Exeter to London

[Allica]

I need to make 4 separate trips from Exeter to London in the next couple of weeks for uni open days with my daughter & need some advice about getting the cheapest fares that I can. Travel dates are:

22/06/11 need to be there by 12.00
25/06/11 need to be there by 10.30
06/07/11 need to be there by 12.00
09/07/11 need to be there by 9.30

2 adults travelling
We have one 16-25 railcard

Cheapest fares I can find are about £50 going up & £40 coming back after 7pm.

Can anyone help me to cut the cost?

 

[dzug2]

Have a look at the Waterloo route (route Honiton in the journey planner) That often has cheaper fares.

 

[moonrakerz]

Have a look at the Waterloo route (route Honiton in the journey planner) That often has cheaper fares.

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/uploads/advancefaresmapjan10.pdf

 

[Allica]

I have already looked at the Waterloo line, and there isn't much difference in price

 

[FGWman]

You could get yourself a network railcard. Give you a third off fare from exeter to waterloo. It is usually only valid after 1000 but from Exeter you can use it on the 0826 arrving in Waterloo at 1149. Current cost is £28 for one year.

www.railcard.co.uk/network

Super off peak day return is then £37.25 each or £74.50 for both of you. For the other dates you will need to look and see what advance fares you can get.

 

[Trainbuff]

Have you tried splitting fares. Try Exeter to Yeovil Junction
Yeovil junction to Salisbury
Salisbury to Basingstok
Basingstoke to Waterloo

This should save you some money. A year ago I could do that trip for £76 return on Anytime tickets

 

[ginsterman]

Often the fares from London are a lot cheaper if you go from Waterloo and split your journey London - Pinhoe (tiny station 2 miles from Exeter Central) and Pinhoe to Exeter. Have saved upwards of £40 per journey in the past splitting it this way

 

[SS4]

Often the fares from London are a lot cheaper if you go from Waterloo and split your journey London - Pinhoe (tiny station 2 miles from Exeter Central) and Pinhoe to Exeter. Have saved upwards of £40 per journey in the past splitting it this way

I've just checked NRE and the direct trains don't stop at Pinhoe.

Splitting at Whimple would be more productive

 

[junglejames]

These splits dont seem to be cheaper anymore. Cheapest i can see without going into advance tickets, is £61 adult off peak return via SWT, into Waterloo. The splits suggested all work out more expensive for the times you want. You should be able to get away with an off peak return for all 4 days. During the week the earliest you can arrive into London seems to be 1019 with this fare. Just watch for the restrictions heading home.
This price becomes £101 for the two of you, 1 railcard taken into account.

The fares you found seem to be advance tickets (assuming the prices you quote are for the 2 of you inclusive), and those prices are available on the 9/7/11. However they arent available for your first date.

So unless everything im looking at is wrong, none of the suggested splits is worthwhile yet. Which means its unlikely you will find chaeper than £90 for the last date, or £101 for the first date.

 

[SWT_USER]

Have you tried megatrain?

 

[ginsterman]

Leaving Waterloo at 07.10 on the 22nd, you arrive at Pinhoe at 10.28 (no changes), this journey is £39.00 for the both of you, buy a seperate single for Pinhoe to Exeter to continue your journey on to Exeter (another 10-15 mins on the same train), this will be about £3 for both of you.
Returning at around 19.35 from Pinhoe (19.20ish from Exeter) arriving in London at 22.58, this is £27.40 for both.
Total £66.40 london pinhoe and pinhoe london
£3.80 pinhoe - exeter off peak day return
= £70.20

These are advance fares found this morning! And these direct Waterloo - Exeter trains do stop at Pinhoe

 

[dzug2]

Have you tried megatrain?

Timings are useless

 

[John @ home]

Leaving Waterloo at 07.10 on the 22nd, you arrive at Pinhoe at 10.28 (no changes)

But these timings are for a London - Exeter day return. The OP needs a series of Exeter - London day returns.

 

[ginsterman]

Ooops my apologies, i obviously cant read that well late at night!

 

[OwlMan]

Both megabus & natiional express have cheap fares available although travel is over 4 hours.

Peter

 

[FGWman]

Leaving Waterloo at 07.10 on the 22nd, you arrive at Pinhoe at 10.28 (no changes), this journey is £39.00 for the both of you, buy a seperate single for Pinhoe to Exeter to continue your journey on to Exeter (another 10-15 mins on the same train), this will be about £3 for both of you.
Returning at around 19.35 from Pinhoe (19.20ish from Exeter) arriving in London at 22.58, this is £27.40 for both.
Total £66.40 london pinhoe and pinhoe london
£3.80 pinhoe - exeter off peak day return
= £70.20

These are advance fares found this morning! And these direct Waterloo - Exeter trains do stop at Pinhoe

Please re read the OP. They want to go from Exeter to London.

 

[sonic2009]

Right National Express may be your best bet, with booking in advance with NationalExpress Fun Fares, all the prices i have quoted are for 2 Adults with no discount, please note if these tickets are not booked in advance, prices will go up.

22/06/11

0615 Exeter Bus & Coach Station - London Victoria Coach Station..

£15.00 Fun Fare

1630 London Victoria Coach - 2105 Exeter

2 x Adults £17.00 Fun Fare..

25/06/11

0505 Exeter - London 0920 £19.00 Fun Fare
0630 Exeter - London 1055 £15.00 Fun Fare (feel this one may be too late)

1430 London - Exeter 1845 £15.00 Fun Fare
1630 London - Exeter 2050 £15.00 Fun Fare

06/07/11

0615 Exeter - London 1055 £15.00 Fun Fare

1630 London - Exeter 2105 £15.00 Fun Fare
1730 London - Exeter 2205 £15.00 Fun Fare

09/07/11

0505 Exeter - London 0920 £15.00 Fun Fare

1630 London - Exeter 2050 £15.00 Fun Fare

these can be booked at nationalexpress.com

 

[FGWman]

um this is a rail forum Should we be encouraging people to get a bus hock:

 

[Flamingo]

um this is a rail forum Should we be encouraging people to get a bus hock:

Definitely (in some cases) . Some of the passengers we deal with really should bugger off and find someone else to annoy!

 

[sonic2009]

um this is a rail forum Should we be encouraging people to get a bus hock:

yes i kno this is a rail forum, but in some cases national express is cheaper and when the op wants to go within a month, national express can be cheaper, i'm not saying the op should travel by bus, personally i think it's okay, it's just a guide on the times and how much it will cost..