Hello! Usual long-term lurker, first time poster. Thought I'd join up because I had a spot of bother with a staff member at the gate yesterday; nothing serious but I just wanted to check if he was right for the future.
I'm often travelling between Ashford and Brussels (thankyou, lower tuition fees!) but yesterday being a Sunday there were no trains (leading me to grumble about Ashford's Eurostar neglect yet again, especially for those of us near the county town Maidstone but then that's another thread). Deciding to go from Ebbsfleet instead for the first time instead of Ashford or St Pancras, I originally booked tickets from Maidstone West which goes via a connection at Strood and takes 47 minutes.
I decided the day before that seeing as the SET sale was on, I'd rather travel to Ashford and take the HS as it would be quicker from where I live and I wouldn't have to change (and I can't think of a way to wangle London CIV tickets to cover me if my train to either Ebbsfleet or Ashford is delayed, so I really don't want to miss the Eurostar). Their website offered a range of tickets, with the two cheapest being off-peak + HISPEED and off-peak ANY PERMITTED respectively, and the latter being cheaper. Clicking the cheapest, and it still covering the direct HS train on the itinery (I checked both the site and my email) I booked that. Picked it up at the station, barrier was open so it didn't get checked there, but the train guard was fine with it when he glanced it on the way round.
At Ebbsfleet however, the barrier guard was reluctant to let me out as he said my Any Permitted was not valid and I should have bought a +Hispeed or travelled through Gravesend. Luckily he let me through before I missed the Eurostar but he told me next time to get a +Hispeed, but surely if I've been told this route by the SET booking website it should be valid? I'm reluctant to go to Ebbsfleet by train again now but if I did I don't want to risk getting a wrong ticket and being given a Penalty Fare or being late for my connection, but I also don't want to pay over the odds! Either way, which ticket would be right for this journey?
I'm often travelling between Ashford and Brussels (thankyou, lower tuition fees!) but yesterday being a Sunday there were no trains (leading me to grumble about Ashford's Eurostar neglect yet again, especially for those of us near the county town Maidstone but then that's another thread). Deciding to go from Ebbsfleet instead for the first time instead of Ashford or St Pancras, I originally booked tickets from Maidstone West which goes via a connection at Strood and takes 47 minutes.
I decided the day before that seeing as the SET sale was on, I'd rather travel to Ashford and take the HS as it would be quicker from where I live and I wouldn't have to change (and I can't think of a way to wangle London CIV tickets to cover me if my train to either Ebbsfleet or Ashford is delayed, so I really don't want to miss the Eurostar). Their website offered a range of tickets, with the two cheapest being off-peak + HISPEED and off-peak ANY PERMITTED respectively, and the latter being cheaper. Clicking the cheapest, and it still covering the direct HS train on the itinery (I checked both the site and my email) I booked that. Picked it up at the station, barrier was open so it didn't get checked there, but the train guard was fine with it when he glanced it on the way round.
At Ebbsfleet however, the barrier guard was reluctant to let me out as he said my Any Permitted was not valid and I should have bought a +Hispeed or travelled through Gravesend. Luckily he let me through before I missed the Eurostar but he told me next time to get a +Hispeed, but surely if I've been told this route by the SET booking website it should be valid? I'm reluctant to go to Ebbsfleet by train again now but if I did I don't want to risk getting a wrong ticket and being given a Penalty Fare or being late for my connection, but I also don't want to pay over the odds! Either way, which ticket would be right for this journey?
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