London - Ludlow Anytime Return - How Spoilt for Choice ?

[Mutant Lemming]

The missus fancies a trip to the Christmas Fayre in Ludlow and I am considering an anytime ticket to make the journey. I am trying to decipher the 'routeing guide' and it appears there are a multitude of routes we could use which would enable us to make a circular tour and stop off at numerous places enroute and on return. I was just wondering if I have it right.

Is it valid for the following routes -

From/To Paddington via Newport/Hereford
From/To Paddington via Swindon/Gloucester/Worcester/Hereford
From/To Paddington via Oxford and the Cotswold Line/Herefrod
From/To Euston via Wolverhampton/Shrewsbury
From/To Euston via Crewe/Shrewsbury
From/To Euston via Stafford/Wolverhampton/Shrewsbury
From/To Marylebone via Birmingham/Worcester/Hereford ....... ?

If it is the case it actually seems like the flexibility of the £219 fare isn't too bad a value for the usually exhorbitant anytime tickets considering you can visit South Wales for only £5 more than a straight anytime return to Crewe.

(This is subject to the second round draw for the FA Cup which I haven't mentioned to her yet)

 

[OwlMan]

Is there a reason why you want an anytime ticket when off peak tickets are available £51-80 (via Warminster & Salisbury)
£63-60 (any permitted)
or a super off peak £34-00 (via Hereford).
If you wish to travel back a different way to travelling out you can purchase an excess fare at half the difference between the fares.

Peter

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Is there a reason why you want an anytime ticket when off peak tickets are available £51-80 (via Warminster & Salisbury)
£63-60 (any permitted)
or a super off peak £34-00 (via Hereford).
If you wish to travel back a different way to travelling out you can purchase an excess fare at half the difference between the fares.

Peter

I want the full flexibility of travelling any route, on any train, at any time and deciding on the spot which way to go and where to break the journey. Am wonderng more if the flexibilty I mentioned above is actually correct.

e.g Wed out to Newport , break journey thur on to Ludlow - sat on to Shrewbury, sun on to crewe, mon on to coventry tues back to London. Not necessarily that but that kind of thing.

 

[yorkie]

OK, but bear in mind that Anytime Returns no longer have a validity of 1 month on the outward portion, the outward validity is now only 5 days. The return portion remains valid for 1 month. But it sounds like you should be OK as by the time the outward has expired you will be on your return journey.

I am still unsure an Anytime is required, but we do not know what time you intend to travel so cannot advise in that regard.

As for the routeing, if you use a cheaper routed ticket on a more expensive route, then the excess is payable of half the difference between the fare paid and the appropriate fare, and if you buy a more expensive routeing then this is valid via the cheaper routes.

 

[firespire]

If you can travel off peak it would be much cheaper and could still have the flexibility you require, or look up if one of the Heart of England Rovers combined with another ticket can do all you want for less money.