I’m trying to book a journey on Friday 18th June from Plymouth to Edinburgh on the XC HST (1227 ex PLY) but I’m having no luck.
I’ve just had an email from XC to say advance tickets are available and within under an hour they’re apparently all sold out which I don’t believe. It seems I can’t even split the tickets because it won’t offer me a journey which includes that train.
2 adults using a Two Together railcard for the record.
Any ideas?
Very common about trains coming up as sold out online. I've found this out several times on the app so have gone to ticket office at Plymouth and been sold a ticket without a seat reservation or counted place coupon without any problems.
Also the lat time I travelled to Plymouth to Leeds last year and when I've been asked by friends to find cheap tickets for them going up north from Plymouth, for point to point advance tickets, it's always been cheaper to go via Paddington and the ECML plus you have the added bonus of avoiding the dreaded Voyagers.
When involving WCML destinations from Plymouth these often do show up cheaper than XC fares because it's my understanding that Avanti are the fare setter and the ticket is marked VTWC + connections so it might be an idea to try and route it via Carlisle and change at Birmingham. It still might be cheaper splitting the Plymouth to Birmingham leg at Taunton, Bristol and Cheltenham though and booking the Birmingham to Edinburgh separately.
Back to going via Paddington and ECML. There's singles from Plymouth to Edinburgh via Paddington and ECML including underground for £46.50 on the 0549 from Plymouth and connecting onto the 1000 from KX arriving Edinburgh 1441
Alternatively the 0652 from Plymouth connecting onto the 1100 from KX arrives Edinburgh 1522. Be quick if you want them as they are shown as the last two remaining at that price.
Trust me, XC won't get remotely close to that price.