Milton Keynes - Eastbourne

[Christof Royal]

Evening all,
I’m looking to go from MKC - EBN and back on Saturday, arriving by 1330 and leaving Eastbourne about 1730. I am aware that there is a rail replacement bus between Lewes and Eastbourne so I'd rather go via Orpington and change at St Leonards Warrior Square. However, instead of the £35.20 return (with a Network Railcard) for the via Lewes route, I'm looking at more than double as National Rail Enquiries is not offering a return (and it's £43 single)...

Is it possible to get a Travelcard and a BZ6-EBN that will let me travel via St Leonards, or do I need to get a Travelcard and an ORP-EBN return to do that? I assume that the former will be slightly cheaper, but don't want to get caught out if it is not a permitted route.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's indeed not a Permitted Route, what NRE is showing you is some kind of split (and it never makes it easy to see exactly what split it has come up with). So you won't get a BZ6 or anything else that allows you to do that, and you will end up paying loads more to travel via London than via Kenny O.

I think I'd suck it up and go on the bus...

 

[causton]

£38.15 for MKC - St Leonards Off-Peak Day Return, and then £5.15 for St Leonards - Eastbourne Off-Peak Day Return for around £43?

Or £13.80 for a MKC Travelcard (Virgin Only) or about £1 more for a LNR Only one. Then £17.10 from Boundary Zone 6 to St Leonards, then again a £5.15 return to Eastbourne for around £35?

 

[some bloke]

Or if you'd like to go via Ashford, which may be quicker:

MKC-Normans Bay £35.25
NSB-EBN £2.95
=£38.20

MKC-Euston £10.45 on Virgin
St Pancras-Normans Bay £23.55
NSB-EBN £2.95
=£36.95
(£37.70 if using £11.20 LNR between MKC-EUS)

 

[BluePenguin]

How about a Southern DaySave and travelling to Eastbourne changing only once at Clapham Junction?

 

[some bloke]

How about a Southern DaySave and travelling to Eastbourne changing only once at Clapham Junction?

Good option generally, though this journey is tomorrow and you have to buy that three days in advance.

 

[some bloke]

the £35.20 return (with a Network Railcard) for the via Lewes route

In case you haven't seen the price, the other via Lewes route which Bletchleyite mentions (direct between MKC and Clapham Junction via Shepherd's Bush and Kensington Olympia) is only £28.20.

loads more to travel via London than via Kenny O.

 

[some bloke]

(duplicate post removed)

 

[Be3G]

It's indeed not a Permitted Route, what NRE is showing you is some kind of split (and it never makes it easy to see exactly what split it has come up with). So you won't get a BZ6 or anything else that allows you to do that, and you will end up paying loads more to travel via London than via Kenny O.

I haven't checked the Routeing Guide, but NRE shows that Orpington to Eastbourne via St. Leonards requires just one ticket so we can hopefully safely assume it is permitted. We also know that for calculating the permitted routes for a BZ6 ticket, any station in the zones can be chosen as the origin (provided it doesn't involve a zonal exit and re-entry). So it seems this would be acceptable, but to be safe I would ensure the train stops at Orpington in order to ‘validate’ the choice of permitted route for the BZ6 ticket.

 

[some bloke]

I haven't checked the Routeing Guide, but NRE shows that Orpington to Eastbourne via St. Leonards requires just one ticket so we can hopefully safely assume it is permitted. We also know that for calculating the permitted routes for a BZ6 ticket, any station in the zones can be chosen as the origin (provided it doesn't involve a zonal exit and re-entry). So it seems this would be acceptable, but to be safe I would ensure the train stops at Orpington in order to ‘validate’ the choice of permitted route for the BZ6 ticket.

Perhaps pay another 20p for Knockholt-EBN so there's definitely no need for a stop at Orpington?

 

[30907]

Perhaps pay another 20p for Knockholt-EBN so there's definitely no need for a stop at Orpington?

The trains stop at Orpington anyway (outside the peaks).

 

[Christof Royal]

Thanks to all of you for the advice, much appreciated. Going to put my thinking cap on later on and work out the best plan (and look up where Normans Bay is )