Cheap Sleeper Ticket help

[Ascot]

Looking for 1 adult and 2 children sleeper return to Fort William in the last week of August.

Whats the best way to do it? Buy a family railcard and do £15 singles to crewe - fort william and then sleeper sups, or what?

Please don't say bargain berths as they are not available

 

[paul1609]

I reckon you might find that all the berths are booked for august.

 

[Tom]

I'm sure the seated accomodation may have a few spaces at the moment...

 

[paul1609]

The shuffle down the platform at Edinburgh in the middle of the night might put people off though. Coming from down south if i cant get a berth on the Fort Bill sleeper I tend to go to Glasgow have breakfast and then get the first unit off Queen Street. However I can see it might be a bit different joining at Crewe.

 

[djw1981]

Or a cheap Crewe to Glasgow the night before, stay overnight in a travelodge (premier travel inn at George Square is ideal) then get the Queen St - Westerton link in the morning then pick the seated carriage up at Westerton.

 

[First ScotRail]

I reckon you might find that all the berths are booked for august.

On a friday night up and sunday down the sleeper is extreamly busy, full last friday! However there was plenty of room on the seated sleeper. However the berths are 10x better and cleaner!

 

[Ascot]

what about ticket combinations?

I don't want to change trains etc.. just Crewe to Fort Bill

cheaper to buy family rail cards or APEXs or APEX seated and berth sups?

 

[paul1609]

if your seated you have to change trains theres no through coach.
Doubt ther will be any berths available in august.

 

[djw1981]

Call FSR customer services and ask them for the prices of both - they have a legal responsibility to tell you the cheapest fare for each option.

 

[Ascot]

if your seated you have to change trains theres no through coach.
Doubt ther will be any berths available in august.

Thanks everyone.

Yeah i know about that changing and so on so forth, did it a few months back.

Just asking about cheap ticket combinations though.

 

[paul1609]

I doubt (but I'm not 100% sure) that you can use a Apex seated fare with the berth supplement

 

[Ascot]

Ok i found for seated from Crewe to FTW

Family Rail Card: £20

1x Adult @ £52.15 = £52.15
2x Child @ £15.00 = £30.00

I'm happy with the Child bits, just the adult one as there only Scot Rail Single walk ups

 

[87015]

I doubt (but I'm not 100% sure) that you can use a Apex seated fare with the berth supplement

You can upgrade APEX's 'on the night' if there is space, i've done it. Can't see the Fort Bill portion having any spare capacity though in August so you'll just have hope you get lucky.
Scotrail don't seem to do many seated APEXs at the moment though, i'm looking for ways up to 22nd September SRPS tour and EasyJet are far cheaper.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Not at the last minute, they're not

 

[paul1609]

Err yes they are (sometimes)
Easyjet fare first thing tomorrow gatwick to edinburgh £88 inclusive.
cheapest saver single £129 arriving 6 hours later.
£59 on tuesday

 

[djw1981]

It may arrive 6hrs later

But starting from KX and including traveling time to the airport, check in, and security and travel into Edinburgh city centre and the times are moe or less equal.

 

[paul1609]

No there not! With Easyjet the £88 fare is on the first flight that will get you in to the city centre by 9 am. With rail you have to wait for the saver restrictions to be lifted first arrival time 2.30 pm ish.

 

[djw1981]

Easyjet Flight

London Victoria - Gatwick Airport 0430 train (arr 0500) £26.80(rtn)
Check in by 0530 (min 1hr before flight)
Gatwick Airport - Edinburgh Airport 0630 flight (arr 0800) £125.99 (as at 2254)
Edinburgh Airport - Edinburgh 0815 Bus (arr 0845) £5.00 (rtn)
4h15
Return
Edinburgh - Edinburgh Airport 1930 bus (arr 2000)
Check in by 2010
Edinburgh Airport - Gatwick 2110 (arr 2240) £65.99
Gatwick Airport - London victoria 2305 (arr 2335)
4h05
Total 8h20min £223.78

Rail
London Euston - Edinburgh 2226 (arr 0627)
Edinburgh - London Kings Cross 1900 (arr 0015) £98.20
Total 13h16min £98.20

The second option allows for more sleep, free continental breakfast, dinner on the return leg and the same length business day. It is also half the cost. if your business is paying then I can see why the air option (or even a BA option via LHR) would be attractive, but the train option is much cheaper!

