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7 Day all line rover.

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hstmatt

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Hello.
Am planning on doing a first class 7 day all line rover and i have just saw a video of someone on the rover and they had a itinerary with reservations and train times ect.
Do you need this or can you get any train you want?
 
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scrapy

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No reservations needed, although they may be advisable on certain trains if you want a seat (less of a problem in 1st class). Restrictions apply to alighting at certain stations on certain TOCs before 10am.
 

calc7

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Also worth having a plan so you're more likely to be where you need to be at the end of each day, as opposed to "winging it".
 

ainsworth74

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You'll also want to be coming with a plan to ensure that you maximize the amount of time spent on VT, EC and at least work in one run on the WAG Express as these offer the best first class complimentary offer and ensure that you spend a fair bit of time on FGW, EMT and GA which don't have as much in the freebies stakes but still offer reasonable first class accommodation (GA less so as their coaches are really really shabby) on their main line services. If you don't plan properly you could always end up spending loads of time of ATW or Northern or FGW local services which don't have first class which would then make a first class ALR kind of pointless.

Just something to think about.
 
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To get the best out of your rail rover you need to plan it with military precision!!! :lol:
Probably booking or researching a few B&B's or hotels.
Getting the fastest trains, and above all to connect to a few branch connections say in Scotland etc may give a choice of one or 2 services.
 

hstmatt

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The only problem is that i have to go home every night because my mum and dad want me home so i will probably have to plan.
Also i was wondering i was going to go on the Great yarmouth drags on the rover and i have been thinking is there a direct train from Liverpool st to Great yarmouth??
 

David

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If you have to get back home every night, then that does limit you with an ALR. In that case it's best to stick to regional rovers for now, plus any tickets needed to get to/from the rover boundry.
 

hstmatt

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I have no problem with getting home i only have to get 1 train from London whitch is a vt so going home isnt a problem.
 

MCR247

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I have no problem with getting home i only have to get 1 train from London whitch is a vt so going home isnt a problem.

Tbh with you, I wouldn't do it now then. I'd do it at a time when you can stay at places over night as if I was spending that kind of money, I'd want to make sure I do it properly.

Its not worth doing it, and then a year later when you can stay overnight in a hotel want to do it again :)
 

221129

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I too am planning an 1st ALR this summer and have to get home most nights. So would it be worth planning it or going on a whim ?
 

hstmatt

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I can still do the rover as theres time restrictions Monday - Friday that i cant arrive in London till after 10 anyway so if i get the 8.48 from Lime st then i get in after 10 and then i can go to places from London.
 

All Line Rover

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If you have to get back home every night, then that does limit you with an ALR. In that case it's best to stick to regional rovers for now, plus any tickets needed to get to/from the rover boundry.

Not if you live near a busy mainline station, it isn't. Especially if it provides fast connections to most UK cities (such as one on the WCML, as per the OP's user profile). The only exception would be if it is one of the "no boarding/alighting before 10am" stations.
 

MidnightFlyer

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I dont think Liverpool Lime st has a time restriction its London, and Birmingham.

It doesn't, however trains arriving into London do (VT, EMT and EC I think) and XC at Birmingham New St, so you'd still be limited as to when you could arrive into Euston on Virgin and New St on CrossCountry.

Edit - I'm not sure about VT restrictions at New St.
 

D6975

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Extract from the National Rail Website:

The All Lines Rail Rover is NOT valid for boarding or alighting train services operated by CrossCountry, East Coast, East Midlands Trains, or Virgin Trains before 10:00 Mondays to Fridays at the following stations:

Birmingham New Street
Bedford
London Euston
London Kings Cross
London St Pancras International
Luton
Luton Airport Parkway
Milton Keynes Central
Stevenage
Watford Junction
No restrictions apply on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.


You can get around the KGX one by doing a fast Peterborough service and picking up a 91 there. Similarly, although New St is on the list, Coventry and Wolves aren't, so that's easily got around. A little imagination will probably circumvent the others too....
The Midland main line looks like the awkward one.

ps Note that Grand Central and Hull Trains aren't mentioned.
 
