Malvern Link to West Ealing via Bracknell

[TobyH]

Hi all,

Wondering if there were any cheaper ways of doing the above journey other than buying a full walk up fare...

Travel out from MVL on 22nd Sept. I need to arrive BCE at around 0830 and stay overnight. 23rd Sept I would travel BCE to WEA, arriving before 0900, say no later than 0845. I'd then return MVL in the evening, leaving after 1700.

No advances offered for this journey when I checked but sure some could be found with splits. I could do with being flexible on times on the return but it is not of the utmost importance.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[CatfordCat]

I'm not even going to attempt to get in to the railway fares angles of this - others who understand these things will no doubt be along soon.

One thing that did occur to me is that you may not be aware there is a bus service from Bracknell to Maidenhead (bus station in Bracknell is pretty much just across the road from rail station, and in Maidenhead, stops just round the corner from rail station.)

Depending on how the connections work, this may be just as quick as going in to Reading and out again on the morning.

Courtney Buses timetable page here - you want route 53 (timetable will open as PDF).

 

[LexyBoy]

You can't get to Bracknell from Malvern Link for 0830, the earliest departure is 0650 arriving 0945. If you can get to Worcester there are 0536 and 0619 departures which would suit.

I can't see any Advance availability in the peak on the Cotswold line - there are a few on early departures from Parkway to Reading but no cheaper than the Anytime via Evesham.

My best offer would be the Anytime Return Malvern Link - London Via Evesham at £81.00. You'd need to start from Worcester, the ticket is then valid for the itinerary:

On OUT portion:
22/9 Worcester-Reading-Bracknell
23/9 Bracknell-London Waterloo (Tube transfer to Paddington, £2.30 on contactless) Paddington-West Ealing. -OR- perhaps better Bracknell-Richmond (65 bus to Ealing Broadway, £1.40 IIRC)

On RTN portion:
23/9 West Ealing-Reading-Worcester-Malvern

 

[Romilly]

There are lots of possible combinations, so this is just one suggestion:

Malvern Link 0603 - Reading 0756: Advance £28.50

Reading 0812 - Bracknell 0832: Anytime Day Single £5.50

Bracknell 0650 - West Ealing 0827: Anytime Day Single £20.50 (change at Reading & Ealing Broadway)

West Ealing 1956 - Malvern Link 2253: Advance £14 (change at Ealing Broadway & Slough)

Total: £68.50

Using Catford Cat's bus suggestion, the 0630 bus from Bracknell arrives Maidenhead town centre at 0704 for £4, and then a Maidenhead-West Ealing Anytime Day Single is £8.20 and would be valid on:

Maidenhead/West Ealing 0723/0811 or 0745/0827 or 0749/0841

and would bring the total down to £60.20

 

[TobyH]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Hadn't thought about buses I must admit. Given me some ideas to play around with anyway.