland. aiming to do the West highland Line and the wick/thurso line as not done these sections before (other than Fort William - Mallaig and done the Inverness-Kyle line a couple of times) and std class only on these lines. trying to fathom through the train/bus/ferry timetables to get the best connections for Mallaig-Kyle by ferry/bus to see what direction/times work best! will spend a couple of days doing other things during the week (e.g. ferry to Mull/iona from Oban)
ALR would need more planning to be able to stay with friends/rlatives in useful locations and I think doing Scotland would be best to avoid the Olympics travel issues in London !

One query - Can anyone confirm if the 4 days in 8 Highland or freedom of Scotaland rover allows use on the ferries/buses on the other 4 days not marked for use on the trains? I know that the Welsh version does let you use the buses throughout the 8 day period. can't see anything in the T&Cs on the scotrail site about this.


I would probably combine the highland rover with a Sleeper advance single outward to Fort William or Inverness (or 1st advance Euston to GLC depending on price & availability) & EC 1st Advance single back from Aberdeen.

 

[ashworth]

I think if ever I got an ALR I would easily make the mistake of being determined to get my moneys worth by travelling huge distances. You can then spend your whole time riding from one end of the country to the other without actually getting out of a station and seeing anything. It would also be extremely tiring.

For a number of years now I've been staying with friends near Blackpool each summer and making use of the excellent value 7 Day North West Rover. Even with that ticket for the first couple of years I felt that I had to cover as many miles by train as possible, but after ending up seeing nothing and feeling exhausted I've learnt my lesson.

I now use it as a fantastic way to leasurely travel around an area for a week, getting off at various stations, often quite out in the country and having a wander around interesting cities, towns and villages. I now perhaps spend one day visiting places around the Cumbrian Coast, another day on the Wirrell, another day between Settle and Carlisle, another day transpennine between Manchester and Leeds etc etc etc. I now tend to be more tired from walking than from riding on trains!
I've done the same thing in the south of England with a 7 Day Southern Daysave Ticket. The ALR has always been something I've wanted to try but I think I would rather stick to regional rovers and explore an area in depth.

I had thought this year of combining the 7 Day NW Rover with a 4 Days in 8 Coasts and Peaks Rover this would allow me to travel into North wales and also to travel further down the WCML.

Also some local bus rover tickets are very useful to use in conjunction with the NW Rover to allow you to travel directly between places where the journey by train is long detour or where the trains don't reach. A Stagecoach 7 Day North West Megarider Gold is great for days out in Cumbria allowing travel between Workington, Keswick and Penrith and also between Keswick, Windermere and Lancaster which can be used to make interesting days out combined with rail travel on the Cumbrian Coast. It's also useful for occasional alternative direct travel between Blackpool and Lancaster and Preston and Southport.
The Transdev Silver Rover ticket in Lancashire is also useful for reasonably fast journeys by bus between Preston and Skipton or Burnley and Keighley which avoids long rail journeys via Leeds to reach the Settle to Carlisle line.
Also the excellent valued Manchester Wayfarer Day Ticket can extend the travel area right down into areas of Derbyshre and Cheshire by bus and train.

 

[hstmatt]

My plan was not to go all over the country all day. I want to go to diffrent lines each day and get out to filim the diffrent types of trains all over the country.

 

[Squaddie]

My plan was not to go all over the country all day. I want to go to diffrent lines each day and get out to filim the diffrent types of trains all over the country.

If that's your plan I think I'd suggest - as someone else did earlier in this thread - that a series of day trips using Advance tickets is a much better idea than an ALR. You won't then feel that you're "wasting" the ALR during the hours that you're standing around photographing and filming trains. You'll be able to choose the days and destinations to get the best deals, and you can take days off to rest between days travelling.

(And save your money for a Swiss ALR instead, which offers far better value for money. Extraordinarily comfortable trains, unbelievable scenery every moment of every day. With a cheap flight to Zurich and nights spent in youth hostels along the way it needn't cost you a lot. The photo on on the left is one I took during my most recent Swiss Pass holiday, at Kleine Scheidegg).

