Hereford to Gatwick Airport - Flyaway Two help please!

[Techniquest]

Hi all,

I hate having to ask for help at the best of times, but I keep hitting a brick wall with this one.

Two months today (Monday 7th March) me and a mate fly to New York, taking off from Gatwick. We've the intention of buying that excellent value Flyaway Two ticket, showing this morning at least at £60. That's probably cheaper than parking at Gatwick alone! However, when searching on GWR's website, I'm now hitting the wall.

By all rights and means, it should be valid on the 0846 from Hereford, changing at Great Malvern or Worcester Shrub Hill then again at Reading. However I cannot make it give me anything but the 0734 departure, with a change in Worcester and Reading to arrive Gatwick 1150. If it has to be that departure, and a break had by Reading or something, as we don't need to be there until 1410 at the very earliest, then so be it.

Worse though is the return. We land on Sunday 13th March at 1010, but the only itinery I can get is on the 1009 from Gatwick, changing onto a replacement coach to Oxford then train to Hereford arriving 1650 or something like that. That would be fine if it wasn't for that train leaving 1 minute before we're due to land! We don't mind what time we get back to Hereford, but I can't make it show a valid option after 1009.

Am I just having poor fortune, or do I need to look at alternatives to rail? We would rather avoid driving there and back, but if it has to be it will be done. Thanks in advance for all help, I've been tearing my hair out working this one out!

 

[Clip]

Cant help you with that really as sounds a pain in the backside but haven't you just thought of going into then out of London? Youll have bags so surely you don't want the grief of changing too many times?

 

[Techniquest]

We are looking at going into London, then Tube to Victoria and onwards, but we would also rather avoid the chaos on the Tube if we can.

I'll still look it up later mind, depending when the 387/2s enter service we could get one of those in, or my final 442 bash!

 

[Tetchytyke]

The issue on the outbound is that the journey planner on the 0846 sends you via London, and the Flyaway 2 ticket is not valid via London.

On the return, the issue is the engineering works at Didcot Parkway. If you put in "via Evesham" in the journey planner it will sell you the ticket on every train at xx09 from Gatwick, but this is train to Reading, bus Reading-Oxford, then train again (the 1209 is direct, the 1309 requires a change at Worcester). If you don't put a via point in it sends you via London and Birmingham, if you put via Reading/Wokingham it sends you via Newport, as both options are faster than going on the bus Reading-Oxford.

 

[Clip]

We are looking at going into London, then Tube to Victoria and onwards, but we would also rather avoid the chaos on the Tube if we can.

I'll still look it up later mind, depending when the 387/2s enter service we could get one of those in, or my final 442 bash!

Yeah I get that but its cross platform interchange from the bakerloo so not much of a problem there.

 

[TEW]

Neither Paddington nor Victoria are step free though, so you'd still have to take your bags on escalators. Changing at Great Malvern and Reading would be a step free journey. In terms of using the Flyaway 2 ticket, it has no time restrictions. The only route restriction is that it must be used via Evesham.

 

[Techniquest]

The issue on the outbound is that the journey planner on the 0846 sends you via London, and the Flyaway 2 ticket is not valid via London.

On the return, the issue is the engineering works at Didcot Parkway. If you put in "via Evesham" in the journey planner it will sell you the ticket on every train at xx09 from Gatwick, but this is train to Reading, bus Reading-Oxford, then train again (the 1209 is direct, the 1309 requires a change at Worcester). If you don't put a via point in it sends you via London and Birmingham, if you put via Reading/Wokingham it sends you via Newport, as both options are faster than going on the bus Reading-Oxford.

Cheers for the advice, I'll search again with via Evesham. I put Avoid London (Any) but that was only giving me the 0734. It should have given me the 0846 as well with a change in Reading but hey ho, worth trying Via Evesham.

Replacement bus Reading to Oxford will have to be endured, as there are no Advances in either direction coming up on my last search, via London or not. £76.50 or so for a walk up ticket each is a bit much!

Hopefully a search later will give me what I need!

 

[Tetchytyke]

The only route restriction is that it must be used via Evesham.

NRE says it isn't valid via London, so the tube is out.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr7a943fc35ce74101db9503cebaecbe.aspx

Groups of 2,3 or 4 adults can travel for a fixed price to Gatwick from Great Western Railway served stations on routes not via London. Up to 4 children (5-15) can go for £1 each when accompanying a group holding Flyaway tickets

 

[Techniquest]

Got on NRE as the GWR app won't let me use a Via point. Thanks to Artic Troll, I have the itinery I want! Which is:

Outward 7th March

0846 HFD-WOS 0930
1007 WOS-RDG 1155
1234 RDG-GTW 1350

Return 13th March

1109 GTW-RDG 1245
1315 BUS RDG-OXF 1425
1454 OXF-WOF 1604
1634 WOF-HFD 1734

or, depending on punctuality, picking up luggage etc:

1209 GTW-RDG 1335
1415 BUS RDG-OXF 1525
1556 OXF-HFD 1753

I can only assume that bus time is for all shacks, or a ton of recovery time for traffic etc. Still, it works for me! £60 for two people that way or £76.50 each via London and Birmingham, no contest! Plenty of time for leg stretching etc too at each change so happy days!

 

[FenMan]

The Sunday Gatwick - Readings can be very comfortable, so choose your seats wisely to avoid getting crammed in as the journey progresses. I suggest that you avoid the 3 seat side and, if you prefer to not travel facing backwards, to travel backwards at Gatwick (the train reverses direction at Redhill, the first stop).

 

[Techniquest]

Cheers for the gen, I'll have to remember that on the day!

 

[James Wake]

Also the 166s have one end as declassified first class seats, just without antimassacars. Good idea to go in there if you see where it is.

 

[FenMan]

Also the 166s have one end as declassified first class seats, just without antimassacars. Good idea to go in there if you see where it is.

It's also a lot quieter in the declassified first class, no engine rumbling underneath.

 

[urpert]

We are looking at going into London, then Tube to Victoria and onwards, but we would also rather avoid the chaos on the Tube if we can.



I'll still look it up later mind, depending when the 387/2s enter service we could get one of those in, or my final 442 bash!

You could always use the 36 or 436 bus between Paddington and Victoria - easier with luggage IMO and doesn't take much longer than the tube.

Edit: I see this advice is no longer needed but might be useful in the future!

 

[Techniquest]

That's a fair point, I always forget about that bus option!

 

[urpert]

That's a fair point, I always forget about that bus option!

If you walk up what used to be the taxi ramp to Praed St and turn left, it's the first bus stop you come to. The 436 starts at Paddington so is always empty.