Clever ideas for complicated trip (Oxford - Diss - Attleborough - Chichester - Pulborough - Guildford)

[Stargull]

Hello

I have a slightly bizarre few days coming up, and am drawing a blank on any ways to do anything other than just buy three singles.

On 10/3 I need to go from Oxford to Diss, arriving around 18.30 (so hitting peak out of Liverpool St)
On 11/3 I need to get from Attleborough to Chichester arriving mid-afternoon (times flexible)
On 12/3 I need to get to Pulborough for about 11, then will come back to Oxford midafternoon. It's possible I could get a lift to Guildford, though I don't think that matters).

I have a network railcard.

Anyone got any bright ideas? I had planned to get an Oxford - Diss return and then do the southern bits separately, but the different route from Attleborough seems to put paid to that.

 

[sonic2009]

10th March

Oxford dep 1441 arrive London Marylebone 1601 Advance Single £3.55
Tube from Baker Street to London Liverpool Street £2.80 Contactless
London Liverpool Street dep 1700 to Diss arr 1822 Advance Single £23.00 - only one seat left at the price as of 14:04 23/2/23

Can get London Underground Zone1 to Diss Advance Single for £26.00 if needed instead of contactless and separate advance.

11th March

Attleborough dep 1046 - Ely arr 1127
Ely dep 1139 via Rail Replacement - Cambridge arr 1236 dep 1254 to Gatwick Airport via Thameslink arr GTW 1445 dep 1509 arr Chichester 1606

Attleborough to Chichester Advance Single £21.20

Going via Norwich also involves rail replacement and going via Peterborough is more expensive.

12th March

Chichester to Pulborough Anytime Day Single £6.60

Pulborough to London Victoria 1404 or 1504 arr 1522 or 1622 Advance Single £5.50
Tube from Victoria to Marylebone £2.70 contactless
London Marylebone to Oxford 1612 or 1712 arr 1742 or 1842 Advance Single £8.55

If getting a lift to Guildford and getting the train back to Oxford from there the single fare is £14.25 for any train with change at Reading

All prices checked using trainsplit and with network railcard within area of validity.
Total cost : £71.20 for options using back via London on 12th March - there may be something cheaper.

 

[James Wake]

Chichester to Pulborough can be done by bus too, with current £2 single fares, the most it would be is £4. You take a 60 to Midhurst then a 1 to Pulborough, which would mean leaving at about 0940, or the 99 to Petworth (less frequent) then the 1.

Pulborough to Oxford you could save another quid by getting bus number 2 instead of tube across London

 

[30907]

Chichester to Pulborough can be done by bus too, with current £2 single fares, the most it would be is £4. You take a 60 to Midhurst then a 1 to Pulborough, which would mean leaving at about 0940, or the 99 to Petworth (less frequent) then the 1.

I would be nervous about the 3-min connection at Midhurst, even on a Sunday morning (when the 99 doesn't run BTW).

 

[cactustwirly]

Chichester to Pulborough can be done by bus too, with current £2 single fares, the most it would be is £4. You take a 60 to Midhurst then a 1 to Pulborough, which would mean leaving at about 0940, or the 99 to Petworth (less frequent) then the 1.

Pulborough to Oxford you could save another quid by getting bus number 2 instead of tube across London

How fast is it vs the train?
Is it a decent bus or those nasty enviro things bus companies seem to use.
Not sure it's worth it when I would imagine a 377 is much more comfortable and faster

10th March

Oxford dep 1441 arrive London Marylebone 1601 Advance Single £3.55
Tube from Baker Street to London Liverpool Street £2.80 Contactless
London Liverpool Street dep 1700 to Diss arr 1822 Advance Single £23.00 - only one seat left at the price as of 14:04 23/2/23

Can get London Underground Zone1 to Diss Advance Single for £26.00 if needed instead of contactless and separate advance.

11th March

Attleborough dep 1046 - Ely arr 1127
Ely dep 1139 via Rail Replacement - Cambridge arr 1236 dep 1254 to Gatwick Airport via Thameslink arr GTW 1445 dep 1509 arr Chichester 1606

Attleborough to Chichester Advance Single £21.20

Going via Norwich also involves rail replacement and going via Peterborough is more expensive.

12th March

Chichester to Pulborough Anytime Day Single £6.60

Pulborough to London Victoria 1404 or 1504 arr 1522 or 1622 Advance Single £5.50
Tube from Victoria to Marylebone £2.70 contactless
London Marylebone to Oxford 1612 or 1712 arr 1742 or 1842 Advance Single £8.55

If getting a lift to Guildford and getting the train back to Oxford from there the single fare is £14.25 for any train with change at Reading

All prices checked using trainsplit and with network railcard within area of validity.
Total cost : £71.20 for options using back via London on 12th March - there may be something cheaper.

Is there not a through advance from Oxford to Diss?

 

[30907]

How fast is it vs the train?

Train 32min (direct on Sundays), bus 72min if the connection works.

Is there not a through advance from Oxford to Diss?

Yes, but at £35.40 it's more expensive and doesn't show for the 1822 arrival.

 

[James Wake]

I would be nervous about the 3-min connection at Midhurst, even on a Sunday morning (when the 99 doesn't run BTW).

Yep, although of course you could leave earlier. Certainly worth bearing in mind if the trains are having disruption though

How fast is it vs the train?
Is it a decent bus or those nasty enviro things bus companies seem to use.
Not sure it's worth it when I would imagine a 377 is much more comfortable and faster


Is there not a through advance from Oxford to Diss?

It’s usually Enviro 300 or 400 on the 60, and Enviro 200 or 300 on the 1. I like Enviros far more than Streetlites, sadly my local depot has 24 of them

 

[cactustwirly]

Yep, although of course you could leave earlier. Certainly worth bearing in mind if the trains are having disruption though


It’s usually Enviro 300 or 400 on the 60, and Enviro 200 or 300 on the 1. I like Enviros far more than Streetlites, sadly my local depot has 24 of them

My local bus route has an assortment of 2011 Enviro double deckers, some 2014 refurbished ones if you're lucky or a clapped out thing from 2004
I don't find it a particularly pleasant travelling experience especially as the heating is always broken.

Personally I think a 377 is night and day a more pleasant travelling experience for the OP

 

[Haywain]

My local bus route has an assortment of 2011 Enviro double deckers, some 2014 refurbished ones if you're lucky or a clapped out thing from 2004

On my local bus route we're just grateful to get a bus, we can't worry about what sort of bus it is. And I suspect the same goes for the vast majority of routes across the country, especially rural routes.

 

[James Wake]

Ye

My local bus route has an assortment of 2011 Enviro double deckers, some 2014 refurbished ones if you're lucky or a clapped out thing from 2004
I don't find it a particularly pleasant travelling experience especially as the heating is always broken.

Personally I think a 377 is night and day a more pleasant travelling experience for the OP

My local bus route has an assortment of 2011 Enviro double deckers, some 2014 refurbished ones if you're lucky or a clapped out thing from 2004
I don't find it a particularly pleasant travelling experience especially as the heating is always broken.

Personally I think a 377 is night and day a more pleasant travelling experience for the OP

Yep I get 377s daily but I think suspension is a bit rough on them at times. Always worth knowing backup options hence why I mentioned it

 

[Stargull]

Thank you for the thoughts, including the bus chat. Much appreciated.