 

[142094]

When I did the ALR I travelled across the country but in many cases this meant I was on a train for 7-8 hours each day, and only got perhaps an hour at most to have a look round each place I was staying. At the extreme, when I was in Mallaig, the only thing I did was to visit the Co-op for food and go to bed, ready to get the first train around 6am the next morning.

A couple of weeks ago I had a jaunt around the Manchester and Liverpool areas, but gave myself a couple of hours in each place I visited, and that was more enjoyable. It depends on what you want to do - cover as much track as possible, or actually have a look around places.

 

[Butts]

When I did the ALR I travelled across the country but in many cases this meant I was on a train for 7-8 hours each day, and only got perhaps an hour at most to have a look round each place I was staying. At the extreme, when I was in Mallaig, the only thing I did was to visit the Co-op for food and go to bed, ready to get the first train around 6am the next morning.

A couple of weeks ago I had a jaunt around the Manchester and Liverpool areas, but gave myself a couple of hours in each place I visited, and that was more enjoyable. It depends on what you want to do - cover as much track as possible, or actually have a look around places.

Being based in Falkirk I have just booked a series of trips in the first week in September to major cities in the North of England. Having already done York, Durham , Berwick and a few others.

Each day I book an Advanced First on East Coast , breakfasting foc on the way down and dining on the way back in the evening foc. It gives me all day to explore each location and the ticket prices amount to between £8 each way and £26 each way.

 

[philjo]

HSTMatt - do you have any relatives that live in another part of the country from you that you could stay with for a night or two? That would make it easier for you to travel more of the areas further away from home.

 

[Flying Snail]

I agree with what was said above, to do what you have suggested would be much cheaper on Advances + some regional rovers especially as you are fixed to start and end at the same place each day.

What you ought to do is to make an outline of where you want to go each day, be it a specific station or a region. Then look at the cost of getting from Liverpool and back each day on advances (1st if that is your preference) and compare that to the ALR cost, in most areas a local day ticket is available for a few quid so you can move around in the region during the day and return to your booked service home.

A Child 7 day 1st class comes to 48.57 per day, Adult is 97.14 compare that to the daily cost of regular fares, even if one or two destinations cost a bit over 7 days I expect you would save quite a bit.

The other main advantage of booking seperate tickets is that you can take a day or two off in between, as you are probably looking at leaving early and getting back late, grand for a day or two but seven days in a row?

You also have the problem with the ALR that you won't be able to use it through to Euston on any of the early trains from Liverpool.

I am not saying you shouldn't get one just that you ought to work out your options before paying out for a very pricey ticket.

I was thinking of doing a 1st class 7 day ALR this summer but might use the 4 days in 8 Scotrail rover instead - either the Highland one or the freedom of Scotland. aiming to do the West highland Line and the wick/thurso line as not done these sections before (other than Fort William - Mallaig and done the Inverness-Kyle line a couple of times) and std class only on these lines. trying to fathom through the train/bus/ferry timetables to get the best connections for Mallaig-Kyle by ferry/bus to see what direction/times work best! will spend a couple of days doing other things during the week (e.g. ferry to Mull/iona from Oban)
ALR would need more planning to be able to stay with friends/rlatives in useful locations and I think doing Scotland would be best to avoid the Olympics travel issues in London !

One query - Can anyone confirm if the 4 days in 8 Highland or freedom of Scotaland rover allows use on the ferries/buses on the other 4 days not marked for use on the trains? I know that the Welsh version does let you use the buses throughout the 8 day period. can't see anything in the T&Cs on the scotrail site about this.


I would probably combine the highland rover with a Sleeper advance single outward to Fort William or Inverness (or 1st advance Euston to GLC depending on price & availability) & EC 1st Advance single back from Aberdeen.

I used one last year (FOS 4 in 8) and I don't recall any mention of bus/ferry use outside the nominated days so I would say no. Although the bus links it is valid on are not comprehensive anyway, more a case of fill-in on select routes where no trains run.

