Ticket booking farce...

[Techniquest]

Hey gang,

I've just been looking for fares for the Tyne Valley HST meet in October. Nothing unusual there, I hear you cry, but you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find fares!

First of all, I point blank refuse to fork out huge sums of money when going bashing up north. The only exception was my FoNE last year, but that was a huge waste of money considering how little I travelled! Anyway, as I want to go on the cheap this time (I had a fortune to spend last time) I went to Megabus' website.

First problem of this booking nightmare was that their site is always down between 3am and 5am for routine maintenance. Typical, if I hadn't spent a while sending a good friend an e-mail earlier I'd have been sorted. Never mind, off to National Express then.

Second problem here being the finding of suitable fares. Unfortunately, this isn't very possible with NX, in that they serve Newcastle on a overnight coach and in the mornings but if you ask them for an evening coach, they can't manage that! Besides, it was £27.40 and I'm not paying that much! Megabus will be cheaper but I can't check for another 90 minutes, grr.

Third, and this is the one that got me wanting to post this. I decided to stuff it and pay a bit more to go by train. After all, I'd get to enjoy some 185s through the night, what more could I ask for?

I'll tell you what. I could ask for it to find me a fare for each leg of the journey using a railcard! Believe it or not, but it comes up with saying (after finding appropriate journies) "We cannot find any services that match your request" when I ask it to find me the fares! WTF?!

What got me annoyed was that it could find fares without a railcard alright, but as soon as I try again with a railcard it point blank refuses! It left me rolling my eyes and getting annoyed, then I thought I'd ask on here if anyone else has had the same problem.

This was using the FGW website for my journey searches as I usually do. I'm going to try the Mixing Deck on NXEC's site, but I'm still peeved.

Any thoughts ladies and gents?

Kind regards,

Julian

 

[rail-britain]

Please post the stations you need to travel between, dates, number and type of passengers, and any railcard holders
I'll have a trawl through and see what there is

 

[Techniquest]

From: Hereford
To: Newcastle
Dates: 24th October out, 25th October back
RCD holders: Just me, Y-P
Times: Latest possible on outward, arriving before 2300 on return.

I did try the Mixing Deck on NXEC last night, which was much more useful. I did find an interesting journey though, I shall post elsewhere on that one.

 

[rail-britain]

Direct fare, 16-25 Railcard :
Off-Peak Return £68.10
Anytime Return £83.15

16:56 Hereford - Manchester ATW
19:42 Manchester - Newcastle ATP

16:40 Newcastle - Birmingham AXC
20:59 Birmingham - Hereford LM

Now, with some clever planning it may be possible to limit this to AXC, via Birmingham and save by either AP single fares or splitting the tickets even further at Birmingham
In which case replace the first journey with this one :

15:38 Hereford - Birmingham LM
17:30 Birmingham - Newcastle AXC

Two advance singles are currently :
£16.50 and £13.85 = £30.35

Removing the 16-25 Railcard and First Class AP singles may also be available

 

[djw1981]

You could also look for Megatrain from Birmingham to Carlisle (may have to buy to Motherwell or Glasgow and stop short) and then do Tyne Valley the other way around......

http://www.megatrain.com/uk/timetables/birmingham_carlisle_train.php

 

[rail-britain]

It looks like advance fares can currently only be purchased within four weeks of travel
I was looking at November and almost all options are still unavailable
Presumably Edinburgh - Newcastle is closed on 24 / 25 October

 

[Techniquest]

It is, NXEC divert via the Tyne Valley hence the trip there.

Can't book Megatrain on Birmingham/Manchester to Glasgow as they only operate Monday to Thursday during the week unfortunately. Some bargains to be had on it mind!

 

[rail-britain]

Try megatrain again when bookings open
Then compare that weeks Friday and see what is available
Quite often seats suddenly become available with just one day to go

 

[Techniquest]

Agreed, found that to happen now and again in the past!

 

[yorkie]

Just get a PRE-EDB CDR (route Carlisle) make sure you get seat reservations and you're sorted for £188

 

[voyagerdude220]

19:42 Manchester - Newcastle ATP

I'd just like to point out that Trans Pennine Express, is one company which Arriva hasn't currently got control of.

 

[djw1981]

FTP... or TPE... or even FKTP?

 

[voyagerdude220]

Yeah, any of those newer, improved versions are fine with me

 

[Techniquest]

I still refer to it as TPX myself and will continue to do so as it's exactly what it is, no matter who runs it.

 

[rail-britain]

Blimey, the route designator has been coming up as ATP instead of FTPE for a few days now
I've been using that

At the same time I noticed that some routes for First ScotRail have been renamed First ScottishRail

 

[yorkie]

I still refer to it as TPX myself and will continue to do so as it's exactly what it is, no matter who runs it.

Except the TPE services via Preston don't actually cross the Pennines!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Yes, i've taken the 08:31 Preston to Edinburgh before, and it was alot different to a Super Voyager!

Having said that, the breakfast snack box was good.

 

[djw1981]

I must say that I liked some aspects of the 185 - bigger windows, and working air conditioning, but the seats seemed much harder and the atmosphere more clinical. They did seem more inter-urban (like a 170) with the 1/3 and 2/3 doors, as opposed to the intercity style of the cl22x.

 

[Techniquest]

Except the TPE services via Preston don't actually cross the Pennines!

I still forget that TPX run up the WCML on some services...:whoops:

Looks so bizarre to see a 185 on the northerly part of the WCML (as observed back in July from a NatEx coach down the M6), so out of place!