HS1 route - Stratford International to Tonbridge

[VirginTrain]

Hi

New here.

I'm looking to go to Stratford International tomorrow (7am) from Tonbridge

I want to break my journey at London Bridge on my way in and here's the troublesome bit, want to break at Ebbsfleet on the way back (around 4pm).

I'm looking to get the fastest trip ideally (but within about the 40ish pounds region) and have no railcard

How can I do this pls?

Thanks
Howard

 

[londonteacher]

There are tickets available that include HS1. I'm pretty sure you can travel either way with these tickets so that should be the solution.

The bottom one for example. Price may differ as this is with a railcard.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Unfortunately the only permitted routes from Stratford International to Tonbridge seem to be via London, but to Paddock Wood (and the other stations before it) via Ashford is OK thanks to an 'easement'. So you could get a Paddock Wood to Stratford International return, with the 'plus High Speed' option (but starting it from Tonbridge) and a single from Paddock Wood to Tonbridge to finish the journey on the way back (there seems to be no valid route via Maidstone). More unfortunately, this looks expensive - an Anytime Day Return is £74.90 and an Anytime Day Travelcard is £81.70, both with £4.80 to get back to Tonbridge from Paddock Wood. Without a Railcard, it doesn't appear to be cheaper to get two singles. Perhaps someone can suggest a split fare - Strood, perhaps?

 

[pelli]

I searched trainsplit.com for Tonbridge to London/Stratford with a change at London Bridge on the outward and at Ebbsfleet on the return and it gave various options, all using single tickets, so I then split the search into two parts and looked a bit closer.

Out: Tonbridge to London Terminals Anytime Day Single NOT HS1 £18.40, or save £1.80 by splitting at Chelsfield or 20p by splitting at Orpington, if you take a train that stops there. This gets you to London Bridge, and then you take the Jubilee Line to Stratford (regional) and walk/DLR to Stratford International on Oyster/contactless (£3.00 if tapping in before 09.30, and £2.50 otherwise). This can be marginally cheaper than the Tonbridge to London Undergrnd Zone 1-2 Anytime Day Single £21.40 which includes the leg to Stratford.

Return: London Terminals to Beltring Anytime Day Single Plus High Speed £25.20 + Beltring to Tonbridge Anytime Day Single £5.10 for a total of £30.30 is valid for Stratford International (starting short) to Ebbsfleet (break of journey) to Strood to Beltring (make sure train stops there) to Tonbridge. (You could use the otherwise-unused part of the ticket on St Pancras to Stratford on HS1 in the morning, although it's probably slower than taking the Jubilee Line.)

If you want to save money on the return journey, instead of HS1 from Stratford to Ebbsfleet (10min) it's possible to take DLR to Woolwich Arsenal (25min) followed by a train to Northfleet (30min) which is a 15min walk from Ebbsfleet. The DLR leg costs £1.60 on oyster/contactless if you touch in before 16.00, then you can get a London Terminals to Paddock Wood Super Off-Peak Day Single NOT HS1 £16.50 starting short at Woolwich Arsenal and breaking at Northfleet, followed by Paddock Wood to Tonbridge Anytime Day Single £4.80, for a total of £22.90.

There are tickets available that include HS1. I'm pretty sure you can travel either way with these tickets so that should be the solution.

Bizarrely, I'm unable to get a journey planner to confirm that Tonbridge to London Terminals (or to Stratford International) Anytime Day Return Plus High Speed £75.00 (or £74.90) is valid on HS1 (searching Tonbridge to St Pancras via Stratford International or to Stratford International via Ebbsfleet International just yields no valid results or an offer of a combination of tickets), but I can't see how it couldn't be...

(there seems to be no valid route via Maidstone)

I got trainscanbecheaper.info (which allows multiple via points) to validate Paddock Wood to St Pancras or Stratford International Plus High Speed via Ebbsfleet and Maidstone.