It would need checking for changes but 3 years ago I took the Sleeper to Fort William, Jacobite to Mallaig, Ferry to Skye, Bus (x2) to Kyle and train to Inverness. Connections were pretty good and had plenty of time to get some food in Mallaig and Kyle.

I had tried the same previously but the sleeper was delayed (by some very slow driving by all accounts) and the Jacobite had left so instead I got a bus to Oban and train back to Glasgow from there which actually turned out to be a good alternative as the bus journey was very scenic as well.

When I did the far north I also got the bus back to Inverness as the last one is much later than the train, it is also quicker and I would say a better view than the train in many parts. That way I could get around more without having to stay so far north and spend most of the next day getting back south. That bus route is not included in the FOS ticket athough the local services between Wick, Thurso and John O' Groats are.

 

[142094]

Being based in Falkirk I have just booked a series of trips in the first week in September to major cities in the North of England. Having already done York, Durham , Berwick and a few others.

Each day I book an Advanced First on East Coast , breakfasting foc on the way down and dining on the way back in the evening foc. It gives me all day to explore each location and the ticket prices amount to between £8 each way and £26 each way.

Thats what I normally do now if I go away for a few days but not long enough for an actual ALR.

 

[philjo]

Thanks Flying Snail for your comments. the bus back from Thurso looks like a good idea unless I decide to stay overnight up there. I was thinking that it would be good to visit the Castle of Mey whilst up there but it did not look very feasible doing a day trip from Inverness both ways by train.

 

[garnon]

The ALR would only be valid upto 0429 on the final day, I don't think the sleeper gets back until much later.

You used to be able to complete your journey if started pre midnight, and therefore this would have been a valid move.

I think the rules changed to 0429, but wondered whether the sleepers had any 'easement'. I fear not.

 

[34D]

You used to be able to complete your journey if started pre midnight, and therefore this would have been a valid move.

I think the rules changed to 0429, but wondered whether the sleepers had any 'easement'. I fear not.

I suspect the trick is to try and make a berth reservation (extra cost) for that last day - they're unlikely to kick you off if you have one I suggest.

 

[Butts]

I suspect the trick is to try and make a berth reservation (extra cost) for that last day - they're unlikely to kick you off if you have one I suggest.

I wonder where the Sleeper would be at 0429 ? - perhaps the seat/berth operates an "ejector mechanism" aka James Bonds Aston Martin.

 

[34D]

I wonder where the Sleeper would be at 0429 ?

Ah yes, the ALR counts as a season for 19c!

Looking at tonight:

1S25
London Euston[EUS]
Dep : 2055 Exp: No report
WNCBROJ
Pass : 0429 Exp: No report
Linlithgow[LIN]
Pass : 0433 Exp: No report Plat: 2
Inverness[INV]
Arr : 0838 Exp: No report Plat: 2

1S26
London Euston[EUS]
Dep : 2327 Exp: No report
Penrith[PNR]
Pass : 0419 Exp: No report Plat: 2
Carlisle[CAR]
Arr : 0504 Exp: No report Plat: 4

1M11
Glasgow Central[GLC]
Dep : 2315 Exp: No report Plat: 10
Stafford[STA]
Pass : 0423 Exp: No report Plat: 4
STAFTVJ
Pass : 0424 Exp: No report
BSBYJN
Pass : 0436 Exp: No report
PBLJWM
Pass : 0440 Exp: No report
DRLSTNJ
Pass : 0444 Exp: No report
Bescot Stadium[BSC]
Pass : 0445 Exp: No report
London Euston[EUS]
Arr : 0646 Exp: No report

And 1M16

Inverness[INV]
Dep : 2025 Exp: No report Plat: 3
GSTANG
Pass : 0403 Exp: No report
Preston[PRE]
Arr : 0441 Exp: No report Plat: 3
London Euston[EUS]
Arr : 0750 Exp: No report

Disclaimer - do not rely on this for future dates.

