Reading to Thurso, with overnight break of journey

[EricS]

Based on my attempt at understanding the 'routeing guide', I think the super off-peak return, route any permitted, Reading to Thurso ticket (£170.30 without railcard discount), would be valid for this outward journey:

Saturday 22 December
20:11 to Manchester Piccadilly

Sunday 23 December
09:16 to Edinburgh
13:56 to Inverness
17:54 to Thurso

However, the National Rail Enquiries site tells me I'd need two singles for that outward journey. Also, I can't get either the Cross Country or East Coast sites to sell the return ticket and reserve seats on those trains.

I tried at the ticket office at Reading, but the clerk spent a while tapping on his computer before telling me that ticket wouldn't be valid for that journey. I just thanked him and accepted what he said because I wasn't 100% sure myself.

Is it actually valid, and if so does anyone have any suggestion about how to buy the ticket and get the seat reservations?

 

[calc7]

Sorry - not valid on the 0916 from Manchester.

Restriction code is 9F:

SUPER OFF-PEAK JOURNEYS
FROM/VIA_London (including
Stevenage,_Watford Junction,
Milton_Keynes, Bedford & Luton

Available as listed below
Monday to Fridays (By any
train on Bank holidays and
other days)
For journeys from southern
England via Birmingham on
CrossCountry, use restriction
code 2V or 8X as_appropriate.

And 2V doesn't allow travel until after 0930.



Edit: of course, quite whether the TPE guard would know or care that you had travelled via Birmingham and not London the night before is another matter

 

[EricS]

But it's a Sunday morning. I thought the 2V ban on travel before 0930 only applied Monday to Friday?

 

[calc7]

But it's a Sunday morning. I thought the 2V ban on travel before 0930 only applied Monday to Friday?

Forgive me!
Then I see no reason why it shouldn't be valid - it is clearly a permitted route and the ticket carries no time restrictions on a weekend. You are unable to finish your journey on Day 1 so you can continue on Day 2.

 

[wintonian]

How do you intend to get from Manchester to Edinburgh, or is this in fact 2 separate journeys?

 

[Eagle]

How do you intend to get from Manchester to Edinburgh?

On the 09.16 TPE service.

 

[wintonian]

On the 09.16 TPE service.

Oh, think I'll go back to my book about Adam Smith and the free market economy - I can cope with that.

 

[EricS]

The trouble is I only want to do this journey if I can get seat reservations, as I expect those trains to be busy. Do I just need to try going to the ticket office again, in the hope I get a clerk who believes me?

 

[wintonian]

The trouble is I only want to do this journey if I can get seat reservations, as I expect those trains to be busy. Do I just need to try going to the ticket office again, in the hope I get a clerk who believes me?

Buy the ticket then go back at a different time (to a different station?) and make the reservations?

 

[calc7]

The trouble is I only want to do this journey if I can get seat reservations, as I expect those trains to be busy. Do I just need to try going to the ticket office again, in the hope I get a clerk who believes me?

The East Coast website will sell me the +Any Permitted ticket with reservations (put via Manchester Piccadilly, Sat 22nd Dec at 20:11)...though only if you don't mind facing backwards


Reservation Details

Reading to Manchester Piccadilly
Coach: D
Seat: 13A - View, Window, Airline
forwards was not available for the selected preferences on this train!

Manchester Piccadilly to Haymarket
Coach: C
Seat: 45 - Table, Window, Airline
We were unable to reserve forwards for this part of your journey.

Haymarket to Inverness
Coach: B
Seat: 01A - Toilet, Window, Airline
We were unable to reserve forwards for this part of your journey.

Inverness to Thurso
Coach: B
Seat: 18F - Table, Window, Forwards

 

[EricS]

Ah, that did the trick. I hadn't noticed the "via" option on the East Coast website before. Thanks, I'll remember that!

 

[calc7]

Ah, that did the trick. I hadn't noticed the "via" option on the East Coast website before. Thanks, I'll remember that!

If you haven't already, it's worth signing up to the East Coast Rewards Scheme before you purchase your ticket. You'll get 170 rewards points - enough for a 50-point First Class Lounge Pass valid at Edinburgh Waverley, say; or some catering vouchers for if you come back on East Coast to Kings Cross.