My offspring should be wandering around Bristol by now. I got the tickets yesterday afternoon at Brighton Station - bit of a pantomime. As I was near Brighton station yesterday on another mission I thought I`d save them time today by buying them myself. I`d assumed I`d be able to get them from the automatic machines as I didnt have their 16-25 rail passes with me. However, I found that the machines are not programmed to permit customers to get a ticket for the next day and from another station at the same time, so I had to go to the ticket office. The very helpful ticket office staff waived the need to show their passes, and said I could get a cheaper Advance ticket via London for £20 for the pair of them. This I did. As I left the station I thought I`d better check my wallet to make sure I`d got everything and found that I had only been issued with one way tickets, even though I had asked for returns - no wonder it was cheap! Went back
Another member of staff who was sitting next to the original ticket office clerk apologised and cancelled the Advance and issued the split day returns as discussed here. He charged me £8.45 for the Warminster to Clifton Down leg even though BR fares lists this at £8.40 - I didnt argue as he`d been great generally. He also seemed to think that they couldnt use the £19.00 day return on the Brighton to Salisbury leg as this was only valid after nine AM, so they would have to pay £1.50 more each, despite what has been said on this board and from my own previous knowledge, I said that they`d go from Hove even though the tickets start at Brighton- white lie. Then I mentiond the seats booking issue also discussed here. He looked it up in a book, and said yes strictly speaking they should book. He issued two booking tickets (from Hove to Bristol) - but with no seats or coach number details - strange.