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Southampton to Birmingham using Gold Card Discount

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Fiyero

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I am going to Birmingham 23-28 September and my initial travel plans might fall through. I have a gold card and I know the whole journey is in the gold card area but journey planners only seem to suggest using services which won't accept gold card giving a flexible ticket at £89.50 (There are some advances but I have to assume there won't be by the time I know my plans). I wouldn't mid a slower more convoluted journey that means I can use my gold card discount, is there a way I can get an itinerary for that?
 
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alistairlees

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Gold Card discount is not available on CrossCountry north of Banbury; so all you need to do is change there on to Chiltern Railways

See the National Rail Gold Card map

All you need to do is to get a journey planner to get you to change at Banbury rather than Leamington Spa, and you should be fine.
 

Fiyero

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Gold Card discount is not available on CrossCountry north of Banbury; so all you need to do is change there on to Chiltern Railways

See the National Rail Gold Card map

All you need to do is to get a journey planner to get you to change at Banbury rather than Leamington Spa, and you should be fine.
Thanks. Do you know how I can force one to? SWR journey planner for example shows the cheaper fare but won't let me click on it as no journeys (though it looks like it might be cheaper as 2 tickets anyway)
 

swt_passenger

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I think you should try using Birmingham Moor St as your destination, and then ignore any results routing you via XC and New St
 

alistairlees

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I tried Southampton C to Birmingham Moor Street via Hatton on Sunday 23 September. This gave Gold Card discount as journeys were
- XC from Southampton C to Banbury
- Chiltern from Banbury to Birmingham Moor St
 

ForTheLoveOf

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Thanks. Do you know how I can force one to? SWR journey planner for example shows the cheaper fare but won't let me click on it as no journeys (though it looks like it might be cheaper as 2 tickets anyway)
Most journey planners are very inflexible and won't let you enter such requirements. A website like www.trainsplit.com let's you enter that you'd like to force a change at Banbury, by using the Advanced options. It should then come up by default on the Value tab of the results.
 

kieron

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Thanks. Do you know how I can force one to? SWR journey planner for example shows the cheaper fare but won't let me click on it as no journeys (though it looks like it might be cheaper as 2 tickets anyway)
With the SWR site, one option would be to search for a journey, and click on the "Amend search" button once it displays the times. Alternatively, you can visit tickets.southwesternrailway.com directly. From there, click on "more options" and select something like "avoid Birmingham New Street" in the boxes that appear.

All ticket sites have an option like this, as far as I know, although you do need to know what to ask it. SWR's version doesn't seem to understand "look for slower journeys", so you can't just use the "lowest fare finder" thing.
 

Mainline421

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I am going to Birmingham 23-28 September and my initial travel plans might fall through. I have a gold card and I know the whole journey is in the gold card area but journey planners only seem to suggest using services which won't accept gold card giving a flexible ticket at £89.50 (There are some advances but I have to assume there won't be by the time I know my plans). I wouldn't mid a slower more convoluted journey that means I can use my gold card discount, is there a way I can get an itinerary for that?
I'd just buy this at the station. There isn't really any point in buying this online as any TVM will be able to sell this as quick as it could print a prepaid one and you can buy it on the day of travel.
 

Kite159

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I'd just buy this at the station. There isn't really any point in buying this online as any TVM will be able to sell this as quick as it could print a prepaid one and you can buy it on the day of travel.

There is a point in buying beforehand, to get a seat reservation for the XC leg from Southampton to/from Banbury.
 

Mainline421

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There is a point in buying beforehand, to get a seat reservation for the XC leg from Southampton to/from Banbury.
True, I hadn't thought of that as I never bother with reservations personally. Although as long as the OP is near a ticket office at some point in the next month it's still probably easier of course, or you could just tweet them for a reservation.
 

Hadders

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What route is the Gold Card for?
 

Fiyero

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Eastleigh, Hampshire
There is a point in buying beforehand, to get a seat reservation for the XC leg from Southampton to/from Banbury.
If anyone has stalked my comments on another thread they will already know this but the situation is that I have a pair of 2 together tickets and am not sure if my friend will drop out so I already have seat reservations (2 in fact!) if I stick to the same train. That is making split ticketing appealing with a dicounted ticket to Banbury and undiscounted from there as I already have the seat.
What route is the Gold Card for?
Ryde esplanade to ryde St. John’s :E
 

Fiyero

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An update, Crosscountry agreed a 50% refund on the Two Together tickets I cannot use if I rebooked with them. I ended up booking Advance again (as it was only a couple of pounds more than split ticketing which I thought they might not like). It has given me Gold Card discount on the return but no the way there which seems odd though!
 

A Challenge

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National Rail Enquiries - Golf Card said:
1/3 off:

  • Standard and First Class Anytime and Off-Peak tickets for the cardholder and up to three adults travelling with them
  • Off-Peak Day Travelcard Zones 1-6
  • Oyster Off-Peak pay as you go single fares and the pay as you go daily price cap for journeys on National Rail, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services. The Annual Gold Card discount will need to be set on an Oyster card. You can ask staff at London Underground, London Overground, TfL Rail and some National Rail stations in the London area to set the discount for you.
  • Anytime Day Travelcards when bought as part of your ticket to London from outside London Zones 1-9 (subject to time restrictions and a £17 minimum fare)
  • PLUSBUS Day tickets in the Network Railcard area
You can't get Gold Card discounted advance fares, so that will explain why, as you say you have booked advance tickets.
 
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