Cheapest way between London and Manchester

[AnkleBoots]

There are quite a few old threads about this notoriously expensive route.

I need to travel off peak over a weekend, flexibly, and don't mind a bit of a slower journey time.

Is it fair to say that splitting at Stoke with London Midland (cost £30 or £40 return) is generally the best way to achieve this?

Or there are any other tricks (ignoring Advances)?

 

[gray1404]

Off the top of my head, Northern to Stoke or Crewe (possibly on Advances) then London Midland Advances to Euston.

 

[Merseysider]

Off the top of my head, Northern to Stoke or Crewe (possibly on Advances) then London Midland Advances to Euston.

Correct. Northern now offer Advances up to 10 minutes before travel, although they don't always offer a significant discount over a flexible return. Advances may not be necessary - VT have their own dedicated fare for MAN-SOT (£13.30 Off Peak Return).

 

[gray1404]

I'd try and get a Manchester to Crewe £3.50 Northern Advance (they are £3.50 to £5.50 with a few tiers inbetween).

 

[Camden]

There are quite a few old threads about this notoriously expensive route.

I need to travel off peak over a weekend, flexibly, and don't mind a bit of a slower journey time.

Is it fair to say that splitting at Stoke with London Midland (cost £30 or £40 return) is generally the best way to achieve this?

Or there are any other tricks (ignoring Advances)?

Walk or bike? Could raise money for charity on the way! Failing that, for flexible travel, looks like the cheapest one you've generally got wind of.

London Midland, Euston to Crewe (change at Stafford, rather than winding through Stoke). And then separately with Crewe to Manchester.

If the restrictions aren't too restricting, there is a £30 super-off-peak return between Euston and Crewe. Otherwise it's £40 for an off-peak return.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=EUS&dest=CRE&rte=42&tkt=OPR
http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=EUS&dest=CRE&rte=42&tkt=SVR

plus £17.20 for an anytime open return to Manchester (a £1.80 saving over the Stoke fare)
http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=CRE&dest=0438&tkt=SHR

As someone mentioned above you might be able to save some money by getting the Northern app on your telephone and getting an advance ticket for that bit when you know what time train you'll be getting (ie. when you get on your train at Euston). That will probably take it down to about £10.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I'd try and get a Manchester to Crewe £3.50 Northern Advance (they are £3.50 to £5.50 with a few tiers inbetween).

And I can join the same train at Goostrey for the two stops to Crewe for £5 as we can't get advances anymore. No competition means no pressure on fares.

I do agree with the recommendation to travel via Crewe and take the LM train. The super off peak returns offer good value with flexibility, if you have the extra hour to spend travelling.

 

[General Zod]

If you don't mind spending a little longer on your journey then XC Advance from Manchester to Birmingham New St ( via Wolverhampton) and then Chiltern from Birmingham Moor St. to Marylebone. Could be done for under £25 return.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Thanks for all the answers.

For this weekend, looking at:

Friday:
17.46 Euston to Crewe arr 20.25 (Off Peak Return £40)
20.24 Crewe to Manchester arr 21.06 (Anytime Short Distance Return £17.20)

Sunday:
11.55 Manchester to Crewe arr 12.28
12.37 Crewe to Euston arr 15.55

Any thoughts on loadings/chance of connection for the Friday, or improving the travel time on the Sunday?

 

[Merseysider]

Thanks for all the answers.

For this weekend, looking at:

Friday:
17.46 Euston to Crewe arr 20.25 (Off Peak Return £40)
20.24 Crewe to Manchester arr 21.06 (Anytime Short Distance Return £17.20)

Sunday:
11.55 Manchester to Crewe arr 12.28
12.37 Crewe to Euston arr 15.55

Any thoughts on loadings/chance of connection for the Friday, or improving the travel time on the Sunday?

Unless you can time travel there's no way you'll make that connection at Crewe on Friday.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Unless you can time travel there's no way you'll make that connection at Crewe on Friday.

Haha. I thought the LM timetables were always padded!

 

[AnkleBoots]

Travelling all the way with Virgin would be £338 at that time of day!!!

 

[Darandio]

Haha. I thought the LM timetables were always padded!

It was 7 late into Crewe last Friday. Just a thought.

 

[Merseysider]

Haha. I thought the LM timetables were always padded!

I thought LM trains were always late regardless!

If you do miss that connection there's still a (slow) 2053 from Crewe up to Manc.

I normally change at Stoke when making this journey:

1746 Eus-Sot 2002
2020 Sot-Man 2058 (XC), or 2025 Sot-Man 2104 (Virgin)

potentially saves you some time waiting around in Crewe.

 

[gray1404]

What, there are no advances on the Northern leg?

 

[Darandio]

Travelling all the way with Virgin would be £338 at that time of day!!!

From Euston to Manchester tomorrow? How are you working that one out?

Edit*

Ah i see, standard return.

 

[AnkleBoots]

I thought LM trains were always late regardless!

If you do miss that connection there's still a (slow) 2053 from Crewe up to Manc.

I normally change at Stoke when making this journey:

1746 Eus-Sot 2002
2020 Sot-Man 2058 (XC), or 2025 Sot-Man 2104 (Virgin)

potentially saves you some time waiting around in Crewe.

Thank you that's better. And cheaper, strangely.

 

[Merseysider]

From Euston to Manchester tomorrow? How are you working that one out?

That's the price of the 'Any Permitted' SOR not accounting for splits or off peak travel

 

[Darandio]

That's the price of the 'Any Permitted' SOR not accounting for splits or off peak travel

Yeah, I amended my post afterwards.

 

[ys123]

Travelling all the way with Virgin would be £338 at that time of day!!!

It's possible to save £78 and be just as flexible.
A EUS-MKC anytime single + MKC-MAN 7 day season ticket + MKC-EUS anytime single comes to £260 and is valid for any EUS-MAN & MAN-EUS journey, the train doesn't need to stop at MKC according to NRCoC as part of the split is a season ticket. Also you can travel MKC-MAN/MAN-MKC for free for the rest of the 7 day period. (What I'm quoting is from a thread on this site about the EUS-MKC-SOT split but I can't currently find it.)

 

[AnkleBoots]

Journey went as follows; fairly well on Sat due to a successful -1 connection, but less well today (Sun).

Sat 3h
Euston 08.46 - 10.36 Stafford £40
Stafford 10.35 - 10.55 Crewe
Crewe 11.11 - 11.46 Manchester £10.90

Sun 4h14m
Manchester 11.41 - 12.37 Stoke £5.50
Stoke 12.59 - 15.55 Euston


Total £56.40, saving £27.20 over the Off Peak Virgin ticket.

Whether it was worth the saving, bearing in mind increased travel time, lack of arm rests and plug sockets, more stops, odours of fellow passengers; I am not sure..

 

[sd0733]

Journey went as follows; fairly well on Sat due to a successful -1 connection, but less well today (Sun).

Sat 3h
Euston 08.46 - 10.36 Stafford £40
Stafford 10.35 - 10.55 Crewe
Crewe 11.11 - 11.46 Manchester £10.90

Sun 4h14m
Manchester 11.41 - 12.37 Stoke £5.50
Stoke 12.59 - 15.55 Euston


Total £56.40, saving £27.20 over the Off Peak Virgin ticket.

Whether it was worth the saving, bearing in mind increased travel time, lack of arm rests and plug sockets, more stops, odours of fellow passengers; I am not sure..

Yes some of the Sunday trains are a bit grim on that route!! Especially if you got a /2 which it sounds like you did.