 

[Butts]

I knew someone would have the information......

If I were on the first sleeper it goes through Linlithgow at 0433 so if I could jump out there I'd be able to get back to Falkirk ok

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I knew someone would have the information......

If I were on the first sleeper it goes through Linlithgow at 0433 so if I could jump out there I'd be able to get back to Falkirk ok

It would have to be a good jump bearing in mind it passes non-stop!

 

[reb0118]

I knew someone would have the information......

If I were on the first sleeper it goes through Linlithgow at 0433 so if I could jump out there I'd be able to get back to Falkirk ok

It would have to be a good jump bearing in mind it passes non-stop!

That train has a habit of hanging about Polmont for a while regulating time. I still wouldn't advise jumping off though!

Just a thought the Inverness portion picks up at FKG on the southbound journey but does not set down on the northbound. Why?

 

[Techniquest]

I like this thread, it's fairly well balanced between those who want to do an ALR but realistically can't yet, those who've done one and recommend it and those who don't think it's a good idea. I'm one who recommends an ALR, as it's flipping great fun and I can't wait to do my next one!

Can I start by mentioning you don't have to plan every bit of the trip in detail beforehand. That's what will kill the fun. With the exception of those silly time restrictions on a few TOCs, the freedom of an ALR is amazing. If all you're going to do is stick firmly to a plan then you're wasting that opportunity to change plans at the drop of a hat. At the same time though, do plan and book accommodation in advance. I know from experience on my 7 day ALR that 5 nights in a row on sleepers is a killer and it's just not fun that way. I did a 14 day ALR recently and had 9 nights in Travelodges. A far better way of doing things as some decent sleep was got and the day was far more enjoyable as a result. I even booked the 9th night at a Travelodge instead of doing the FGW sleeper again as I couldn't find the will to suffer another sleeper. Long story short (you can soon enjoy the fuller story in my write-up in the Trip Reports section of the forum, day 6 is about to be begun), I summarised my view on doing the sleepers during the trip during my visit to Lancaster Central Travelodge, and I decided that I'd rather get a decent night's sleep than suffer being crammed in next to someone all night on the seats and get very little sleep. So in short:

Don't bother with booking yourself onto the seated sleeper, book Travelodges!

I'm determined to do a First Class ALR next time, but I do contend the comment on sandwiches from M+S only being "a couple of quid". As I found out to my horror, a chicken and bacon sandwich was £3.25 in the Cambridge station outlet. Asda sell such things, and a far superior quality product at that, for £2 (£1.80 for me ). There may well be sandwiches in there for £2 or less, but they wouldn't be much cop. Admittedly, my experience of sandwiches and snacks in First Class on Virgin's MK3 set when I did that last September was that it's a load of toss, but I reckon I could easily make my money's worth on free coffees on the inter-city TOCs during 14 days!

Anyway, I'll finish this off by saying that if you want to do an ALR, I'd highly recommend one to anyone but not if you've got to travel long distances to go home every night. That's a lot of time wasted and you won't get to properly experience the magic of the ALR.

 

[Butts]

My own personal view is that people "have missed the boat" on doing an ALR -particularly in First Class.

This is due to the restrictions now imposed on various termini that previously didn't exist.

Also the demise of the Wrexham and Shropshire service which was a major filip as part of the overall package.

Personally I would never contemplate doing an ALR in anything but First Class and avoid "Northern Services" like the plague.

One of the features that spoils a nice trip down from Scotland to the North of England on Virgin or East Coast is when you have to transfer to one of Northerns decrepid boneshakers

 

[furgus2]

I'm just completing the first week of a 1st class ALR and, as usual, it's been good fun but not helpful to my waistline due to the Virgin breakfasts! As others have said, A Travelodge can be a cheap and clean place to stay the night. Rugby Travelodge is in a brilliant location adjacent to the station and with great views of the trains speeding past. I based myself there for the first four days of the ALR last week