Travel on Sat 29th Aug(BH weekend)

[dggar]

I arrive into St Pancras on Euro Star at 16:05.

I wish to travel on to Manchester. I have a senior rail card.

The only tickets showing on the National Rail journey planner from EUS to MAN are Off Peak (@£53)

(There also only seem to be Off peak for Travel to Sheffield via Chesterfield available)

Are advance tickets being withheld due to it being a bank holiday weekend, or are they likely to appear later?

 

[swt_passenger]

You are probably about one week early. There's nominally a 12 week notice expectation, but it can reduce slightly at BH weekends. This was the situation on the 9th June, it updates weekly:

http://www.atoctravelagents.org/clientfiles/File/Booking Horizons/TOC Booking Horizons 09jun15.htm

 

[nickswift99]

If you're travelling on Eurostar, contact them for a CIV ticket. It may be much cheaper.

 

[30907]

If you're travelling on Eurostar, contact them for a CIV ticket. It may be much cheaper.

To explain a bit more. A CIV ticket is one that can only be used with a valid international ticket. On your route, and many others, the fare is the same as an ordinary offpeak return, but with very few restrictions. And better still, a single is half the price of a return.

So you can get the journey for £26.95 and you don't have to book ages in advance.

Eurostar has a special telesales number (requires a bit of patience) which will sell you one.

Once the 12 week deadline has passed they may be able to offer you an Advance ticket for less; this commits you to a particular train but if your ES is delayed you can travel later, as usual.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=LNE&dest=MAN&grpd=0438&rlc=SRN&ldn=1&tkt=EVS

Advance Details of the engineering work affecting your journey are on the VT website, and its not too bad, but the actual times may not be available 12 weeks ahead, and that will delay the issue of Advance tickets.

All these tickets include the tube along Euston Road, but it's not worth the bother!

 

[The Snap]

I would expect disruption that weekend, lots of engineering works and commissioning going on along the length of the WCML.

 

[dggar]

I have checked again today and direct travel from EUS to MAN on 29th Aug is still only showing £53 off peak tickets.
The train times for EUS to MAN are not the usual departures or travelling times.( travel times are around the 3 hr. mark.)

Travel for the following Saturday (5th Sep) shows advance tickets available.(with the usual departures and travel times.)

Does this imply that the time table for 29th Aug has not been finalised yet, and if so when is it likely to be finalised.

I have found a route Kings Cross/Doncaster/Man Pic departing 17.48 arriving Man Pic at 21.02. (3hr. 14 min) for £14.60 (with senior rail card discount)

Is it worth hanging on for EUS Man tickets or should get tickets via Doncaster.

.

 

[30907]

As the times are non standard, they are likely to be correct because of the engineering works described on the Virgin Trains website. Said site specifically says that Advances are not yet available.

You have to decide whether the 80 minute later arrival at Picc merits saving £12. My hunch would be that the Advance fare won't increase for a week or two anyway, by which time VT might have released theirs.