Bristol to London day return

[ValleyLines142]

Hi folks,

I normally book my tickets very far in advance but a last minute trip has appeared. I need to go to London on Wednesday, very last minute I know.

I can't seem to find any cheap fares. I'd be going from either Bristol Parkway or Temple Meads or any other station nearby. I'm not fussed on routes or times as I'm flexible, but can any of you fab experts find any cheaper tickets? I have a 16-25 railcard and will probably need a day pass in London on the day. I'm trying to avoid the Megabus and National Express because coaches are so uncomfy and the journey time is twice as long.

If anyone can find any good options by means of splitting, I'd be grateful!

Thank you!

 

[cdonnigan]

Can i suggest using megabus wednesday is there 5 pound day so it will cost you 10.50 return from bristol to london victoria first bus from bristol is 04:35 06:40 and 07:30 with journey time around 3 hours

 

[bb21]

If anyone can find any good options by means of splitting, I'd be grateful!

The usual splitting point on that line is Didcot, although that reduces your options to one direct trains an hour as opposed to two.

Alternatively you can go with SWT via Salisbury if times suit.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Can i suggest using megabus wednesday is there 5 pound day so it will cost you 10.50 return from bristol to london victoria first bus from bristol is 04:35 06:40 and 07:30 with journey time around 3 hours

A slight contradiction I know, but I do actually live in Cardiff. I commute to Bristol every day and already have a Season Ticket valid so I'm only requiring a ticket from Bristol to London (same on return).

Thank you for that information though anyway! Very useful to know.

 

[yorkie]

A slight contradiction I know, but I do actually live in Cardiff. I commute to Bristol every day and already have a Season Ticket valid so I'm only requiring a ticket from Bristol to London (same on return).

Thank you for that information though anyway! Very useful to know.

If you want the best advice it is important to state if you already hold any tickets.

As you hold a Season ticket, the usual Didcot advice applies but, of course, the train does not need to call at any station if the journey is Cardiff to London and one ticket is a Season and the others are not.

This is stated in Condition 19(c) of the NRCoC.

 

[Flamingo]

You can still buy advance tickets up until 18.00 tomorrow (Tues). It does depend on whether any suit your requirements, though. And splits on advance tickets are OK, eg advance to Did or Rdg, and a CDR from there.

Don't forget, the first one up (05.15 approx off Cardiff) is a Super-off-peak train for passengers starting west of Swindon..

 

[bb21]

If you want the best advice it is important to state if you already hold any tickets.

Indeed. In light of the further information, I will add that it would be more economical if splitting at Didcot to get the Didcot - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak Day Travelcard.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Yorkie – Sorry about that; didn’t think it would have mattered! Thank you.

Flamingo – Ooh that’s good to know!

BB21 – That sounds good. Thank you!

 

[TheWalrus]

Could you split at Swindon instead of Didcot and have a greater choice of services?

 

[ValleyLines142]

Could you split at Swindon instead of Didcot and have a greater choice of services?

It's much more expensive for some reason, I imagine because of the greater choice of services. I've currently got a figure of £31.35 return, splitting at Didcot. It was £37 for a straight return from Bristol Parkway anyway, so not really worth the hassle of split ticketing.

Might see the route via Salisbury on SWT and see how that goes. Don't know how that line is doing though with the flooding (although in fairness FGW's isn't better with an extra 30-40 minutes journey time at the moment - which I didn't take into account).

If SWT doesn't work, then I think I'll be Megabusing!!

 

[Goatboy]

Could you split at Swindon instead of Didcot and have a greater choice of services?

He has a season, so he doesn't need to call at the station he is splitting from.

 

[calc7]

Could you split at Swindon instead of Didcot and have a greater choice of services?

Swindon - London Paddington Anytime Return £112
Didcot Parkway - London Paddington Anytime Day Return £54
...quite a premium to pay for a greater choice of services!

