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Bristol - Cardiff (Avoiding Engineering Works This Sunday)

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I’m travelling from Bristol (staying nearer Temple Meads but can go from either) to Cardiff this coming Sunday (returning same day), National Rail Enquiries keeps giving me Bristol Temple Meads (BRI) – Bristol Parkway (BPW) – (bus) – Newport (NWP) – Cardiff (CDF) taking a couple of hours. I don’t know the area or the journey, is there any realistic way of avoiding a replacement bus?

I’m presuming the tunnel between Bristol and South Wales is closed for engineering works so I’m thinking probably not but I’m sure someone on here will know more than me.
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I had a nosey around maps and so on and it seems all you can do is go Bristol - Swindon - Cardiff which takes 3 hours and costs almost £60. That's an absolute nightmare, is there anything else that can be done?

I hate travelling on buses at the best of times but I know for a fact I'm going to feel very ropey with a hangover on Sunday morning. Do National Express buses have toilets?
 
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Brucey

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Gloucester to Cardiff is reasonably scenic. Other than the two options you already have, there isn't any other sensible route.
 
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Gloucester looks like a more realistic option. However the times that suit on the NRE website comes in at £41.60.

Now a return BTM - CDF is £11.30.

I dont suppose they allow travel via Gloucester for £11.30 seen as it's their/Network Rail's fault? Not wanting to pay £41.60 when if need be we can get National Express for around a tenner.
 

extendedpaul

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Interesting point and I am sure somebody on here will know the answer.

If I suffer from travel sickness, and tell whoever is supervising the buses during engineering works I am likely to vomit as soon as it moves off, would I be allowed to travel by train on what would not normally be a permitted route ?
 

Temple Meads

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Interesting point and I am sure somebody on here will know the answer.

If I suffer from travel sickness, and tell whoever is supervising the buses during engineering works I am likely to vomit as soon as it moves off, would I be allowed to travel by train on what would not normally be a permitted route ?

Most of the coaches have toilets (I think), I have a nasty feeling you'd be told to use those.

To the OP, I think the bus is probably the best option for you, unless you are dead set against it (by the way, Temple Meads' 3 letter code is BRI ;) )
 

dzug2

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How about an off peak day return Bristol to Gloucester (or Cheltenham) and an anytime one on to Cardiff?

£8.20 plus £18.20
 
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John @ home

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I think a £8.20 CDR Pilning - Gloucester route Any Permitted may be a useful ticket here.

More when I've had time to study the Routeing Guide and the mileages.
 
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Cheers guys, keep the ideas coming, I'll probably just buy at station because I'm flying down first thing tomorrow...I hate buses!
 

John @ home

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The shortest route Pilning - Gloucester is 38.75 miles via Yate:
Table 132: Pilning - Bristol Parkway 4.75 miles.
Table 134: Bristol Parkway - Gloucester 34 miles.

Pilning - Gloucester is 41.75 miles via Severn Tunnel Jn:
Table 132: Pilning - Severn Tunnel Jn 7 miles.
Table 132: Severn Tunnel Jn - Gloucester 34.75 miles.

The route via Severn Tunnel Jn is not more than 3 miles longer than the shortest route, and is therefore a Permitted Route.
National Routeing Guide in Detail said:
Journeys on direct trains or taking the route of shortest distance or a distance longer by no more than 3 miles are always following a permitted route. Journeys following a route given by the Routeing Guide are following a permitted route.

http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/RSPDocuments/nrg_detail.pdf
Therefore the ticket is valid Pilning - Bristol Temple M - Bristol Parkway - Gloucester - Caldicot - Severn Tunnel Jn - Pilning, doubling back via Bristol Temple M being allowed by the Group Stations rule. It may be used Bristol Temple M - Bristol Parkway - Gloucester - Caldicot - Severn Tunnel Jn with a start by interchanging at Temple M being valid because there is no Sunday service at Pilning.

To complete your journey, you would need a £8 single Severn Tunnel Jn - Cardiff Cen and to choose a train which called at Severn Tunnel Jn.
 

starrymarkb

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Cheers guys, keep the ideas coming, I'll probably just buy at station because I'm flying down first thing tomorrow...I hate buses!

Well if you are flying Easyjet there will be some buses involved, they use remote stands at BRS (usually 8-16 IIRC) and a COBUS will take you to arrivals.
 
