Buying a Simple Ticket On-line

[Masboroughlad]

I want to buy 2 X Off-Peak Returns from Stafford to Scarborough via Manchester, using a Two Together Railcard.

Different booking sites give different prices, routes, all for the same times/dates etc. It's a minefield.

Is there a site where I can buy the tickets, knowing that my departure date is tomorrow, after 0930, without having to select outward and return dates and times?

I'll buy from the ticket office (which is good), while I can, but can I buy on-line?

 

[Bletchleyite]

All online sites will require you to do an itinerary for the outward, but most if not all have an "open return" option which doesn't require an itinerary for the return.

 

[ainsworth74]

One of the mixing desk sites will probably do what you're after, you'll have to give it travel times but you can select a fare without selecting an itinerary. Try TPE's for instance: https://tickets.tpexpress.co.uk/tpe/en/JourneyPlanning/MixingDeck

 

[Watershed]

Walk-up fares are available for two different routes for this journey: "Any Permitted" (set by XC) and "via Manchester" (set by TPE).

As it happens, all permitted routes go via Manchester anyway - so I can't see any scenario under which it would make sense to buy the pricier "Any Permitted" fares. The time restrictions are also less onerous; the "via Manchester" Off-Peak Return is valid from 09:00 Mondays-Fridays whilst the "Any Permitted" one is only valid from 09:30.

There are a number of sites that will allow you to buy without selecting a specific itinerary, such as old MixingDeck based ones (e.g. TPE's). The GTR and Southeastern sites will also allow you to save a ticket as a favourite once you've added it to your basket, which then allows you to buy it for any date you like without needing to search for itineraries again.