Though as Goatboy mentions, as a season ticket holder the OP does not need to worry about stopping patterns with linear splits.

 

[wintonian]

Alternatively you can go with SWT via Salisbury if times suit.

Which is to be recommended IMO for comfort if the times suit.

 

[Birdbrain]

Which is to be recommended IMO for comfort if the times suit.

If you're not fussed for time I also suggest via Salisbury maybe using this fare http://brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=SHH&dest=WAT&grpd=1072&rlc=YNG&rte=800&ldn=0&tkt=CDR

 

[bnm]

Which is to be recommended IMO for comfort if the times suit.

The morning through service from Bristol TM - Waterloo at 0851 would be too early for a YP discount, the next through service at 1251 may be too late. In between the journey would require a change at Salisbury with the first part on the arguably less comfy FGW 158s.

However, this route is cheaper than even a Didcot split for a day return to the capital from Bristol when using walk-up tickets. But that has to be weighed against the near 3 hour journey time.

If the OP does plump for this route then its cheaper to buy the Off Peak Day Return (CDR - valid for arrival after 1000) from a station on the Severn Beach Line rather than from Bristol Temple Meads. This is valid for starting short at Temple Meads.

Bristol TM - London Terminals CDR (route: Warminster/Salisbury) £45.60 (£30.10 railcard)

Clifton Down - London Terminals CDR (route: Warminster/Salisbury) £31.00 (£20.45)

Another alternative if returning after the evening peak (no restriction on the CDR from Waterloo but last practical service to Bristol/Cardiff is 1950) is to excess the return portion of the route: Warminster/Salisbury CDR to an Any Permitted Super Off Peak Return (SSR) allowing return from Paddington after 1901. The excess would be half the difference between fares, so for Clifton Down - London Terminals (SSR £51.50 (£34.00)) that would be £10.25 (£6.75).

 

[jkdd77]

Swindon - London Paddington Anytime Return £112
Didcot Parkway - London Paddington Anytime Day Return £54
...quite a premium to pay for a greater choice of services!

Though as Goatboy mentions, as a season ticket holder the OP does not need to worry about stopping patterns with linear splits.

Since the OP holds a season ticket covering part of the journey, it would be permissible to make an additional split at somewhere such as Taplow, even if the train doesn't stop there. Splitting Off-Peak Day Returns from Didcot to London at Taplow would save a few pence relative to a Didcot- London CDR.

However, if price is the driving factor, it would presumably be better to either buy advance tickets or go via Salisbury on the Shirehampton ticket.

 

[John @ home]

The morning through service from Bristol TM - Waterloo at 0851 would be too early for a YP discount

Why? The morning Y-P Railcard restriction is "A £12 minimum fare applies for journeys starting between 4.30am-10am Monday to Friday excluding Advance Fares. This minimum fare does not apply on Public Holidays or throughout July and August". The CDR recommended by Birdbrain costs £20.45.

 

[bnm]

Why? The morning Y-P Railcard restriction is "A £12 minimum fare applies for journeys starting between 4.30am-10am Monday to Friday excluding Advance Fares. This minimum fare does not apply on Public Holidays or throughout July and August". The CDR recommended by Birdbrain costs £20.45.

Oops. Dunno what I was thinking there. I blame the cider. You are of course right.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Don't forget, the first one up (05.15 approx off Cardiff) is a Super-off-peak train for passengers starting west of Swindon..

Not from Bristol Parkway it isn't. Restriction on a Super Off Peak from Bristol Parkway is:

OUTWARD TRAVEL:

Available on the following
trains and all later services:
From:
Bristol Parkway 1015
(also valid between 0200 and
0530)

which leaves the only early morning Super Off Peak option from Bristol Parkway the 0457, which starts back at Temple Meads at 0447.

 

[SussexMan]

Originally Posted by TheWalrus
Could you split at Swindon instead of Didcot and have a greater choice of services?

He has a season, so he doesn't need to call at the station he is splitting from.

