Does the Gold Card trick still work?

[[.n]]

As a proud owner of the Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids part time annual Gold Card for the past three years, it saddens me to report that it looks like as of March 1st this year, the ticket no longer exists, meaning that the cheapest annual GoldCard is now Lapworth to Hatton at £184.

Oh no, I have one of these

 

[Watershed]

Oh no, I have one of these

There's a distinct irony in good-value 3 day a week (plus weekend) season tickets being withdrawn and replaced by much more expensive Flexi Seasons. But I suppose regression like that is the name of the game on today's railway.

 

[Hadders]

There's a distinct irony in good-value 3 day a week (plus weekend) season tickets being withdrawn and replaced by much more expensive Flexi Seasons. But I suppose regression like that is the name of the game on today's railway.

Quite. Exactly the same situation as the carnet tickets GTR used to have.

This is what happens when the Treasury/DfT call the shots.

 

[swt_passenger]

Quite. Exactly the same situation as the carnet tickets GTR used to have.

This is what happens when the Treasury/DfT call the shots.

Part of it‘s a case of being careful what you wish for. AFAICT many people did ask for flexible seasons, without realising the obvious problems on some TOCs where the existing weekly season already had a massive discount on even a couple of anytime returns.

 

[infobleep]

Part of it‘s a case of being careful what you wish for. AFAICT many people did ask for flexible seasons, without realising the obvious problems on some TOCs where the existing weekly season already had a massive discount on even a couple of anytime returns.

Well if they introduce something that people don't want they won't buy it. So if people want a flexi-season but what they introduce isn't what people wanted from a flex they won't buy it.

I'm not saying the flexi-season isn't selling well, that is not known. Just a general point.

 

[MikeWM]

I just got a Lichfield TV to Lichfield City at Cambridge, no hassle at all. But then I've found Cambridge ticket office to be uniformly excellent for many years, so not too surprising.

I'm pretty much in the sweet spot for this 'trick', with 3 or 4 days commute a week, almost always after 0930, it will more than pay for itself on that alone. Add in not paying for a network card instead, and the benefit of cheaper tickets for Norwich and Ipswich etc. and that makes it very well worth it.

(Yes, it is a few pounds more than Hatton or Pevensey, but unlike those this is one I will probably 'genuinely' use a handful of times in the next year )

 

[subzero]

One thing to note with Gold Record cards as you have to allow for the time for them to be printed and posted. My other half bought an annual Travelcard on Oyster online from TfL a few years ago around New Year, and it took about 2 weeks for the record card to arrive in the post. This was a bit annoying as there were a few journeys in early January which it would have been useful for

This is why I was wanting to purchase in person.

Does anyone know if the tube stations in london (eg. kings cross) print and give out Gold Record cards on the spot?

(buying a zone1-2 Travelcard for my oyster)

 

[Wallsendmag]

This is why I was wanting to purchase in person.

Does anyone know if the tube stations in london (eg. kings cross) print and give out Gold Record cards on the spot?

(buying a zone1-2 Travelcard for my oyster)

You could buy one from LNER at KGX on a Smartcard and get your Goldcard there and then.

 

[Deerfold]

A Plusbus ticket has, I believe, to be bought as a companion to a rail ticket either to or from the station at the centre of the Plusbus zone. Hence, presumably (though I've never done it), you can purchase a Plusbus in the place you're starting your rail journey to use in that town en route to the station. You can certainly buy a Plusbus ticket in the town you're using it in if you arrive by train without having bought it in advance. (Plusbus tickets aren't always available at ticket machines, and I've added one at my destination station for the place I've arrived in with no problem in the past.)

That's how it works when there's just one station in the PlusBus Zone. Some zones have more than one station - you usually can't buy a rail ticket between them and get a PlusBus. However, in the case of Brighton and Hove, this seems to be allowed - this may simply be an oversight.

 

[Haywain]

However, in the case of Brighton and Hove, this seems to be allowed - this may simply be an oversight.

I would suggest that it is very deliberate considering that it clearly stated as being the case on the PlusBus website:

Are you making a local train journey (betwen two stations within the Brighton & Hove area)? Then you can buy (with your train ticket) a Brighton PlusBus ticket for use on all the buses around Brighton & Hove area.

 

[Deerfold]

I would suggest that it is very deliberate considering that it clearly stated as being the case on the PlusBus website:

I don't usually get that far down the PlusBus page! It does look like that's the case.

Is it the only example of a PlusBus being valid without buying a ticket to or from outside the area?

 

[hkstudent]

You could buy one from LNER at KGX on a Smartcard and get your Goldcard there and then.

That's different. I think to put travelcard on oystercard is to have the flexibility to travel to stations out of zone with PAYG

This is why I was wanting to purchase in person.

Does anyone know if the tube stations in london (eg. kings cross) print and give out Gold Record cards on the spot?

(buying a zone1-2 Travelcard for my oyster)

Tube stations don't have gold record card .
You may try your luck at TfL Visitor Centres, but I don't have high hopes there as well.
Maybe it's best to buy online and get the gold record card by post

 

[miklcct]

I would suggest that it is very deliberate considering that it clearly stated as being the case on the PlusBus website:

Thanks for your suggestion. This will be useful if I travel by both bus and train within Brighton and Hove.

In other areas, I'll buy a train ticket one station beyond the zone limit in order to get a PlusBus (e.g. Holton Heath or Hinton Admiral for travel within Bournemouth Christchurch Poole).

 

[Deerfold]

Tube stations don't have gold record card .
You may try your luck at TfL Visitor Centres, but I don't have high hopes there as well.
Maybe it's best to buy online and get the gold record card by post

Though be aware of the reduced number and opening hours.

Visitor Centres

What Visitor Centres in London can help you with, and location and opening hours detials

tfl.gov.uk

Opening times​

Visitor Centre	Sunday, Monday, Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Victoria Opposite platform 8 Victoria rail station	Closed	09:30-16:45	09:30-16:45
Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus Underground station	Closed	Closed	09:30-16:45
King's Cross & St Pancras International	Closed	09:30-16:45	09:30-16:45

All other visitor centres are closed.