All line rovers

[stevetay3]

I have been just looking at Today's Railways' Railrover Guide and was astounded at some of the prices of these, especially the All Line version.

Do people actually pay this for a fourteen day ticket?

You can go on a cruise for less. You can get a fourteen day version for the princely sum of £1179 in first class, you also get a whole load of restrictions for your money, no northbound travel from London before 10am, etc.

For the best part of twelve hundred pounds I would expect to travel unlimited, as and when I like.

I suspect the only custom is from very keen railway hobbyists.

Railcards reduce the cost, bringing it down to a less extortionate £772, still you can get a good holiday in the sun for that. I doubt many seniors in my age group including myself would take on the fourteen day version, lack of funds may not be a concern, but lack of stamina certainly is.

Standard class is a little cheaper but still expensive.

I think you would need to plan very carefully and have a fistful of prebooked seat reservations in your hand, which rather defeats the hop on hop off advantage of the rover. I think all in all these tickets are poor value for money.

 

[DaiGog]

£279.45 is very good value for 14 days' first class travel though, if you have a First Class PRIV card. The Standard one, at £193, is an absolute bargain. I suspect many sales are at PRIV rate!

 

[stevetay3]

£279.45 is very good value for 14 days' first class travel though, if you have a First Class PRIV card. The Standard one, at £193, is an absolute bargain. I suspect many sales are at PRIV rate!

£279.45 is very good value for 14 days' first class travel though, if you have a First Class PRIV card. The Standard one, at £193, is an absolute bargain. I suspect many sales are at PRIV rate!

It’s good for priv holders yes I am talking about joe public,why would staff want to spend 14 days doing what they do all year

 

[Royston Vasey]

I have been just looking at Todays Railways Railrover Guide and was astounded at some of the prices
of these, especially the all line version.Do people actually pay this for a fourteen day ticket,You can go on a cruise for less.You can get a fourteen day version for the princely sum of gbp 1179 in first class,you also get a whole load of restrictions for your money,no northbound travel from London before 10 etc.
For the best part of twelve hundred pounds I would expect to travel unlimited,as and when I like.
I suspect the only custom is from very keen railway hobbyists.
Railcards reduce the cost bringing it down to a less extornate gbp 772,still get a good holiday in the sun for that.I doubt many seniors in my age group including myself would take on the fourteen day version,lack of funds may not be a concern,but lack of stamina certainly is.
Standard class is a little cheaper but still expensive,I think you would need to plan very carefully and have a fistful of prebooked seat reservations in your hand,which rather defiets the hop on hop off advantage of the rover.I think all in all these tickets are poor value for money.

I don't agree it's expensive, £90 a day for mostly unlimited first class travel for two weeks, I don't think that's too bad at all. Standard £50 a day, extortionate?? It's very very good value. It's like people exclaiming how big a sum they pay for their annual season ticket... "It's £5,000, we deserve better!!" ... when it's effectively £10 each way peak travel to and from work in London for probably 50 miles each way, plus free weekend travel.

But the amount is substantial as an outlay. You are right, you'd have to be seriously into railways and seriously at a loose end/happy with your own company to do it. I suppose many rail enthusiasts fit the bill.

 

[DaiGog]

The vast majority of rail staff don't ride round on the trains during working hours, but like to take advantage of their travel facilities. I'm not saying the public rate isn't expensive - although when broken down into a daily cost, it isn't really. I was just alluding that the product is perhaps most appealing to those who can get 75% off - and indeed this may be the reason it hasn't been killed off by now!

 

[stevetay3]

The vast majority of rail staff don't ride round on the trains during working hours, but like to take advantage of their travel facilities. I'm not saying the public rate isn't expensive - although when broken down into a daily cost, it isn't really. I was just alluding that the product is perhaps most appealing to those who can get 75% off - and indeed this may be the reason it hasn't been killed off by now!