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Well if you are flying Easyjet there will be some buses involved, they use remote stands at BRS (usually 8-16 IIRC) and a COBUS will take you to arrivals.

I'm spendint Sat and Monday in Brizzle, need to be in Cardiff for the football (12.45pm kick off) on the Sunday and back again later that afternoon.

So any definitive word on whether or not the £11.30 BRI - CDF return will be valid via Gloucester seen as it's enginnering works?
 

Brucey

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So any definitive word on whether or not the £11.30 BRI - CDF return will be valid via Gloucester seen as it's enginnering works?

BRI to CDF is only valid via map WR (so only via Newport). FGW have arranged replacement road transport, so travel through Gloucester would not normally be permitted.
 

OwlMan

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A Cardiff - Gloucester Ticket is valid via Bristol so you could use a day return starting short at Bristol - Gloucester and then use the return Gloucester - Cardiff..
It costs £18.20 slighty more than John's way but you do not need to stop at Severn Tunnel Junction on the "return" journey
 

Squaddie

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Just take National Express. There's a bus every two hours, journey time 1 hour 10 mins, they're generally more comfortable than Standard class on a train and it's under a fiver each way.
 
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A Cardiff - Gloucester Ticket is valid via Bristol so you could use a day return starting short at Bristol - Gloucester and then use the return Gloucester - Cardiff..
It costs £18.20 slighty more than John's way but you do not need to stop at Severn Tunnel Junction on the "return" journey

Nice, so I can defo buy a day return Cardiff to Gloucester at Bristol Temple Meads and this will allow me to go

Bristol - Gloucester - Cardiff

and then

Cardiff - Gloucester - Bristol

That sounds simple and decent enough value.
 

bb21

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Nice, so I can defo buy a day return Cardiff to Gloucester at Bristol Temple Meads and this will allow me to go

Bristol - Gloucester - Cardiff

and then

Cardiff - Gloucester - Bristol

That sounds simple and decent enough value.

Nope. You will need two of those for a return journey.

You can always try ringing FGW and explaining that you have a phobia of riding on the buses. They might make an exception and allow you to go via Gloucester on the £11.30 ticket however this is not guaranteed.
 
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Nope. You will need two of those for a return journey.

You can always try ringing FGW and explaining that you have a phobia of riding on the buses. They might make an exception and allow you to go via Gloucester on the £11.30 ticket however this is not guaranteed.

Sorry I dont understand, two of what?
 

Brucey

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Still don't understand :lol:

You are using the outbound Cardiff to Gloucester ticket to get from Bristol to Gloucester. You then use the return portion of this ticket to get from Gloucester to Cardiff. As the return journey is complete, none of the tickets can be used again.

For the return journey, you'll need the same ticket. Use the outbound from Cardiff to Gloucester, then the return ticket from Gloucester to Bristol.
 
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You are using the outbound Cardiff to Gloucester ticket to get from Bristol to Gloucester. You then use the return portion of this ticket to get from Gloucester to Cardiff. As the return journey is complete, none of the tickets can be used again.

For the return journey, you'll need the same ticket. Use the outbound from Cardiff to Gloucester, then the return ticket from Gloucester to Bristol.

Cheers

Just checked and 2 of them is £36.40, merd.
 

OwlMan

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Didn't realise that you wanted a return, in that case a Chippenham - Cardiff day return is the best bet (£19.00). This is valid via Bath, Bristol & Gloucester and is available to start & finish short at Bristol.

Peter
 

John @ home

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Just checked and 2 of them is £36.40, merd.
A bit cheaper is:

2 x Off-Peak Day Return Pilning - Gloucester @ £8.20 = £16.40, plus
1 x Anytime Day Return Severn Tunnel Jn - Cardiff @ £8.40.
Total £24.80.

This combination is valid only if the train stops at Severn Tunnel Jn in each direction.
 
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Didn't realise that you wanted a return, in that case a Chippenham - Cardiff day return is the best bet (£19.00). This is valid via Bath, Bristol & Gloucester and is available to start & finish short at Bristol.

Peter

Sounds ideal, defo no probs rocking up to Temple Meads, buying on day and making the return journey I described above? I only need 1 of these yeah? :lol:
 

bb21

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Sounds ideal, defo no probs rocking up to Temple Meads, buying on day and making the return journey I described above? I only need 1 of these yeah? :lol:

You only need one of these to do a return journey between Bristol and Cardiff. You can buy it on the day, or buy online in advance and collect from the machines at the station.
 
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