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Ticket question

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jdjonnay

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I need to go from bodmin - sheffield... I see virgin do a ticket for £22, what's the catch with this... ? Could I book it say 2 days before and just turn up and go, or what? Sorry for the n00bness, but I've always just bought tickets on the platform before...

Any help muchos appreciated!

Cheers,
Jon

(PS sorry for lack of smilies, I sitll can't work out where the console is for them)
 
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yorkie

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jdjonnay said:
I need to go from bodmin - sheffield... I see virgin do a ticket for £22, what's the catch with this... ? Could I book it say 2 days before and just turn up and go, or what? Sorry for the n00bness, but I've always just bought tickets on the platform before...

Any help muchos appreciated!

Cheers,
Jon

(PS sorry for lack of smilies, I sitll can't work out where the console is for them)
You will have to stick to that train. As for whether you can get one 2 days before, the answer is yes - subject to availability - which is difficult to predict (depends on how soon the tickets sell out!)

But consider going via London for a more comfortable journey - MML do very cheap tickets from St Pancras (Starting from £5 single), which could be combined with a FGW single.
 

clagmonster

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My advice would be that if you want to know when you want to travel, and on what train, book as soon as possible to ensure you get the best deal.
 

devon_metro

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Can be quicker. Newton Abbot to York is quicker Via London, if the tubes ok that by Virgin
 

yorkie

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It depends.

For Sheffield to Cornwall, CrossCountry will be quicker (but less comfortable, IMO).

From York it depends on when exactly you want to travel. If you can find a non-stop York-London that connects nicely with a FGW that's fast to Exeter, then you'd probably beat XC despite the greatly increased distance.

Most of the time though, CrossCountry would be quicker.
 

Simming

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Go Direct, easier

If you go london way you have to put up with shabby trams, and cross london change. plus if you go via virgin you could get lbgb serving you in the shop!
 

yorkie

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It also depends on how much time you have to allow in London for a connection. The connectional allowance from Paddington to King's Cross is just under an hour, but you could do it in less - especially when heading towards Paddington.

I'd say that the 0735 from York should easily get you to Paddington in time for the 1005, getting to Bodmin for 1343, but on CrossCountry the 0744 would take over an hour longer. However journey planners would never give you the fast GNER/FGW option as the connectional allowance prevents that.

Personally, I'd refuse to travel on a Voyager, as I would want to enjoy the journey, however if you're on a limited budget and only going as far as Sheffield, it may be your best option to go with XC.
 

Table 52

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Stick with XC. Via London will normally be more expensive and if it's a weekday, you'll be lucky to get a good price on trains getting into London before 10am or leaving 1500-2000.

And if you split your ticket, don't forget the cost of a tube fare.

And book the ticket sharpish. Availability (on XC in particular) at this time of year can disappear very quickly, with people having last minute breaks.
 

TheSlash

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I state again, as my post has mysteriously disappeared in accordance with RailUK Emergency rule - I'm in the ****
What a shame Ticketman is no longer a member of the site as this is his professional area of railways and i feel his expert opinion might not of only answered Mr JDJonny's question, but he would also of advised him of the cheapest option etc.
 

yorkie

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Table 52 said:
And if you split your ticket, don't forget the cost of a tube fare..
Tip: Acton Mainline to Kentish Town Thameslink is £2.25 Y-P, cheaper than a £3 tube single ;)


TheSlash said:
I state again, as my post has mysteriously disappeared in accordance with RailUK Emergency rule - I'm in the ****
What a shame Ticketman is no longer a member of the site as this is his professional area of railways and i feel his expert opinion might not of only answered Mr JDJonny's question, but he would also of advised him of the cheapest option etc.
I think jdjonnay's question has been answered. The cheapest option is CrossCountry.

jdjonnay - if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask. If you can give a date/approximate time of travel then I can have a look for availability for you.
 

Table 52

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yorkie said:
Tip: Acton Mainline to Kentish Town Thameslink is £2.25 Y-P, cheaper than a £3 tube single ;)

Nice trick!

