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Compulsory reservations query

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cambsy

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I am looking to travel Sat 28th Aug on following TOC’s and services:

01.06am Exeter to Paddington, Great Western
Early morning Euston-Manchester service, Avant West Coast
10.10 Man Airport-Edinburgh Transpenine Express,
Edinburgh-Queen street any Scotrail,
15.40 or 16.40 Glasgow Central-Euston, Avanti West coast.

I’m looking buy on day tickets if possible, and questions are, will i possibly be denied boarding on any of the above services? Especially the 01.06 sleeper seating , and 10.10 Man Air-Edinburgh?.

Does Avanti West coast still have un reserved coach or coaches? And is TPE on Anglo Scottish services still no individual reservations just sit any vacant seat? Are any of the above services likely be busy? Thanks .
 
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Hadders

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Reservations are compulsory on the seated portion of the Riviera Sleeper. They aren't compulsory on any of the other services.
 

Watershed

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I am looking to travel Sat 28th Aug on following TOC’s and services:

01.06am Exeter to Paddington, Great Western
Early morning Euston-Manchester service, Avant West Coast
10.10 Man Airport-Edinburgh Transpenine Express,
Edinburgh-Queen street any Scotrail,
15.40 or 16.40 Glasgow Central-Euston, Avanti West coast.

I’m looking buy on day tickets if possible, and questions are, will i possibly be denied boarding on any of the above services? Especially the 01.06 sleeper seating , and 10.10
Mann Air-Edinburgh? Does Avanti West coast still have un reserved coach or coaches? And is TPE on Anglo Scottish services still no individual reservations just sit any vacant seat? Are any of the above services likely be busy? Thanks .
You don't need reservations for any of those services, although IMHO you'd have to be pretty mad to consider doing all that in a day's travel!

You won't be denied boarding anywhere. If your service is formed of an 11 coach Pendolino there is an unreserved coach, coach U. There is no unreserved coach on a 9 coach Pendolino. TPE are back to issuing reservations on all seats.

Both Avanti and TPE Anglo Scottish services can be quite busy, particularly on weekends. So it might be worthwhile getting reservations just to guarantee a decent seat. Particularly on the sleeper!
 

Hadders

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You don't need reservations for any of those services, although IMHO you'd have to be pretty mad to consider doing all that in a day's travel!

You won't be denied boarding anywhere. If your service is formed of an 11 coach Pendolino there is an unreserved coach, coach U. There is no unreserved coach on a 9 coach Pendolino. TPE are back to issuing reservations on all seats.

Both Avanti and TPE Anglo Scottish services can be quite busy, particularly on weekends. So it might be worthwhile getting reservations just to guarantee a decent seat.
AFAIK reservations are compulsory on the sleeper. I agree that doing all that travel in a day is mad....
 

Watershed

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AFAIK reservations are compulsory on the sleeper. I agree that doing all that travel in a day is mad....
It is in the data feed, yes, but neither GWR's general FAQs nor their page on the sleeper indicate seat reservations are compulsory. They certainly weren't before Covid, unlike Caledonian Sleeper. I'd suggest it's probably sensible to get one for the sleeper either way.
 

cambsy

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How on Great Western or TPE site, do i book just reservation without ticket? Or do i have to buy ticket as well online, is only other way going to ticket office? Thanks.
 

Watershed

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How on Great Western or TPE site, do i book just reservation without ticket? Or do i have to buy ticket as well online, is only other way going to ticket office? Thanks.
There aren't any booking engines that will let you get a reservation other than in conjunction with a ticket you are buying (or have bought).

You need to go to a ticket office or contact customer services (by phone, email, Twitter, WhatsApp or carrier pigeon).
 

Hadders

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Is that a COVID measure, as it wasn't the case before COVID? (There are two coaches and usually about ten passengers between them).
I thought it was compulsory reservations but maybe I'm getting confused with the Scottish sleepers. In any case I would want a reservation if I was doing what the OP is proposing as the day could be scuppered if travel is denied on the first train!
 

Bletchleyite

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I thought it was compulsory reservations but maybe I'm getting confused with the Scottish sleepers. In any case I would want a reservation if I was doing what the OP is proposing as the day could be scuppered if travel is denied on the first train!

Definitely wasn't, I've used it on a walk-up. The Scottish ones are CR in the seats due to their very low capacity, the Riviera has somewhere around 80+ seats of which very few are normally occupied.

You are however right - if it's key to the itinerary it's a good idea.
 
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