Nottingham-London St Pancras International

[P156KWJ]

Hi,
Thinking of a trip to London, and usually I'd buy an advance ticket. However, I want to buy a day return as I want more flexibility. Is it possible to buy a Child Cheap day return to somewhere like Kentish Town (it recommends going via St Pancras anyway) and using that on any services and just skipping out the London St Pancras-Kentish Town bit? If so, can you use it back on services from London St Pancras?
Thanks

 

[jv3531]

Please anybody feel free to correct me if Im wrong on this:

If your going to Kentish town, the network rail site advises to change at Luton. If you are coming back from STP, based on what the system says I would say that your ticket would not be valid from luton to kentish town and would therefore need to buy a return to STP plus a single ticket from luton to kentish town. However, going VIA STP you may be able to save your self some money by buying the return ticket to STP with Travelcard Zones 1-6 added on. Beware though that savers (cheap days N/A) are often barred during peak hours so I would not be sure which would be the best offer realy... depends what time and which day your travellling on?

 

[David]

To any TL station on the MML, you will have to change at Luton or Bedford, as all the tickets are marked Valid - Not London.

 

[P156KWJ]

aah cos I think what I'll do is buy a CDR Nottingham - Kentish Town then either buy a CDR to STP for that service too, or buy a LU travelcard from kentish town and carry on as normal 8)

ta for the info chaps

 

[John @ home]

Hi,
Thinking of a trip to London, and usually I'd buy an advance ticket. However, I want to buy a day return as I want more flexibility. Is it possible to buy a Child Cheap day return to somewhere like Kentish Town (it recommends going via St Pancras anyway) and using that on any services and just skipping out the STP-KTN bit? If so, can you use it back on services from STP?
Thanks

There is no Cheap Day Return from Nottingham to anywhere south of Leicester on the St Pancras route. The saver return to St Pancras is £50.70 (child £25.35) and to split this so that cheap day returns can be used needs at least 4 tickets.

For example, splitting at Leicester, Kettering and Bedford gives 4 CDRs costing £8+£9.30+£9+£16 = £42.30 (child £21.15). But you are then limited to the slow trains stopping at Leicester, Kettering and Bedford, losing a lot of the flexibility you say you want.

Instead, I would be inclined to go via Grantham. The Nottingham - Kings X via Grantham saver return is £44 (child £22), and this can be reduced to £6.60+£28.30 = £34.90 (child £17.45) by using CDRs splitting at Grantham, where you would have to change trains anyway. For an extra £5 (£2.50) you can have a One Day Travelcard.

Unless your day out is at the weekend, your flexibility is further limited by the CDR ticket restrictions. To St Pancras you can't start before 0930 and can't leave St Pancras between 1630 and 1900. To Kings Cross you can't go before 0935 (although it would only cost an extra 60p (30p) for an SDR instead of a CDR on the 0850 to Grantham) and there is a long gap in the evening between 1535 and 1933.

Perhaps those Advance tickets are worth thinking about again?

John

 

[P156KWJ]

maybe, depends how much time I want. So you can buy CDRs from Grantham-London? What a stupid and messy system :roll:

 

[John @ home]

So you can buy CDRs from Grantham-London?

Yes.

What a stupid and messy system

Agreed!

 

[David]

Ho-hum. You can tell the summer holidays have started ....