London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads

[43094]

Hello

I'm looking at travelling from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads on Saturday 25th March, returning on Sunday 26th March. Departure from Paddington any time from 1100 on the Saturday, departure from Temple Meads around 1700 on the Sunday.

What's the cheapest option people can find, using a PRIV discount?

I'm aware that there are some public fare 'advances' still available, but as i'm not sure at the moment what time i'll be returning on the Sunday i'm assuming for now that they aren't an option.

I'd want to have an 'Any Permitted' ticket, or a rail-rover (i.e fares 'via Staines etc etc aren't really an option). I don't mind splitting tickets as required, even if it means using trains that call at Didcot (for example). I'm also happy to purchase a 3/7 'Freedom of the Severn & Solent' to cover Swindon - Bristol and back if needed.

Thanks in advance....!

 

[SS4]

Priv is 75% off the Anytime Fare and cannot be booked online.

Sometimes it's cheaper to find advance tickets or use a railcard that gives you discounts of off-peak tickets

 

[Mojo]

The cheapest option would be to travel on South West Trains and FGW (although there are a few direct services) via Salisbury. A London Terminals to Montpelier ticket is £14.30 SOR. The penalty of course is the slower journey time and (arguably) inferior service.

Travelling on the FGW service direct from Paddington, the cheapest option is to buy a 3 Day Thames Rover at £10.50 and then 2 x Singles (Didcot Parkway - Bristol TM and then Bristol TM - Didcot Parkway), costing £6.50 each, total £23.50. This would limit you to trains which actually stop at Didcot Parkway.

 

[34D]

The cheapest option would be to travel on South West Trains and FGW (although there are a few direct services) via Salisbury. A London Terminals to Montpelier ticket is £14.30 SOR. The penalty of course is the slower journey time and (arguably) inferior service.

Travelling on the FGW service direct from Paddington, the cheapest option is to buy a 3 Day Thames Rover at £10.50 and then 2 x Singles (Didcot Parkway - Bristol TM and then Bristol TM - Didcot Parkway), costing £6.50 each, total £23.50. This would limit you to trains which actually stop at Didcot Parkway.

Is the 3 day Thames rover a 3 in 7 or just a 3 day? This determines whether it is counted as a season or not, and hence whether 19c or 19b apply (19c meaning the train doesn't have to stop at Didcot):

19. Using a combination of tickets
You may use two or more tickets for one journey as long as together they cover the entire journey and one of the following applies:
(a) they are both Zonal Tickets (unless special conditions prohibit their use);
(b) the train you are in calls at a station where you change from one ticket to another; or
(c) one of the tickets is a Season Ticket (which for this purpose does not include Season Tickets or travel passes issued on behalf of a passenger transport executive or local authority) or a leisure travel pass, and the other ticket(s) is/are not.
You must comply with any restriction shown on the tickets relating to travel in the trains of a particular Train Company or Train Companies (see Condition 10).
If you do not comply with this Condition, you will be treated as having joined the train without a ticket and the relevant parts of Condition 2 or 4 will apply, either to the entire journey, or from the last station where the train stopped at which at least one of the tickets was valid.
For the purposes of this Condition, a “leisure travel pass” means any multi-journey ticket (excluding Season Tickets) valid for:
(i) at least 7 consecutive days; or
(ii) at least 3 days in a period of at least 7 consecutive days
and includes rover tickets, travel passes, fexipass tickets and Britrail passes.

 

[junglejames]

Thats an interesting one. Its clearly a Rover ticket, and so youd think 19C should be applicable, but its down as 3 days, and not 3 in 7. So 19C presumably doesnt count in this case. However the other Thames Rover does count as it is a 7 day ticket.

 

[John @ home]

19C presumably doesnt count in this case.

Are you sure? A ticket which is valid only for 3 consecutive days is valid for 3 days in FIVE different but overlapping periods of 7 consecutive days.

It is significant that 19c says "at least 3 days", not "any 3 days".

 

[island]

I think a 3 day Thames Rover is caught in the definition of leisure travel pass, but probably wasn't intended to be.

 

[AlterEgo]

I think a 3 day Thames Rover is caught in the definition of leisure travel pass, but probably wasn't intended to be.

(Edited as I was talking balderdash)

 

[north]

I disagree.

A "pass" is issued to someone, not bought. For example Priv boxes (not that you'd ever be using that as a combination of tickets!), or a Virgin Trains staff pass. Or a Freedom Pass.

Not accoring to the CoC in 19c (my bold)

For the purposes of this Condition, a “leisure travel pass” means any multi-journey ticket
(excluding Season Tickets) valid for:

(i) at least 7 consecutive days; or

(ii) at least 3 days in a period of at least 7 consecutive days
and includes rover tickets, travel passes, flexipass tickets and Britrail passes.

 

[AlterEgo]

Not accoring to the CoC in 19c (my bold)

You're absolutely right. I don't know how I've got that confused. Elementary error.

 

[43094]

Thanks very much for that. I'll get the Thames Rover + Didcot to Temple Meads and return singles then.

 

[First class]

PRIV tickets (inc. rovers) can usually be bought in advance over the phone to a telesales dept. I hear Scotrail are usually good with that.