London to plymouth

[badassunicorn]

Hi Guys, I was wondering if any ticket gurus out there could help me out with a journey I am making next week. I want to go from Paddington to Plymouth on 26/03/13 and return on 28/03/13. I have a TOC Priv card but I am aware this only applies to walk up fares on the day, so does anybody know what this would be? Or even better with the Priv card discount applied? I think I would have to buy two singles is this correct?
Its a shame I have left it so late, otherwise would have been cheaper to use my YP card in advance, but hey, such is life right!
Many thanks in advance!
Eliott

 

[RPI]

Hi Guys, I was wondering if any ticket gurus out there could help me out with a journey I am making next week. I want to go from Paddington to Plymouth on 26/03/13 and return on 28/03/13. I have a TOC Priv card but I am aware this only applies to walk up fares on the day, so does anybody know what this would be? Or even better with the Priv card discount applied? I think I would have to buy two singles is this correct?
Its a shame I have left it so late, otherwise would have been cheaper to use my YP card in advance, but hey, such is life right!
Many thanks in advance!
Eliott

Anytime Return with a Priv £65.75, don't even think there are any splits that can be done.

 

[LexyBoy]

London-Plymouth Any Permitted SOR is £65.75 with Priv. The slower route from Waterloo (change at Exeter) is £50.55 (Route: Via Honiton). A cursory look doesn't show any Advance tickets which beat this.

 

[badassunicorn]

pardon my ignorance but is that return? If so that is fantastic news! Thanks very much ^_^
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
cancel that, seen the post below mine! Thanks guys thats fantastic news! Glad the priv is coming in use!!

 

[bb21]

If you need to use the Great Western Mainline and are happy to go via Swindon and Bristol, you can buy

London Terminals - Swindon
Route Any Permitted
Anytime Return
£29.25 PRIV

Freedom of South West
3-in-7 Days
Rover
£18.50 PRIV

Total: £47.75 and valid on trains going non-stop through Swindon. (I don't think there are any that don't stop tbh.)

Alternatively if the OP is happy to use the Waterloo - Exeter service then

London Terminals - Salisbury
Route Any Permitted
Anytime Return
£18.70 PRIV

Freedom of South West
3-in-7 Days
Rover
£18.50 PRIV

Total: £37.20 and similarly valid on trains going non-stop through Salisbury (although I don't think there are any that don't stop).

Strangely I cannot find anything cheaper along the Berks and Hants line.

 

[TheWalrus]

Or you can split at Pewsey if your train stops there, just so no one forgets that route!

 

[reb0118]

Yet again rail rovers come to the rescue.

 

[bb21]

Yet again rail rovers come to the rescue.

Yes, they are awesome value for off-peak travel for PRIV holders as they effectively offer the full discount on off-peak travel which normal off-peak tickets don't.

 

[soil]

If you need to use the Great Western Mainline and are happy to go via Swindon and Bristol, you can buy

London Terminals - Swindon
Route Any Permitted
Anytime Return
£29.25 PRIV

It is cheaper to make a further split at Reading

London - RDG SDS * 2 @£5.40 = £10.80
RDG - SWI SOR £16.50 or 2 *SDS @£8.25 each
=£27.30

(all trains stop at Reading)

If you can stop at Didcot:

London - DID SDS £7.20 * £2 = £14.40
DID - SWI SDS £5.25 * 2 = £10.50

= £24.95

(I am not really sure whether any Plymouth trains call at Didcot)

 

[bb21]

(I am not really sure whether any Plymouth trains call at Didcot)

Yes, good suggestions.

It won't be a main issue because if the OP goes via Swindon then barring the limited number of through trains to Devon, he will need to change at Bristol anyway, and I think half of the Bristol trains call at Didcot.

FWIW, the OP is choosing to go from Waterloo. It is cheaper (although slower) and I have a trick up my sleeve that way too.

 

[LexyBoy]

It won't be a main issue because if the OP goes via Swindon then barring the limited number of through trains to Devon, he will need to change at Bristol anyway, and I think half of the Bristol trains call at Didcot.

Half of the South Wales trains (for Bristol Parkway) do as well. However as one of the tickets counts as a Season there's it would be valid on non-stop trains anyway.

 

[bnm]

To avoid going via Bristol and instead via the quicker Berks & Hants route you can do:

London Terminals <-> Bedwyn 2x Anytime Day Singles @£7.65 = £15.30
Bedwyn <-> Pewsey 2x Anytime Day Singles @£1.45 = £2.90
Pewsey - Westbury Anytime Return £4.10
Freedom of the South West 3-in-7 Rover £18.50
Total: £40.80

The Rover is valid from 0900 so you won't be able to travel on the 0706 from Paddington changing at Newton Abbot as this passes Westbury before 0900. The 0906 off Paddington is the first direct train you can catch.