 

[Tom B]

Isn't it £1 single = £2 return in Edinburgh as the Airport route is a Lothian service?

 

[paul1609]

Easyjet Flight

London Victoria - Gatwick Airport 0430 train (arr 0500) £26.80(rtn)
Check in by 0530 (min 1hr before flight)
Gatwick Airport - Edinburgh Airport 0630 flight (arr 0800) £125.99 (as at 2254)
Edinburgh Airport - Edinburgh 0815 Bus (arr 0845) £5.00 (rtn)
4h15
Return
Edinburgh - Edinburgh Airport 1930 bus (arr 2000)
Check in by 2010
Edinburgh Airport - Gatwick 2110 (arr 2240) £65.99
Gatwick Airport - London victoria 2305 (arr 2335)
4h05
Total 8h20min £223.78

Rail
London Euston - Edinburgh 2226 (arr 0627)
Edinburgh - London Kings Cross 1900 (arr 0015) £98.20
Total 13h16min £98.20

The second option allows for more sleep, free continental breakfast, dinner on the return leg and the same length business day. It is also half the cost. if your business is paying then I can see why the air option (or even a BA option via LHR) would be attractive, but the train option is much cheaper!

Unfortunately you seem to be quoting the air fare available 30 mins after your train has departed which is hardly a level playing field. Personally I'd prefer 6 hours sleep in a bed at home than 8 hours in a sweaty railway carraige accompanied by a various selection of drunks. I like most people get paid travelling time which unfortunately makes rail very expensive indeed.

 

[djw1981]

But you won't get 6hrs sleep - you have to be in central London for 4.30am!

Read that as 8hrs in an air conditioned bed.

And IME few people get paid traveling time now - it is increasingly seen as part of the job, just like working late, taking work home and working bits of the weekend at home. Bizarrely some government departments still persist with this practice, as they do with paying staff extra for nights away from home - again in other industries it is classed as part of the job.

It also depends how close you live to a railhead / airport, which is quicker.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Isn't it £1 single = £2 return in Edinburgh as the Airport route is a Lothian service?

No, to stop the people of Corstorphine jumping the a/c airport bus which is quicker! At night it might be £2 single on the N22. Lothian operate the airport bus as well ans I think it picks up only going to the airport and set down only going into city.

 

[Ascot]

Works best for Birmingham to Glasgow/Edinburgh with BMI Baby, there as low as £16 with the tax etc.. (advertised as a £1). So from Marston Green to International... £1.20ish return. 3 min train trip

check in 1hr before

1.5 hr flight, arrive get bags say an hr and a half so 4hrs from door to door. For..

£16
£16
£1.20ish
£1.20ish
========
£34.40ish

 

[paul1609]

But you won't get 6hrs sleep - you have to be in central London for 4.30am!

Read that as 8hrs in an air conditioned bed.

.

You appear to have forgotten the £49 supplement for a single sleeper berth then?

For tomorrow using your timings its;
Gatwick Express £24.00 (Easyjet return)
Easyjet (2x£62.99) £125.98
Bus £5.00
Air Total £154.98

Saver £98.20
Sleeper Supplement £49.00
Rail £147.20

Of course not that many people live in Kings Cross and have business in Waverley Station but it shows that even for its best case rail isnt competitive to Scotland.

 

[Nick W]

*Sighs*

Not many people live in Victoria station

For city centre to airport
City-Thameslink - Gatwick = £8.50 single or £17 for 2 singles, less than £24
London terminals (charring cross is the geographical centre of lodnon) - gawtich sor = £20 ie still less than £24

Don't forget low-cost airlines in advance of course... and no need for fam railcard

 

[djw1981]

The other advantage of the train, since some of you are being paid traveling time, is that with GNER and a wifi enabled laptop, you can work on the return journey, thus increasing your daily productivity. Friends who do Glasgow / Edinburgh to London regularly reckon on getting about 30-40 minutes work done (between check in and flight boarding) as a maximum on that journey, as neither GatEx or HEx have on train wifi yet (or at least didn't last time my friends checked). Thus your productive working day could run from 0630 - 0015 if traveling by train but only 0900-1930 (+80 min in airport lounges) - a six hour difference.

 

[Ascot]

Found something to take advantage of

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=1282