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Commuting with offpeak returns
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causton
Established Member
If you buy the exact same ticket every day, or every two days or something, our ticket office software can choose multiple dates, so why not ask a friendly ticket office clerk. We do it all the time for people who buy a railcard-discounted Anytime Day Return as it is cheaper than a weekly travelcard or Oyster!
gray1404
Established Member
Or you can book them online and collect them all in one go from a TVM.
With 1% cashback in Nectar points via First TOCs and slightly more if done through Quidco.
MarlowDonkey
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Simplest really. If your starting station doesn't have a machine, you may need to receive the initial tickets by post.
It's a surprise that those who travel regularly but not often enough or at times to justify a season ticket don't pre-book and collect rather than have to defy the queues, seek out the guard or the Excess Fares window at their destination.
gray1404
Established Member
Or like myself Nectar points, 2% cash back via Quidco and First Hull Trains AND cash back on the visa card I use to buy the tickets with.
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Not worth the hassle for a lot of people, especially given the propensity of certain TOCs to prosecute individuals over slight irregularities
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Nah, they're often based on the Anytime fare not the off peak fare, as well as the issue JakeF mentions.
On WebTIS websites you can buy up to five separate journeys in one transaction, I'd agree with the recommendation to use First Hull Trains via Quidco (2 Nectar points per £1 spend, 2% Quidco cashback), that should do you for a week.
Wouldn't it be good if there was some way that you could pay a lump sum amount of money in advance which then enabled you to travel, say, 2 journeys a week over the year between two points. Each journey costing the same as you would pay per journey for 5 journeys a week if buying an annual season ticket.
That's just the sort of functionality that smart cards could offer, if only TOCs weren't so incapable in the technology department . It's the same frustration as in the energy industry where smart meters could enable all sorts of dynamic tarrif options, if only the post-privatised industry wasn't wasn't so lacking in business vision.
hence the exclamation mark!
Why not if they pay for 12 months in advance?
So if I pay a year up front could I buy all my train travel at the same rate as a season ticket holder?
If it's between two fixed points and 1 or 2 times a week then yes. You would effectively be buying a limited use annual season ticket.
And these exist, at least a 3 weekday one. For example an Ivybridge-Plymouth "MO TU TH &WKND" season for £580 per year, compared with £852 for a normal 7 day ticket, or about £850 for 3 days a week buying anytime singles.
They are the exception rather than the rule.
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