And you can't return from Plymouth until the 1044, which is the first up service via the Berks & Hants after 0900.

No need for services to call at the split points as the ticket combination satisfies Conditions of Carriage 19(c).


If you want to save further and take the slower route to Exeter (thence Plymouth) from Waterloo via Salisbury then:

London Terminals - Clifton Down Anytime Return (Route Warminster/Salisbury) £14.90 (end/start short on this ticket at Salisbury)
Freedom of the South West 3-in-7 Rover £18.50
Total: £33.40

Again remember the Rover is valid from 0900 at Salisbury. Rules out the 0710 off Waterloo.


EDIT: Having re-read the thread I see bb21 mentioned having a trick up his sleeve regarding travelling from Waterloo via Salisbury. I think I may have let the cat out of the bag with the Clifton Down fare.

 

[soil]

To avoid going via Bristol and instead via the quicker Berks & Hants route you can do:

London Terminals <-> Bedwyn 2x Anytime Day Singles @£7.65 = £15.30
Bedwyn <-> Pewsey 2x Anytime Day Singles @£1.45 = £2.90
Pewsey - Westbury Anytime Return £4.10
Freedom of the South West 3-in-7 Rover £18.50
Total: £40.80

Or
London - Bedwyn 2*SDS £15.30
Bedwyn - Pewsey 2*SDS £2.90
Pewsey-Exeter St Davids Not Via Reading SOR £11.65
Exeter St Davids - Exeter St Thomas Weekly Season £1.35
Exeter St Thomas - Plymouth SOR £5.25

Total: £36.45

And valid any time.

If you want to save further and take the slower route to Exeter (thence Plymouth) from Waterloo via Salisbury then:

London Terminals - Clifton Down Anytime Return (Route Warminster/Salisbury) £14.90 (end/start short on this ticket at Salisbury)
Freedom of the South West 3-in-7 Rover £18.50
Total: £33.40

London - Clifton Down £14.90
Grateley - Taunton via Salisbury (start short at Salisbury, finish short at Exeter St Davids) SOR £7.65
Taunton
Exeter St Davids - Exeter St Thomas Weekly Season £1.35
Exeter St Thomas - Plymouth SOR £5.25

Total: £29.15
again, valid any time

 

[bnm]

Brilliant soil!

 

[Goatboy]

Exeter St Davids - Exeter St Thomas Weekly Season £1.35
Exeter St Thomas - Plymouth SOR £5.25

Whats the purpose of this split? Isn't the SOR from St Davids the same price as St Thomas, thus removing the requirement for the season?

 

[soil]

Whats the purpose of this split? Isn't the SOR from St Davids the same price as St Thomas, thus removing the requirement for the season?

In the SWT to Exeter case, it's not required, you're right, since the tickets are valid

London - Salisbury
Salisbury - Exeter
Exeter - Plymouth

and the trains should call at all of these stations. So the second cost can be cut by £1.35 to £27.80

In the first case it is required to avoid the requirement for the trains to call at both Bedwyn and Pewsey, which would considerably increase journey times, and hence £1.35 is good value.

 

[Swirlz]

Can rail staff get PRIV rate season tickets too?

I found:

The minimum validity of these Reduced Rate Season Tickets is one month
and no validity after 30 June 2015 is to be allowed.

But this is from "ATOC" website so don't know what internal rules are.

 

[soil]

Can rail staff get PRIV rate season tickets too?

I found:

The minimum validity of these Reduced Rate Season Tickets is one month
and no validity after 30 June 2015 is to be allowed.

But this is from "ATOC" website so don't know what internal rules are.

Not sure. But it's still cheaper to buy the season at full price and the rest of the tickets PRV than to buy the Rover.

 

[badassunicorn]

Hello! Thanks for all your advice I'm enjoying my time in Plymouth! I have one final question, would I be able to get off my train at reading, come out the station and then later get in and carry on to London?

 

[LexyBoy]

Hello! Thanks for all your advice I'm enjoying my time in Plymouth! I have one final question, would I be able to get off my train at reading, come out the station and then later get in and carry on to London?

Which ticket(s) will you be using?

All the tickets mentioned are either Anytime tickets, Seasons or Rovers, and all of these allow you to break your journey at any point on a permitted route, and continue it any time within the validity of the ticket. So if the ticket is valid via Reading, then yes you may do this.