Rail Appointed Travel Agents

[tom3107]

Hi. I have about £100 in rail travel vouchers and am planning a trip away in June. I would like to buy advance tickets as it would be the cheapest option and allow me to travel 1st class. As the journey involves changed of trains I am reluctant to buy at the ticket office as it takes a lot of time to buy and the staff at my local ticket office somehow even end up messing up a day return to one stop up the line!
Does anyone know where to find and rail appointed travel agents where I can spend the vouchers anywhere in Bedfordshire? Or does anybody know of any travel agent companies that accept them and can book UK train tickets?
Thanks

 

[transportphoto]

Try a tourist information office


However rail appointed travel agents do charge a booking fee.

 

[island]

You can buy advances at any ticket office, not just your origin. You can get an advance from Edinburgh to Doncaster in Exeter if the urge strikes you.

 

[transportphoto]

I have interpreted it as that the OP doesn't want to get the tickets from his local station because in his experience they are able to 'mess up' a day return to the next station down the line.

However I do advise the OP to either post on the forum or to PM me with the journey details etc... and we should be able to give the full in's and outs of the tickets available and then hopefully be able to provide a 'failsafe' for when he buys the tickets

 

[island]

That was my understanding too, hence why I suggested trying another station. I will be doing the same to redeem the £65ish of vouchers I am due from East Coast after the 1803 KGX-SKI last Friday had its brakes blow out around 50 chains out of KGX!

 

[rail-britain]

Bedfordshire :
How far are you willing to travel?

I would suggest visiting a larger station, such as Bedford, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Kettering, or Rugby

I agree, a local station without experience of booking such tickets can make a real mess of it
My local station is Croy, but after 20 minutes the assistant advised the booking was not possible
I therefore travel to Glasgow Central, and place bookings about 1 hour before closing time (as it is quieter)

rail appointed travel agents do charge a booking fee.

They are not permitted to do so, their terms with ATOC are very clear on this
However, they can apply an admin or transaction fee if the rail ticket forms part of a package they are selling
Example = rail ticket + airline ticket

 

[transportphoto]

However rail appointed travel agents do charge a booking fee.

They are not permitted to do so, their terms with ATOC are very clear on this
However, they can apply an admin or transaction fee if the rail ticket forms part of a package they are selling
Example = rail ticket + airline ticket

It seems that my local TIC is breaking their contract (IIRC) they charge £1.50 pp pt - so a adult and child return would be (ticket+price)+£3.00

Counting a return as 1 ticket

If you could PM* me your source then I may put in a letter to ATOC letting them know!

(*PM to keep thread on topic)

 

[rail-britain]

If you could PM* me your source then I may put in a letter to ATOC letting them know!

As above, it depends on your interpretation of their rules
http://www.atoctravelagents.org/licensing/applying

 

[tom3107]

Thanks for the replys. I am hoping to travel on Monday 27th June and returning on Monday 4th July on a 1st Class advance for 1 adult and 1 child from Flitwick to Castle Cary. I am just asking the question early so I can get the best deal when the tickets come out.
Thanks

 

[Deerfold]

I have in the past successfully bought tickets over the phone from NXEC (as they were). They gave me a reference number, I sent in the vouchers and they then debited the difference from my card and sent out the tickets. However EC do not now seem to advertise a number for non-corporate ticket sales.

 

[rail-britain]

I have in the past successfully bought tickets over the phone from NXEC (as they were). They gave me a reference number

FSR also accept this method of accepting RTVs
You then have 14 days for them to receive the RTVs and it is recommended you send them by Royal Mail Recorded delivery
The balance is then debited from the payment card details you provided and the tickets sent by Special delivery

 

[tom3107]

Thanks, I might try phoning up

 

[bnm]

FGW telesales will also accept bookings with RTVs. Same method as above, they complete the booking then release the tickets, along with any additional cost debited from your card, once they receive the vouchers.

 

[route101]

Talking of Glasgow Central even if you ask for a Ticket to Edinburgh from the Low Level they can struggle , this happened at Argyle St too !