Aberystwyth <> Heathrow Airport

[Paul Kelly]

I'm not sure I understood the part about the validity, though. Are you saying that ✠VIA HIGH WYC&SHR tickets can be used on Heathrow Connect, or only GWR?

They are 100% valid on Heathrow Connect. It's a programming error that means booking engines do not show it.

 

[Panceltic]

They are 100% valid on Heathrow Connect. It's a programming error that means booking engines do not show it.

Oh, I see. Thank you So I should be OK with the Hanwell ticket if I manage to get hold of it somehow?

 

[Rich McLean]

Oh, I see. Thank you So I should be OK with the Hanwell ticket if I manage to get hold of it somehow?

Also if you stopping the night before, you could change at Banbury, and get the 1837 GWR Service, which runs through to Paddington and calls at Southall on the way. By doing that, you avoid going via London. The ticket combo you mentioned (not via London) would be valid for this route and since you plan to arrive at Heathrow in the evening, the timing of this service should fit in with your plans to stay at Heathrow overnight.

So you could do
1G45 1330 Aberystwyth - Birmingham New Street arr 1630
1O24 1704 Birmingham New Street - Banbury arr 1754 or 1H68 1710 Birmingham Moor Street - Banbury arr 1800
2P82 1837 Banbury - Southall arr 2043
2T72 2049 Southall - Heathrow T4 arr 2110

Otherwise, you need a via London ticket if you want to travel via Marylebone, but its something to bear in mind and you can still avoid XC

 

[Panceltic]

Also if you stopping the night before, you could change at Banbury, and get the 1837 GWR Service, which runs through to Paddington and calls at Southall on the way. By doing that, you avoid going via London. The ticket combo you mentioned (not via London) would be valid for this route and since you plan to arrive at Heathrow in the evening, the timing of this service should fit in with your plans to stay at Heathrow overnight.

Thanks, I've already looked into this option but thought it wasnt valid - the restriction being "via High Wycombe"?

 

[Rich McLean]

Thanks, I've already looked into this option but thought it wasnt valid - the restriction being "via High Wycombe"?

Ahhh I see now.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Otherwise, you need a via London ticket if you want to travel via Marylebone, but its something to bear in mind and you can still avoid XC

Hayes & Harlington is the junction station for Heathrow and has a better service than Southall and Hanwell.

Checking on National Rail enquiries for Aberystwyth to Hayes shows the Euston route as most expensive, followed by the Cross Country route via Reading with the Wycombe and Marylebone route the cheapest, if slowest.

Paddington Bakerloo is closed at the moment so getting from Marylebone to Paddington is slightly more difficult than normal.

If travelling via Reading, the Railair bus is also an option.

 

[kieron]

Hayes & Harlington is the junction station for Heathrow and has a better service than Southall and Hanwell.

Borth-Hanwell is valid via Paddington and Hayes & Harlington anyway (NRE* doesn't offer "✠VIA HIGH WYC&SHR" tickets for the reason Indigo2 gives).

* You may need to delete any nationalrail.co.uk cookies you have in order for this link to open correctly.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Borth-Hanwell is valid via Paddington and Hayes & Harlington anyway

Hanwell is on the Paddington side of Hayes. You would not pass through Hayes if travelling via Paddington to Hanwell. But perhaps you have found a ticket which is the same price both via Reading and via Paddington.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Hanwell is on the Paddington side of Hayes. You would not pass through Hayes if travelling via Paddington to Hanwell.

Well, you could if you wanted to, if you had to stop off in Hayes & Harlington to meet someone, for example.

It's not permitted on a London Terminals to Hanwell ticket, but Hayes & Harlington Routeing Group (which includes Southall) passes the fares check as a destination routeing point for a Borth to Hanwell journey, thus the doubleback through Hanwell is OK (because it doesn't happen within the mapped portion of the journey), and the doubleback through Southall is OK as it's all within Hayes & Harlington Routeing Group.