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calc7

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Kings Cross and Birmingham are easy to get around as mentioned. WCML and MML less so - the former means Rugby then round the Northampton loop; the latter is difficult due to no non-EMT services north of BDM.
 

Butts

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If you are going home every night I think it detracts from the experience as I would aspire to visit as many places as possible to maximise the value and distances feasible.

With regard to accommodation try and coincide with a Travelodge Sale or check the thread elsewhere in the forum on places to stay.

I myself considered an ALR (1st Class) from my location at FKG. However I have instead embarked upon a series of "cross border raids" generally on East Coast for the freebies.

Berwick £8 each way........Darlington £12.55 each way.......Carlisle £25 each way (Virgin hence dearer) Alnmouth £10 each way.....etc etc..

I have in the past visited Newcastle and York as well all for chicken feed.
 

All Line Rover

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Kings Cross and Birmingham are easy to get around as mentioned. WCML and MML less so - the former means Rugby then round the Northampton loop; the latter is difficult due to no non-EMT services north of BDM.

The WCML should be better from December 2012, once London Midland start avoiding Northampton on selected service.
 

Hadders

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I'm currently planning a 7 day ALR and wish to get maximum value from it.

I'm planning to get the 0010 Caledonian Sleeper from Watford Junction in the early hours of the first morning of validity.

Similarly, on the last day I'm looking at getting the southbound sleeper departing from Glasgow at 2350.

Is there any reason why I can't do this on an ALR?
 

hairyhandedfool

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

34D

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The only problem is that i have to go home every night because my mum and dad want me home so i will probably have to plan.

Aww bless! As others have said, there's only so far that you can get if having to come home each night.
 

LexyBoy

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I think the point about waiting until you can stay away from home is valid, although if that would mean paying adult instead of child fares then do it now!

You could also look at combining a long distance Advance (often quite reasonable in 1st on Virgin) with a different regional rover each day. There is something romantic about the ALR though (not that I've ever used one!) which this misses out on.
 

Sapphire Blue

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Going back to the OP's question, I think planning is essential to get full value and experience from your ALR,

But you can over-do it.

The first time I did an 7 day ALR, despite having planned every journey on every day for weeks ahead, I spent most of it pouring over timetables, maps and live departure boards on my lap-top and phone that I forgot to enjoy the journeys I was making at the time.
It became like work! After the week was up, I realised I had been everywhere and seen nowt.

It was only on my second trip, again planned 100%, that I relaxed and was flexible within my plan and so really enjoyed myself. If I didn't get a planned, or even booked train, it didn't matter, there was another one along soon.

(Oh, and try to persuade the folks to allow you a couple of goes on the sleepers.
With 1st class, you will have a berth to yourself and a start point for the next day anywhere from Fort William to Penzance - this opens up many more routes to you.)
 

Butts

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Perhaps particularly if you are travelling 1st Class it is worth saving up and getting a 14 day ALR.

This should enable you to experience virtually the whole UK "Premier Services" and have the time to visit plenty of places and relax a little more.
 

bb21

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The only problem with doing a 14-day ALR is that if you intend on getting maximum value out of it, you will be extremely exhausted by the end of it.

It is a shame that there is no flexi version of the ALR.
 

142094

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Did a standard class 7 day one in 2008, although my main motive was to see areas of the country I'd never been to before, rather than try and cover as much track as possible in the week. I certainly would strongly suggest leaving an ALR until you have more freedom to stay places overnight.

If you are planning on doing an ALR, in some cases it can be a lot cheaper buying advances as soon as they come out - of course this means you loose flexibility but depends on what you value more - money in your pocket or the ability to get a different service.
 

CC 72100

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If you have to be home every night, why not do a regional 3 in 7 etc. ticket? Ok, you're restricted to region, but there is still plenty of variety there and it compares very favourably on the financial side.
 

Temple Meads

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I too am planning an 1st ALR this summer and have to get home most nights. So would it be worth planning it or going on a whim ?

To be honest Ollie, if you need to be home every night, your going to really struggle to get your moneys worth out of it, you'd really be better off going for a 8 in 15 Freedom of the South West.
 
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