Although I'm an oyster holder so I pay £1.50! :smile:
 

TheSlash

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yorkie said:
I think jdjonnay's question has been answered. The cheapest option is CrossCountry.

jdjonnay - if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask. If you can give a date/approximate time of travel then I can have a look for availability for you.
JDJonnay, should you need further advice, Simming or myself can put you in touch with an expert on ticketing matters. His fulltime profession is advising mainline passengers of fares for various journies.
PS, I don't think JDJonnay is your sort, Yorkie ;)
 

Guinness

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TheSlash said:
JDJonnay, should you need further advice, Simming or myself can put you in touch with an expert on ticketing matters. His fulltime profession is advising mainline passengers of fares for various journies.
PS, I don't think JDJonnay is your sort, Yorkie ;)

TicketMan - He's a man who deals with Tickets.:)

I think that sums it up Slash. ;) :)
 

Sprog

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i think its very abnormal that Yorkie knows so much about tickets yet he isnt even railway

even go so far to say its scary.
 

yorkie

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Sprog said:
i think its very abnormal that Yorkie knows so much about tickets yet he isnt even railway

even go so far to say its scary.
Not sure how it can scare people!

I'm not the only person to know a bit about tickets, there's quite a few on the uk.railway newsgroup who know more than me.

As for not working on the railway, all the more reason to know about tickets as those with PRIV and boxes don't have to worry about fares so much ;)
 

Tom B

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It's scary someone knows about the ticketing system?!
 

Lewisham2221

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LOL at the reaction to the word 'scary'. :lol:

Not sure if 'scary' would be the right word, but I would certainly agree that it is abnormal/strange/odd whatever word or combination of words you want to use.

But meh, whatever floats ya boat...
 

voyagerdude220

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yorkie said:
Personally, I'd refuse to travel on a Voyager, as I would want to enjoy the journey.

Even though you can enjoy your journey alot more on a Virgin Voyager.

(Just ignore the summer special stop at Teignmouth, as a hitch-hiker boards via the drivers cab, asking the driver to drive the Voyager to Thomas the Tank Engine.) ;)
 

Techniquest

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Indeed...Especially me after yesterday's HELLFIRE run! MY LORDZ it was good! Great, EXCELLENT to be more precise!

At the same time, I still don't mind Voyagers, but if a HST were to be there instead, I'd go for that!

EDIT: How hard is it to learn the ticketing system though? Anyone can pick up the basics for looking for good deals! It's not exactly hard to look up the cheap as fcuk tickets or book them either...Finding availability is harder, but when the schools and colleges go back, it'll be easier then.
 

Table 52

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Knowing about tickets is not scary. In fact, I think it's very sensible! Knowing how fast a hst can go or what class of trains run to stourbridge town is all well and good but it's not really going to come in useful. However, knowing the cheapest way to do Luton to Wellingborough is pretty handy!

And the system isn't that hard to learn. Once you learn the differences between day and month, single and return and peak and off peak, you're sorted. The rest is built on from there.

Of course, nothing teaches you better than a good spell actually issuing tickets!
 

voyagerdude220

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Chaz said:
I don't. I personally find Voyagers to be HELLFIRE.

When I was on 220 024 2 weeks ago, it had a 5-minute stop, because we arrived early in Banbury.

As I was in coach A at the rear, I could see a massive amount of smoke coming from the front - coach F.

Unfortunately it stopped smoking a little after i spotted it.
 

16CSVT2700

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Lewisham2221 said:
LOL at the reaction to the word 'scary'. :lol:

Not sure if 'scary' would be the right word, but I would certainly agree that it is abnormal/strange/odd whatever word or combination of words you want to use.

But meh, whatever floats ya boat...
I personally would put it as being more "Veg-like" :lol: :lol: :thebirdm:

voyagerdude220 said:
Unfortunately it stopped smoking a little after i spotted it.
Disgusting habit....
 

Techniquest

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lol. Purchasing tickets a lot is also a good way to learn. Exploring, aimlessly perhaps, at deals on t'internet is a handy way to see what is around. For instance, the cheapest fare between Penzance and Dundee is £19.15 with a Y-P. Now THAT is an absolute bargain! £33.65 for a First Class ticket. These are singles, mind, but still, it's a couple of pence, if that, per mile! And no, I wasn't aimlessly looking, I actually want to do that bash! 12 hours of mental Voyager thrash.

220001 on Friday on its run from Bristol to Newcastle, which I did from Birmingham to York, was quite hellfire. We arrived so early we had to sit outside York for around 10 minutes! Slack timings perhaps, but it makes a change from being late!

Who says Voyagers aren't fun...
 
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