Cheapest ticket advice - London to Kemble

[nik]

Hi all, I have been trying to find details of Great Western/ GWR's advance tickets but am having no luck. Hoping you can help please.

I want to travel from London (presumably Paddington???) to Kemble. On a weekday, off-peak. In a few weeks - no particular day. What would be the cheapest option? It would be a same day return, and I have no discount card/no annual gold card etc.

Also, is travelling from London to Kemble the quickest route or is travelling further afield and then travelling back towards London quicker? (Just asking in case travelling to Bath or Bristol is faster)

Thank you for your help!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Super Off Peak Return (SSR) from London Terminals to/from Kemble is £52.50 but not valid before 1010 or after 1505 out of Paddington (Mon-Fri). The 1028 departure from Paddington would get you to Kemble for 1140 (Direct train for Cheltenham - no changes required). Approximately an hourly service back from Kemble to Paddington, later on.

Presumably there's better value out there than that.

 

[Nunners]

It's normally cheaper to split tickets at Didcot Parkway and Swindon. All London to Kemble trains stop there so there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Hadders]

How are you getting to Paddington, as this might have a factor on the advice.

Normally splitting points from London are Didcot and Swindon, although a split at Reading can sometimes work out a little cheaper as well.

 

[father_jack]

Wait until Monday. A memo came out late today to the extent that aisle seats will be reservable very soon which will bring on a large change in the reservation system and advance tickets.

 

[nik]

Hadders - Well, I live in London so I was planning to get the tube to Paddington, and pay on a PAYG Oyster fare.

Nunners - how would I go about splitting the ticket and choose which legs to do and for which station to which station works out cheapest??

 

[Hadders]

Hadders - Well, I live in London so I was planning to get the tube to Paddington, and pay on a PAYG Oyster fare.

Nunners - how would I go about splitting the ticket and choose which legs to do and for which station to which station works out cheapest??

Let us know the exact station as it’ll probably be cheaper to get a paper ticket from your starting point.

 

[Nunners]

Hadders - Well, I live in London so I was planning to get the tube to Paddington, and pay on a PAYG Oyster fare.

Nunners - how would I go about splitting the ticket and choose which legs to do and for which station to which station works out cheapest??

The easiest option is to just type your journey into trainsplit:
https://trainsplit.com/default.aspx

Alternatively, you just buy (e.g.) Paddington to Didcot, Didcot to Swindon and Swindon to Kemble, at the ticket office or typing each into a website.

I think someone somewhere suggested that more advances would be available to buy from Monday, so maybe check back then

 

[nik]

i would start at Barking (BKG)

 

[yorkie]

Trainsplit will do it for £53.57 with itineraries that call at Didcot, if you leave at/after 1011.

Or £56.20 lets you depart Barking 0911, arriving Kemble 1140, with any train back.

 

[nik]

I just went on to brfares website and put in BKG to Kemble, and it shows various Advance ticket prices including the lowest as below. So is this ticket actually available? Dead cheap compared to previously mentioned prices. Or are prices on brfares just theoretical and not actually always available??

ADVANCE W2V​

Route ✠AP SLOUGH​

Validity BOOKDTRAINONLY (no break of journey) Restrictions QU GWR ADVANCE​

Adult £18.20​

 

[jfollows]

I just went on to brfares website and put in BKG to Kemble, and it shows various Advance ticket prices including the lowest as below. So is this ticket actually available? Dead cheap compared to previously mentioned prices. Or are prices on brfares just theoretical and not actually always available??

ADVANCE W2V​

Route ✠AP SLOUGH​

Validity BOOKDTRAINONLY (no break of journey) Restrictions QU GWR ADVANCE​

Adult £18.20​

It's theoretical, it exists in the database, a different number of advance fares W2A to W2V will be made available for sale and once they're gone, they're no longer available. You can buy what's available at the time of purchase, not what's theoretically available at some other time.

 

[alistairlees]

I just went on to brfares website and put in BKG to Kemble, and it shows various Advance ticket prices including the lowest as below. So is this ticket actually available? Dead cheap compared to previously mentioned prices. Or are prices on brfares just theoretical and not actually always available??

ADVANCE W2V​

Route ✠AP SLOUGH​

Validity BOOKDTRAINONLY (no break of journey) Restrictions QU GWR ADVANCE​

Adult £18.20​

These are fares that are set up; not necessarily those that are available on the date / at the time you wish to go (or indeed at any time).

 

[Hadders]

Unless you can obtain an Advance ticket at a cheaper price I'd buy:

Barking - London Zones 1-4 Anytime Day Travelcard £13.90
Boundary Zone 4 to Didcot Off Peak Day Return £18.30
Didcot to Swindon Off Peak Day Return £14.30
Swindon to Kemble Off Peak Day Return £7.30
Total £53.80

This would allow you to take any train from Barking to London, in time to take the 10:28 from Paddington, arriving Kemble at 11:40.
There are no time restrictions on the return however in both direction the trains you travel on must call at Didcot and Swindon.

There tickets can all be purchased at the same price on the day of travel. Note that the Boundary Zone ticket can't be purchased online. It can only be purchased at a ticket office or some ticket machines.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Just so that we are comparing like journeys with like, the (through) Super Off Peak return (SSR) Barking to Kemble fare is an additional £2.40 at £56.20 and I suppose has the advantage of allowing return travel on a different day should the OP's return travel plans change.

