Breaking your journey - what are the rules?

[EM2]

I have a friend who lives in Norway. He is coming to the UK in August and intends to travel up to Inverness. But he would like to break his journey a number of times en-route (although he hasn't specified where and for how long yet).
Firstly, can he do that on any other ticket except an ALR?
Secondly, would he be restricted where he can break?
Thirdly, I assume he'd still have to complete the journey in one day?

 

[clagmonster]

An outward portion of an anytime return allows travel for 5 days from the start date, and can be used for unlimited breaks of journey. They can be pricey though. In some cases outward portions of off-peak returns can be used for breaks off journey, although travel must be completed within a day, unless this is impossible.

 

[A60K]

A TCV (European standard international tariff) return is good for unlimited break of journey in both directions, and is valid for two months from the starting date (which you can specify when you buy the ticket). This means you could spend eight weeks stopping off on the way to Inverness and still come back before the ticket expires!

He may well be able to buy a TCV return ticket from the international ticket counter at Oslo S. The current price for a TCV return London - Inverness is €223.40 (or Gatwick Airport - Inverness is €234.20), and if NSB does sell TCV for GB then the equivalent price in NOK would apply. If NSB don't sell in their ticket offices then it should be possible to purchase it from Deutsche Bahn's website or call centre for postal delivery.

If your friend is travelling to Britain by train rather than flying, then any significant DB or SNCB station can sell the ticket over the counter on the way to get Eurostar in Brussels. Further, if he has one of the European railways' national reduction card including RailPlus (although I'm not sure if NSB does one) then there will be a 25% reduction (available in connection with Eurostar as it is a global price train) bringing the cost down to €167.60.

 

[BRX]

An outward portion of an anytime return allows travel for 5 days from the start date, and can be used for unlimited breaks of journey. They can be pricey though. In some cases outward portions of off-peak returns can be used for breaks off journey, although travel must be completed within a day, unless this is impossible.

Are you sure about that 5 days thing? I've never heard that before.

My understanding was that with anytime returns, the outward portion has to be used on the date on the ticket. The only exception being an overnight break of journey in which case you have to continue before 12 midday the next day.

This was one of the changes sneaked in with the "simplification" nonsense: previously an open return was valid for the whole month outward and return.


As far as the original question is concerned: you can definitely break your journey as many times as you like on the return portion if you buy either an anytime or off-peak return.

The good news is that the permitted routes from Inverness are quite generous so you can make quite a lot of diversions off the main lines. I have taken advantage of this many times myself! You need to get your hands on the appropriate map in the National Routeing Guide. If memory serves me correctly, it's map AS.

 

[glynn80]

Are you sure about that 5 days thing? I've never heard that before.

My understanding was that with anytime returns, the outward portion has to be used on the date on the ticket. The only exception being an overnight break of journey in which case you have to continue before 12 midday the next day.

This was one of the changes sneaked in with the "simplification" nonsense: previously an open return was valid for the whole month outward and return.

You are correct it was one of the changes sneaked in with Simplification but ATOC partly reversed the situation on tickets sold or valid after 16 March. After this date outward portions of Anytime Returns (First and Standard) would be valid for 5 days rather than the previous 1 day. The Ticket Collector blog addressed these issues (http://theticketcollector.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/anytime-return-u-turn/).

 

[BRX]

You are correct it was one of the changes sneaked in with Simplification but ATOC partly reversed the situation on tickets sold or valid after 16 March. After this date outward portions of Anytime Returns (First and Standard) would be valid for 5 days rather than the previous 1 day. The Ticket Collector blog addressed these issues (http://theticketcollector.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/anytime-return-u-turn/).

Interesting. I hadn't heard about that. Cheers.

 

[Railjet]

I have a friend who lives in Norway. He is coming to the UK in August and intends to travel up to Inverness. But he would like to break his journey a number of times en-route (although he hasn't specified where and for how long yet).
Firstly, can he do that on any other ticket except an ALR?
Secondly, would he be restricted where he can break?
Thirdly, I assume he'd still have to complete the journey in one day?

Why doesn't he get a one country inter-rail pass? From €125 youth / €189 adult for three days' travel in a month.

 

[endlessrain]

So if I were to go from Plymouth to Coventry via Reading on an Off Peak Return, I could use the Return ticket to stop at Reading for a few days, and then carry on home to Plymouth?

 

[A60K]

So if I were to go from Plymouth to Coventry via Reading on an Off Peak Return, I could use the Return ticket to stop at Reading for a few days, and then carry on home to Plymouth?

Absolutely.

 

[First class]

Yeah you can. Bear in mind, however, that Revenue Protection do have a job to do. If you're breaking your journey that's fine, but you may be asked about your journey, just to check your not trying to use it like a Season which a lot of people do.

Get the guard on the Plymouth train to write on the back: PLY-RDG and the date. Stamp it. And all is well.

 

[endlessrain]

Get the guard on the Plymouth train to write on the back: PLY-RDG and the date. Stamp it. And all is well.

Is this for the Outward journey? Im going straight to Coventry on the way up so im not worried about breaking my outbound journey. I just wanna stop in Reading for a while on the way back

 

[icantdrive]

Is this for the Outward journey? Im going straight to Coventry on the way up so im not worried about breaking my outbound journey. I just wanna stop in Reading for a while on the way back

Rule 16 National Rail Conditions of Carriage allows you to start, or break and resume a journey ( in either direction in the case of a return ticket) at any intermediate station, as long as the ticket you hold is valid for the trains you want to use.... However these rights may not apply to some types of tickets for which a break of journey is prohibited, in which case the relevant train companies will make this clear in their notices and other publications.

The trainline online service is particularly helpful at giving the conditions e.g. anytime returns allow a break of journey in either direction, save that the outbound journey must now be completed within 5 days of issue, and off peak returns allow break of journey on return portion only.

I have recently had this issue, and so I e-mailed the train company customer services to check that the break was OK and they replied within 3 days that it was. If you've got time its probably worth doing. I will print off that e-mail and carry it with the NRCOC on my journey in case of dispute. There does seem to be some confusion with ticket inspectors and sales staff as to validity. Just think what it would be like if the system hadn't been simplified!