How to buy VT saver half online?

[Tim R-T-C]

Hi all,

I am buying tickets for a trip to Ashford next week.

Depart 17th April Steeton to Ashford, return on 29th.

There are no advances available on the Sunday, but using the National Rail website it offers a "Saver Half" on the way out for £64 and I can get an advance on the way back (depart Ashford about 1530) for £63 which means I don't have to wait for off-peak to start.

But when I try and buy these tickets on the VTEC website, the 'saver half' never appears as an option.

I want to use their site if I can, because I can pick my seat, but if another site is better I will use that.

Any help? Thanks.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Book on virgintrains.co.uk and you can change your seats when you get to the payments confirmation page. I can see those fares there.

Just wondering if it would be cheaper splitting somewhere?

 

[najaB]

There are no advances available on the Sunday...

I'm seeing advances - is this to Ashford Surrey?

 

[Deerfold]

I think National Rail may be misleading you. Unless there's been a very recent change VTEC don't do a Saver Half, but they do do an SSH Super off-peak single for £56.40 (less than you quote).

National Rail offers me this, calls it a Saver Half, but only offers it on departures that do not arrive at Kings Cross before 1116.

If they do do a Saver Half, do let me know - it would have been very useful this week.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Apologies, Ashford International.

When I book on Virgin Trains website it just offered me a £120 single for the southbound journey, even when I pick an advance on the way back.

On National Rail it offers a £64ish superoffpeak single (which it also says is a Virgin Saver Half) and then an advance back, but if I click to buy via the VTEC website it just falters.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Works for me on virgintrains, unless your outbound times are a problem:

 

[paul1609]

Personally Id look at splitting in London and then purchasing an off peak return for St Pancras to Ashford. Its rarely worthwhile buying through London tickets to Ashford in my experience.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Had a look but it didn't work out any cheaper.

Never did get it to work on the VTEC site, but worked via the Virgin Trains pages, so tickets booked.

Thanks all.