Am I misunderstanding things? The OP has a season from Cardiff to Bristol. That surely doesn't mean that he can split at Swindon or Didcot if the train doesn't call there - does it?

 

[LexyBoy]

The price differences Didcot versus Swindon are exaggerated of course by the lack of Day Returns from the latter.

Am I misunderstanding things? The OP has a season from Cardiff to Bristol. That surely doesn't mean that he can split at Swindon or Didcot if the train doesn't call there - does it?

Yes it does, providing the journey uses the Season (i.e. not starting from Bristol). Check out NRCoC Condition 19. I don't think this is the meaning intended when it was written, but it's definitely valid (and ATOC has confirmed this).

 

[jkdd77]

Oops. Dunno what I was thinking there. I blame the cider. You are of course right.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Not from Bristol Parkway it isn't. Restriction on a Super Off Peak from Bristol Parkway is:



which leaves the only early morning Super Off Peak option from Bristol Parkway the 0457, which starts back at Temple Meads at 0447.

I agree, but, curiously, a Super Off Peak Return from Newport to London takes the different restriction code YV, which allows BoJ and does not mention Bristol at all. As such, it would therefore appear, on the face of it, to be valid to "start short" at Bristol Parkway on a train that has departed Newport between 02:00 and 05:45, since such a journey would have been valid if actually made from Newport.

This is an extremely grey area, however, and a person may encounter difficulties if he or she attempted to use this ticket in this manner.

 

[LexyBoy]

I agree, but, curiously, a Super Off Peak Return from Newport to London takes the different restriction code YV, which allows BoJ and does not mention Bristol at all. As such, it would therefore appear, on the face of it, to be valid to "start short" at Bristol Parkway on a train that has departed Newport between 02:00 and 05:45, since such a journey would have been valid if actually made from Newport.

This is an extremely grey area, however, and a person may encounter difficulties if he or she attempted to use this ticket in this manner.

Why is it a grey area? You'd be complying with the ticket restrictions so I can't see why it wouldn't be valid.

If FGW wanted to stop this then they could prohibit BoJ on YV, as Virgin did with North Wales tickets to stop them being used from Chester. I doubt there's much incentive to do so in this case though.

 

[jkdd77]

Why is it a grey area? You'd be complying with the ticket restrictions so I can't see why it wouldn't be valid.

If FGW wanted to stop this then they could prohibit BoJ on YV, as Virgin did with North Wales tickets to stop them being used from Chester. I doubt there's much incentive to do so in this case though.

I wished to err on the side of caution.

Although I appear to be dragging another thread off-topic into a wider discussion of restriction codes, for which I again apologise, it is also arguable that a Super Off Peak Return from (say) Digby & Sowton to London (for which the WP restriction code, which permits BoJ, mentions neither Bristol nor arrivals into London Paddington) could technically be used to "start short" at Bristol on any morning train to Paddington.

I strongly suspect that FGW would either insist that one could only travel on a eastbound service from Bristol (Temple Meads or Parkway as appropriate) that departed after a valid connecting service from the South West had arrived at that station, or, in the alternative, that the relevant time restrictions on a Bristol- London SSR would apply.

If the OP indeed needed to travel outward on a morning 'peak' train, with flexibility on the return leg, then it might conceivably be cheaper to use such a ticket, but only, of course, if it is definitely valid, which is open to debate.

 

[ValleyLines142]

If the OP indeed needed to travel outward on a morning 'peak' train, with flexibility on the return leg, then it might conceivably be cheaper to use such a ticket, but only, of course, if it is definitely valid, which is open to debate.

I don't particularly want to arrive in London after say 1pm, so if I were to get a train at 10 that should be slightly cheaper than a peak ticket.

Ironically, I actually managed to find a return for £21.80 this morning. Add on £5.60 for a day ticket, that'll be £27.40.

 

[Flamingo]

I'm not working a route that suits tomorrow, otherwise I might be able to keep an eye out for you.