 

[Hadders]

Just so that we are comparing like with like, the (through) Super Off Peak return (SSR) Barking to Kemble fare is £56.20 and I suppose has the advantage of allowing return travel on a different day should the OP's return travel plans change.

Good point. That ticket allows any train between Barking and London, with departure from Paddington allowed between 10:10 and 15:05. There are no return restrictions and no requirement for the train to call at any station en-route.

I must admit I was surprised to find the first off peak departure from Paddington to Kemble is 10:28. I was expecting there to be something earlier that my combination could be used with.

 

[Horizon22]

Good point. That ticket allows any train between Barking and London, with departure from Paddington allowed between 10:10 and 15:05. There are no return restrictions and no requirement for the train to call at any station en-route.

I must admit I was surprised to find the first off peak departure from Paddington to Kemble is 10:28. I was expecting there to be something earlier that my combination could be used with.

Previous service is at 0928 (hourly service) so just misses out.

 

[nik]

I appreciate all of your comments. So all that remains is to wait till tomorrow and see what these new advances etc are apparently to be issued. I must admit I am finding GWR expensive compared to other providers (eg Southern) who at least offer their £5 or £10 advance tickets. I hope GWR does too.

If a railcard/discount card was going to reduce these costs, is there a particular card that you recommend for an over 30yr old adult, that is the cheapest discount card to buy? This journey is likely to be done a few times so it may be cost efefctive for a railcard.

 

[Hadders]

If you purchase a combination of tickets then a Network Railcard costing £30 would get you 34% off the fares as far as Didcot however it cannot be used before 10am on weekdays and is subject to a minimum fare of £13 per ticket, again on weekdays (no restrictions on weekends).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

To expand upon @Hadders' helpful comments above, you can't use a Network Railcard to get a discount on the through Super Off Peak return ticket from Barking to Kemble as the latter station is beyond the boundary of the Network Railcard which, for where you are going, is effectively Didcot. (Link to pdf of validity area below...)

https://www.network-railcard.co.uk/download/clientfiles/files/networkrailcardmap1219.pdf

 

[nik]

Thank you. As this may be a journey I do maybe once or twice a week, I also looked at the new Flexi Season ticket offered by GWR but that seemed far too expensive (8 days travel during a 28 day period). I have tried to look at using a Network Railcard (or if I end up getting a London annual travelcard, the annual goldcard) for London Paddington to Didcot Parkway (its about £19 or so return) plus a separate return ticket btween Didcot and Kemble, and the total still seems to hover around the £43 or £45 mark.

 

[Watershed]

Thank you. As this may be a journey I do maybe once or twice a week, I also looked at the new Flexi Season ticket offered by GWR but that seemed far too expensive (8 days travel during a 28 day period). I have tried to look at using a Network Railcard (or if I end up getting a London annual travelcard, the annual goldcard) for London Paddington to Didcot Parkway (its about £19 or so return) plus a separate return ticket btween Didcot and Kemble, and the total still seems to hover around the £43 or £45 mark.

The Flexi Season only guarantees a discount if you regularly travel at peak times 2 days a week. If you travel 3 days a week, or once, or at Off-Peak times, or have a Railcard, etc. you are unlikely to save anything with it. Even if you do 'qualify' the saving is really quite marginal. It's useless for just about everything except its very niche market.

 

[island]

Previous service is at 0928 (hourly service) so just misses out.

It’s 0932 on my timetable.

Edit: that gets you to Swindon but it’s an invalid short connection onto the next Cheltenham Spa service. Never mind.

The first off-peak service on a London Terminals to Kemble ticket is however 09:18.

 

[Horizon22]

It’s 0932 on my timetable.

Edit: that gets you to Swindon but it’s an invalid short connection onto the next Cheltenham Spa service. Never mind.

The first off-peak service on a London Terminals to Kemble ticket is however 09:18.

Not a direct train though which is what I was referencing. It’s one of GWRs weird 387s to Bristol Parkway in the place of a S. Wales / Cardiff IET service

Also @nik there seem to be more advances now in the system.

 

[island]

Not a direct train though which is what I was referencing. It’s one of GWRs weird 387s to Bristol Parkway in the place of a S. Wales / Cardiff IET service

Also @nik there seem to be more advances now in the system.

But there’s no train (to any destination) that departs Paddington at 0928 on a weekday, at least not according to BRTimes.

Edit: I’m getting further mixed up! Ignore me.

 

[Horizon22]

You're right that there isn't - I am sure there used to be, it might be an IET shortage thing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The first off-peak service on a London Terminals to Kemble ticket is however 09:18.

Depends when the OP needs to be in Kemble for. Would need an Off Peak Return (SVR) for the 0918 departure and it's not a through service to Kemble. Cost is £69.40.

 

[nik]

I would want an off peak train.

 

[island]

I would want an off peak train.

Because of the hodgepodge of rules that apply to GWR services, what is an “off-peak” train depends on the ticket you hold.

It would be helpful to understand your priorities: if you have a time in mind for travel, are trying to reduce the journey cost, or something else again.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Because of the hodgepodge of rules that apply to GWR services, what is an “off-peak” train depends on the ticket you hold.

It would be helpful to understand your priorities: if you have a time in mind for travel, are trying to reduce the journey cost, or something else again.

Original post by OP indicated same day return from London to Kemble, off peak travel, midweek journey, no set date, no railcard held.

Subsequently clarified as being a through journey from Barking -> Kemble and return. Maybe with a Network Railcard for part of the journey.