Cambridge - Runcorn

[mathmo]

I've just bought some Advance tickets from the NXEC website for Cambridge-Runcorn (outward mid-December, return early January), which seemed like a bargain at less than £12 each way, but going on the National Rail website seems to say they shouldn't be valid. Is this right, and if so what should I say if anyone questions them?

 

[Pumbaa]

Hi! Welcome!

Could you post your exact ticket details at all? Advance tickets are bought for a specific service, complete with a seat reservation and are completed for single journeys only. A return journey is made by purchasing two single Advance tickets.

From your post, I may be wrong in thinking that you're confusing the a) purchasing of tickets in advance of travel and b) purchasing tickets called Advance tickets.

But like I said, post your exact details, and we should be able to help you

 

[Mojo]

It may say they aren't valid because they have now sold out. There are only a set number of Advance tickets available. If the ticket type printed on the ticket (top row for orange tickets) is ADVANCE then they are only valid on the trains on which you have a corresponding seat reservation (where reservations are available).

 

[mathmo]

Hi - thanks for your replies! It is definitely an "Advance" ticket - the worry I've got is that National Rail doesn't let me buy tickets via London like these tickets go, and it seems ridiculously cheap too (£11.55 outwards, £9.90 back with railcard)!

Full journey details from the confirmation detail are: (I've removed date/seats for anonymity!)

Journey: 1 Cambridge to Runcorn

Ticket type: Advance single
Valid only on your chosen service. Not refundable. Changeable prior to date of travel for a fee.
Route: Via Virgin Trains & Connections

Outward journey: xx Dec 2008
departs Cambridge at 11:45 travel by Train service provider First Capital Connect to station London Kings Cross arrives 12:33
London Underground
departs London Euston at 13:10 travel by Train service provider Virgin Trains to station Crewe arrives 14:47 ( seats reserved: Coach: x Seats: xxx )

departs Crewe at 14:57 travel by Train service provider London Midland to station Runcorn arrives 15:21 ( seats reserved: Coach: x Seats: xxx )

(very similar for return journey)

 

[me123]

If you have the reservations above; don't worry. You're in a contract and the seat reservations reinforce that.

Your Advance ticket says "valid only on your chosen service". Therefore, the reservations you have show what trains (and seats, even) that you have to use. You will have no problem

As for the price; that's the beauty of Advance tickets! You can go anywhere at a reasonably cheap price, provided you don't need flexibility and can finalise your plans ages in advance.

 

[rail-britain]

You probably bought some of the last available for that day, for between London Euston and Crewe
Advance tickets for December often sell out within a few hours of them becoming available

Go to virgintrainsfares.co.uk and see if there are still Advance tickets for that date, between London Euston and Crewe

 

[paul1609]

Strange as it seems tickets from stations "beyond" london are often in a different quota to tickets from London Terminal. I can often get rediculously cheap tickets from Littlehampton to West Highland Stations via NXEC when the core London to Edinburgh journey has sold out

 

[Techniquest]

Indeed, same applies to Birmingham to Cambridge. You'd expect tickets to be available on XC, but most journies direct you via London and considerably cheaper to do so! At one point, it was cheaper to book to Cambridge if you were only going to London! That has changed unfortunately.

Well done on getting some ultra-cheap bargains in December and January, two of the hardest months to book cheap tickets in!