So your saying it’s there for the benefit of staff only.I would buy several of these a year at your prices ,you don’t even need to travel each day to make it worth while


As for 90 pound a day being good value,try looking at advance prices

 

[LA50041]

So your saying it’s there for the benefit of staff only.I would buy several of these a year at your prices ,you don’t even need to travel each day to make it worth while


As for 90 pound a day being good value,try looking at advance prices

Cheapest 1st advance London-Glasgow £40 each way, tied to specific train and not flexible for boj. £90 go anywhere you like all day sounds like a bargain to me

 

[lyndhurst25]

I doubt that many undiscointed All Line Rovers are sold. Overseas visitors can buy the much better value BritRail pass - €550 first class / €368 standard class for 15 days.

 

[stevetay3]

I recently traveled to Carlisle and back for £60 first class advance. I don’t just want to jump on the next train to somewhere else.I like to spend time in the places I visit

 

[stevetay3]

It would appear from the reply’s to my comments that the ALR is mainly for priv holders and the cheaper britrail pass for overseas visitors.While us tax payers who pay for it all have to pay premium rates.

 

[Haywain]

£279.45 is very good value for 14 days' first class travel though, if you have a First Class PRIV card.

I would suggest that this value will be rather diminished by the likelihood that many (most?) First Class Priv holders get a significant amount of free First Class Travel anyway, and stil hit the London/Birmingham restrictions. The same applies to some Standard Class Priv holders but being lower down the food chain means the benefits may not be so widespread.

a whole load of restrictions for your money,no northbound travel from London before 10 etc.

The restriction from London is on 3 operators - the two Virgins and EMT - but doesn't completely prevent northbound travel. The worst situation is actually on the Midland Mainline where there is no option for getting north of Bedford, whereas there are overlaps on the other two lines provided by Hull Trains and Grand Central, and by London North Western/West Midlands Trains.

 

[Haywain]

It would appear from the reply’s to my comments that the ALR is mainly for priv holders and the cheaper britrail pass for overseas visitors.While us tax payers who pay for it all have to pay premium rates.

You are right about Britrail, but wrong in everything else. The ALR is, I suspect, principally used by rail enthusiasts who wish to maximise their travel during the available period. As for taxpayers, we don't "have to pay premium rates" as there is a choice. If it isn't the right product for you, don't use it.

 

[stevetay3]

You are right about Britrail, but wrong in everything else. The ALR is, I suspect, principally used by rail enthusiasts who wish to maximise their travel during the available period. As for taxpayers, we don't "have to pay premium rates" as there is a choice. If it isn't the right product for you, don't use it.

I don’t use it,I said from the start that it was mainly enthusiasts interested in it and there is no choice with tax

 

[cactustwirly]

Buy an interrail pass instead!
5 in 15 days is only £165 for a Youth (if bought in a sale), and it covers a much wider area!

 

[stevetay3]

Buy an interrail pass instead!
5 in 15 days is only £165 for a Youth (if bought in a sale), and it covers a much wider area!

I am a 67 year old youth unfortunately.

 

[cactustwirly]

I am a 67 year old youth unfortunately.

There is a Senior pass as well.
Its normal price is £218 for 5 in 15 days.
Or £289 in 1st class
Obviously if wait for one of the regular sales, you get 15% off & free delivery.

 

[stevetay3]

According to the inter rail website, an IR one country pass can not be used in your own country of residence.

 

[fishquinn]

According to the inter rail website, an IR one country pass can not be used in your own country of residence.

That's correct. What Cactustwirly meant is that it's much cheaper getting a global interrail pass (which includes a return journey in the country of origin) than the all line over here. I wouldn't consider an all line at the current costs (and my current budget) but an interrail is within my budget and is probably more fun anyway.

 

[stevetay3]

The rover that cactustwirly recommends seems a much better more flexible option, £218 for 5 in fifteen days,but unfortunately not available here.Does enyone on here know why these products are not available in GBR.
This would be much better value for money,and would suit us oldies.better I would buy this and I think this ticket would appeal widely.We have many flexible rovers but not for the big ones

 

[tgrb]

I’ve got to say I think ALR are good value if there is a lot of rail travel you want to do and I am considering a week or 2 with my wife and or son

To put it in prospective, if I needed in the next week to go from Chippenham to Paddington return in the peak 3 times or more an ALR would be be cheaper than buying the individual tickets, granted buying a weeks season would be less @ £542.30 but not give you anything “extra” (all 1st class)

As I’m the ripe old age of 37 and not in the network railcard area if I’m on my own I do see no way of getting a dis punt which is a bit rubbish! (Do gold cards even get a discount?)

