Any tricks for getting to Stansted?

[els]

Going to Stansted soon from Brighton one-way (travelling off-peak). The normal single is just over £25 with a railcard.

I seem to have missed the cheap £3 advance tickets to Victoria (that is with an oyster single and single from Tottenham Hale for £12).

I typed in Brighton to Cambridge via Stansted and it gives me an off-peak ticket for £22 which is presumably fine to break early at Stansted.

Brighton to Cambridge avoiding Hitchin gives me a very reasonable £17 ticket but this is marked Southern and NXEA only - and from Stansted to Cambridge is only possible with XC, so I think this may not be allowed?

Any other tricks to keep the cost down?

 

[John @ home]

Stansted to Cambridge is only possible with XC

That's not the case. This is a Permitted route from Brighton to Cambridge with Southern and NXEA as the only TOCs used:

Brighton - (Southern) - London Victoria - (Underground) - Tottenham Hale - (NXEA) - Stansted Airport [passing through Stansted Mountfitchet] - (NXEA) - Stansted Mountfitchet - (NXEA) - Cambridge.

Doubling back between Stansted Airport and Stansted Mountfitchet is permitted by the National Routeing Guide because these two stations are members of Stansted Group.

Group Stations

Some stations are grouped together to improve interchange between trains by offering customers access to a wider choice of train services and station facilities. A customer may travel via any station in such a group, including doubling back, provided that the group is on one of the permitted routes between their origin and destination stations. This extended availability is for interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part of a group.

http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/RSPDocuments/instructions.pdf

Any other tricks to keep the cost down?

Oddly, the forum's expert on cheap travel to Stansted Airport is DJ737, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. Most of his ideas seem to involve booking to Elsenham. Search for posts by DJ737 in Fares, Tickets & Routeing which include the word "Stansted".

 

[paul1609]

Going to Stansted soon from Brighton one-way (travelling off-peak). The normal single is just over £25 with a railcard.

I seem to have missed the cheap £3 advance tickets to Victoria (that is with an oyster single and single from Tottenham Hale for £12).

I typed in Brighton to Cambridge via Stansted and it gives me an off-peak ticket for £22 which is presumably fine to break early at Stansted.

Brighton to Cambridge avoiding Hitchin gives me a very reasonable £17 ticket but this is marked Southern and NXEA only - and from Stansted to Cambridge is only possible with XC, so I think this may not be allowed?

Any other tricks to keep the cost down?

I'd try for advances from Hove they're often available after Brightons sold out.
Failing that I'd go Brighton to London Bridge (£ 9.85 FCC only) off peak single,
Walk to Liverpool Street (easy walk 20 mins)
or if luggage/ weather dictated take the bus (£1.30 on oyster) routes 47/48/149 probably others taking 10 mins.
Stanstead Express £13.85 anytime single.

 

[DJ737]

Good Morning,

Can't beat your £17 fare, and yes it is valid at Stansted Airport for the reasons given by John@home above.

Cheers
DJ737
Melbourne, Australia

PS. Heard that NXEA are going to introduce a Stansted Airport-Cambridge local service on the opposite half hour to the XC service once they get enough of the new trains into service.

 

[tony_mac]

There has been some debate about the term....

This extended availability is for interchange purposes only

and whether that implies you cannot break your journey there.

(My take is that any restrictions on 'break of journey' must be 'made clear' in the notices etc. and that doesn't clearly state you can't. I know that others disagree, so it's worth mentioning.)

 

[jopsuk]

PS. Heard that NXEA are going to introduce a Stansted Airport-Cambridge local service on the opposite half hour to the XC service once they get enough of the new trains into service.

This idea seems to be dead- no sign in the already-published December 2011 timetable.

 

[schwa]

You could consider taking the easyBus from central London- there are some very reasonable fares on that.

 

[els]

Thanks for the replies.

I've decided to go with an open return (off peak) on the southern website from brighton to cambridge costing only £16.80 with their 25% off promotion, and my trip back from gatwick is covered therefore.