Groupsave Nottingham to Widnes

[Steveoh]

I need to travel with 3 other adults on the 21st of December for a funeral. One passenger is coming from Norwich but will join us on the train in Nottingham. So 4 passengers in total between Nottingham and Widnes, returning the same day.

I think we can use a group save ticket, is this ticket for 4 passengers?

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=NOT&dest=WID&tkt=GR4

We'd be travelling out on the 09:47. Presumably we need to travel together.

Is there anything we'd need to look out for? For example if the incoming train from Norwich is delayed we would almost certainly make alternative arrangements.

Are there any other options? FLexibility is good

Thanks in advance

 

[Haywain]

Is there anything we'd need to look out for?

Yes, the format of this ticket means that it is only likely to be accepted without difficulty on East Midlands Trains services.

 

[Steveoh]

Yes, the format of this ticket means that it is only likely to be accepted without difficulty on East Midlands Trains services.

Thanks. That's not a problem it's a direct train. Do I need to get this from a ticket office?

 

[M28361M]

East Midlands Trains website says it isn't available online.

 

[Haywain]

Thanks. That's not a problem it's a direct train. Do I need to get this from a ticket office?

Yes, only from staffed sales points. Possibly available from telesales, if EMT have such a thing.

 

[gazthomas]

I know it will be a difficult day, but for 4 people have you considered hiring a car, assuming one of you can drive?

 

[JBuchananGB]

It seems to me that if you use an online site to purchase a group save off peak return Nottingham to Widnes you will pay a total of £134 and you can order it online and pick the the tickets up at the station. I looked this up on the Greater Anglia web site, but probably others will do it. The brfares site seems to imply each passenger has to pay £88. Or have I misunderstood something?

 

[BlueFox]

The brfares site seems to imply each passenger has to pay £88

That's the total for four people.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Very odd that it doesn’t come up for online purchase. But I can see that is 4x the railcard discounted price.

 

[Haywain]

Very odd that it doesn’t come up for online purchase. But I can see that is 4x the railcard discounted price.

It's because of the way the ticket is set up. As it is, it is sold as a ticket for 1 person but it is valid for 4. Sold online you would enter 4 people and be offered the price of 4 of these tickets - enough for 16 to travel!

 

[Steveoh]

I picked these tickets up today after a bit of confusion and having to ask for a groupsave 3 or 4 times. However I was in a bit of a rush but only seem to have two seat reservations for entirely different places on the train. Any ideas about getting seat reservations for the whole party together? It looked like each reservation was being done independently.

 

[Haywain]

I picked these tickets up today after a bit of confusion and having to ask for a groupsave 3 or 4 times. However I was in a bit of a rush but only seem to have two seat reservations for entirely different places on the train. Any ideas about getting seat reservations for the whole party together? It looked like each reservation was being done independently.

This is another problem created by the way these tickets are set up in the fares system. As the ticket is issued as being for one person reservations for a group of 4 have to be done separately. If I have read your post correctly, you have been issued reservations that have been issued with the ticket so are only for one person (one in each direction). Unfortunately you will probably have to go back to a station to get reservations for all of your party, although it might be worth asking EMT on Twitter if they will make reservations for you.

 

[Starmill]

If you can't go to any ticket office, you could try their telesales. I've had seat reservations made on the phone before without any difficulty, on a verbal statement that I already have my ticket.

 

[Steveoh]

Thanks for the suggestions. I somewhat bizzarely have two reservations for each journey. I will try telesales and see what happens.