Question to the forum experts: Is there any way of getting a return ticket that is not valid on HS1 for the outbound but valid on HS1 for the return, at a lower price than a full HS1 return ticket (either from Tonbridge or Paddock Wood)? I'm not too familiar with change of route excesses and High Speed supplements...

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Bizarrely, I'm unable to get a journey planner to confirm that Tonbridge to London Terminals (or to Stratford International) Anytime Day Return Plus High Speed £75.00 (or £74.90) is valid on HS1 (searching Tonbridge to St Pancras via Stratford International or to Stratford International via Ebbsfleet International just yields no valid results or an offer of a combination of tickets), but I can't see how it couldn't be...

For Stratford, it's because the only valid routes are via the London group, so you can't approach from the Kent side. For London, the complex list of maps don't seem to have any via HS1. There seems to be no point in having the fare at all!

I got trainscanbecheaper.info (which allows multiple via points) to validate Paddock Wood to St Pancras or Stratford International Plus High Speed via Ebbsfleet and Maidstone.

I meant, but wasn't clear, that I didn't find a valid route from Tonbridge - I still think that, but I agree that Paddock Wood is OK via Maidstone and with the easement even via Ashford.

 

[JB_B]

AFAICS the £46.40 Anytime Day Return Tonbridge-Ebbsfleet International - route:Plus High Speed would cover the required journey out via London Bridge,Stratford International (and returning via Ashford). Unless I've missed something? [ Edit - as per post #8 : not via Ashford - you'd either have to take the shortest route back ( via Strood, Maidstone West, Paddock Wood) or would have to head back via London .]

 

[VirginTrain]

There are tickets available that include HS1. I'm pretty sure you can travel either way with these tickets so that should be the solution.

The bottom one for example. Price may differ as this is with a railcard.

I could not find this when I searched and need to read the other posts too to work out why! Thanks for the digging everyone. Really helpful advice.

 

[paul1609]

AFAICS the £46.40 Anytime Day Return Tonbridge-Ebbsfleet International - route:Plus High Speed would cover the required journey out via London Bridge,Stratford International (and returning via Ashford). Unless I've missed something?

According to the routing guide the only route valid Tonbridge to Ebbsfleet is London. The shortest route is via Maidstone West so I dont think Ashford is valid.

 

[JB_B]

According to the routing guide the only route valid Tonbridge to Ebbsfleet is London. The shortest route is via Maidstone West so I dont think Ashford is valid.

Yes, my mistake - that's correct.

 

[30907]

AFAICS the £46.40 Anytime Day Return Tonbridge-Ebbsfleet International - route:Plus High Speed would cover the required journey out via London Bridge,Stratford International (and returning via Ashford). Unless I've missed something?

But, in the absence of a Maltese Cross, I don't think that is valid via Stratford and that "Plus HS1" just allows travel into Ebbsfleet from the Gravesend direction - costing £4 more than Greenhithe.

It would work in conjunction with Oyster fares to and from Stratford as mentioned by pelli though.

 

[paul1609]

But, in the absence of a Maltese Cross, I don't think that is valid via Stratford and that "Plus HS1" just allows travel into Ebbsfleet from the Gravesend direction - costing £4 more than Greenhithe.

It would work in conjunction with Oyster fares to and from Stratford as mentioned by pelli though.

I dont think it needs a malteese cross to go via London Bridge then Thameslink to St Pancras then via Stratford International. If you are travelling to Ebbsfleet thats probably the fastest route by the time you take in to account the transfer from Stratford to Stratford int.

 

[VirginTrain]

Well this one is a doozy and thanks for the contributions

 

[30907]

I dont think it needs a malteese cross to go via London Bridge then Thameslink to St Pancras then via Stratford International. If you are travelling to Ebbsfleet thats probably the fastest route by the time you take in to account the transfer from Stratford to Stratford int.

Yes, NRE allows it. Hope it worked out OK!