So I’d say they definitely have there place and if used wisely they could be useful for everyday travel let alone a jolly/holiday!

 

[MrCub]

I've paid for a full price 7-day first class ALR twice, enjoyed my week travelling enormously, and while it was a big outlay, it was good value for the use I had out of it. In fact, they were both jolly nice weeks.

 

[Royston Vasey]

So your saying it’s there for the benefit of staff only.I would buy several of these a year at your prices ,you don’t even need to travel each day to make it worth while


As for 90 pound a day being good value,try looking at advance prices

Unlimited anywhere you want at the drop of a hat. London to Edinburgh advances are frequently at that sort of number or much more even quite far in advance.

 

[Royston Vasey]

I’ve got to say I think ALR are good value if there is a lot of rail travel you want to do and I am considering a week or 2 with my wife and or son

I suspect many are purchased specifically for a week or two away from wives and sons

Perhaps that's what you meant?

 

[stevetay3]

I would love to have family members to accompany me on a first class all line rover,but it would be a stretch for my budget to get one ticket at those prices,let alone two,hence that brings me back to the original post,Why so expensive? Why no flexibility?

 

[stevetay3]

Unlimited anywhere you want at the drop of a hat. London to Edinburgh advances are frequently at that sort of number or much more even quite far in advance.

For twelve hundred quid yes definitely.

 

[tgrb]

I suspect many are purchased specifically for a week or two away from wives and sons

Perhaps that's what you meant?

Shh don’t tell the boss!!

 

[yorkie]

I agree; they are poor value and only rail/train enthusiasts are likely to purchase them.

I believe that's the intention; the train companies do not want them to be too good value, because Season tickets can be extortionately priced, and the likes of Virgin Trains know that some business passengers will pay the extortionate fares. They don't want the ALR to undercut that, hence the outrageous peak restrictions.

 

[tgrb]

I would love to have family members to accompany me on a first class all line rover,but it would be a stretch for my budget to get one ticket at those prices,let alone two,hence that brings me back to the original post,Why so expensive? Why no flexibility?

I’ve got to say I think your wrong as regards to the expense and flexibility, don’t get me wrong, as an item to purchase/thing to do yes the ticket price is quite high, but value for money it’s very good value. And flexibility - you can’t really get much more flexibility! Just get on and go.

If I was doing a week or even two on my own I’d cover some serious mileage, but even if I was doing it with the boss and scheduled it around hotels (or sleepers) nice views etc etc I am certain we would both still get value for money and have a great time and experience, and believe me, she’s no fan of trains!

 

[Royston Vasey]

I would love to have family members to accompany me on a first class all line rover,but it would be a stretch for my budget to get one ticket at those prices,let alone two,hence that brings me back to the original post,Why so expensive? Why no flexibility?

Because it isn't that expensive when you apply a little intelligence and a peak restriction is not out of the question for a leisure fare.

 

[stevetay3]

I have been just looking at Todays Railways Railrover Guide and was astounded at some of the prices
of these, especially the all line version.Do people actually pay this for a fourteen day ticket,You can go on a cruise for less.You can get a fourteen day version for the princely sum of gbp 1179 in first class,you also get a whole load of restrictions for your money,no northbound travel from London before 10 etc.
For the best part of twelve hundred pounds I would expect to travel unlimited,as and when I like.
I suspect the only custom is from very keen railway hobbyists.
Railcards reduce the cost bringing it down to a less extornate gbp 772,still get a good holiday in the sun for that.I doubt many seniors in my age group including myself would take on the fourteen day version,lack of funds may not be a concern,but lack of stamina certainly is.
Standard class is a little cheaper but still expensive,I think you would need to plan very carefully and have a fistful of prebooked seat reservations in your hand,which rather defiets the hop on hop off advantage of the rover.I think all in all these tickets are poor value for money.

Because it isn't that expensive when you apply a little intelligence and a peak restriction is not out of the question for a leisure fare.

You think 100 quid a day is not that expensive? Try doing one based in London, add in the restrictions to travel up north and you only get just over half a day for your 100 quid