Peak/off peak trains

rogan · 3 Apr 2012 at 12:42

i need to go to london on thursday morning but need to keep costs down, now an open off peak return with a YP railcard is £49,

but the website gives me the option of reserving seats for this ticket on presumably on-peak trains,

anyone know why?

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[TW]Fox · 3 Apr 2012 at 12:45

They are offpeak as they arrive into London after 9.30.

Actually Virgin seem to say the first off peak train to London from Manchester is the 0935. Odd.

Best bet is to call them to clarify.

rogan · 3 Apr 2012 at 12:49

yeah i read the same thing so i assumed these are all on peak..

anything I don't mind · 3 Apr 2012 at 12:59

£50 to go from manchester to london. That is expensive, you might be able to fly for cheaper.

ok i just looked you can fly for much cheaper, but with taxes it pushes it up to £70. But i would rather spend £70 on a plane that sit on a train for 4 hours for £50.

[TW]Fox · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:02

groen said:
£50 to go from manchester to london. That is expensive, you might be able to fly for cheaper.

It will take longer and cost no less after you consider that the airports are out of town.

ok i just looked you can fly for much cheaper, but with taxes it pushes it up to £70. But i would rather spend £70 on a plane that sit on a train for 4 hours for £50.

just lol, you cant 'fly for much cheaper' if the taxes push it up to £70!

Plus you forgot to count the fact you'll need a train from the airport into central London, adding more cost.

And it's 2 hours on the train not 4! It even says so in his screenshot.

Hxc · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:02

If you really want to go cheap Megabus will pretty much half that cost, and they are nowhere near as bad as they used to be

rogan · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:04

im getting refunded the price so id definately rather take the train but its always nice to keep costs down for them, guess ill just book it and say well why did it let me do it if its not allowed

meghatronic · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:08

YP lets you travel on peak trains if fare is >£12.

yhack · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:20

Megabus

I went from Manchester to London for a fiver

Ekim · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:47

meghatronic said:
YP lets you travel on peak trains if fare is >£12.

Yep, YP has other benefits over the price reduction. Used it a few times when going to visit my girlfriend in Manc.

Phemo · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:50

groen said:
ok i just looked you can fly for much cheaper, but with taxes it pushes it up to £70. But i would rather spend £70 on a plane that sit on a train for 4 hours for £50.

Train not only works out cheaper but it's also far less hassle. You just turn up to the train station and hop on the train rather than having to faff around going through security etc, no need to get there early, no messing around with boarding and also no messing around getting to/from the airports which are never as conveniently located as a train station for obvious reasons. All in all I'd say flying in this instance is actually going to be longer than the train. Yes it may only be a 50 minute flight but with all the messing around it's easily way in excess of 2 hours. Train wins for short trips like these.

Semple · 3 Apr 2012 at 13:55

My Girlfriend has just booked the Manchester to Euston train in June for £7.90. It's quite disgusting how much the fares shoot up.

As Fox mentioned its based on when the trains have arrived at the station, which in your case will be off-peak.

Oh and also don't use the trainline! I buy all my tickets through redspottedhanky, don't pay any booking fee's and they give you 1% back to save up for other tickets.

anything I don't mind · 3 Apr 2012 at 14:02

I have never had any issues or "hassle" with flying and that is just a myth that you have to get there housr earlier. That is just too speed up the boarding process and to prevent people missing the flight. You can arrive there within a reasonable time and make it. catching a train in london is irrelevant because you have to catch a train most likely once you arrive at the train station anyway. Unless you want to rent a car or a catch a bus. Plus flying is just fun. Unlike trains and buses which are annoying at the best of times. You can get a one week return for £66. not sure on difficulty on getting to airport in manc, but most likely just drive there and leave car in long stay and be better than leaving it at a train station.

So plane > train/bus

Hxc · 3 Apr 2012 at 14:42

groen said:
I have never had any issues or "hassle" with flying and that is just a myth that you have to get there housr earlier. That is just too speed up the boarding process and to prevent people missing the flight. You can arrive there within a reasonable time and make it. catching a train in london is irrelevant because you have to catch a train most likely once you arrive at the train station anyway. Unless you want to rent a car or a catch a bus. Plus flying is just fun. Unlike trains and buses which are annoying at the best of times. You can get a one week return for £66. not sure on difficulty on getting to airport in manc, but most likely just drive there and leave car in long stay and be better than leaving it at a train station.

So plane > train/bus

Do you really not see how in this situation it's completely and utterly pointless to fly when the train is a 2 hour journey, direct to the centre of london, whereas the airports would be way out? Plus the charge for parking, driving, etc. :confused:

timebomb26 · 3 Apr 2012 at 14:51

If you need to use underground as well, you should see about getting a travelcard on your return ticket. With a YPs it works out pretty cheap. Especially if you going to be using the tube/DLR/Buses a lot.

dowie · 3 Apr 2012 at 14:51

groen said:
£
ok i just looked you can fly for much cheaper, but with taxes it pushes it up to £70. But i would rather spend £70 on a plane that sit on a train for 4 hours for £50.

FAIL....

So it will cost you more, probably take longer and involve much more faffing about - you realise that the main London airports aren't close to central London.

Flying is a poor option here.

Lil old me · 3 Apr 2012 at 14:53

Hxc said:
Do you really not see how in this situation it's completely and utterly pointless to fly when the train is a 2 hour journey, direct to the centre of london, whereas the airports would be way out? Plus the charge for parking, driving, etc.

Not to mention the environmental cost.

Nitefly · 3 Apr 2012 at 14:54

Just to hijack the thread, I assume bank holidays are off peak? So I could use my off peak return at any time on a bank holiday?

anything I don't mind · 3 Apr 2012 at 15:10

dowie said:
FAIL....

So it will cost you more, probably take longer and involve much more faffing about - you realise that the main London airports aren't close to central London.

Flying is a poor option here.

What faffing about? i never faf about going on a plane. I get to the airport, get on the plane and get off it, better than a train, you don't have to carry your bags and if you lucky you get a drink on the plane. You can get to central london by train in like 10 mins using the heathrow express and if you are at the other airport city one, you are practically in the city already.

Lil old me said:
Not to mention the environmental cost.

What environmental cost ? The plane is going to go with or without you using it so you might as well fill a seat and save a tree

Flying by plane is far quicker than by train including all the time you add on for faffing about.

anything I don't mind · 3 Apr 2012 at 15:14

Hxc said:
Do you really not see how in this situation it's completely and utterly pointless to fly when the train is a 2 hour journey, direct to the centre of london, whereas the airports would be way out? Plus the charge for parking, driving, etc.

How would charges for parking be any cheaper at an airport than the train station? Why would there be any less driving involved ?