Travelling by train

[AustrianAndyGull]

I know lots of you go to games by train and as someone who doesn't often use trains i was looking at return prices via train to various footy games including Torquay. I've yet to get a return journey quote cheaper than £100 ( if i take my car it might cost me £60 - £70 ) to Torquay and Oxford for me is nearly £50 when i'd pay around £30 going by car. Every time i search for a potential destination to go to a game it is always far more expensive than car. Is this the norm or is there some where i can go to get cheaper rail fares?

[Plymouth Gull]

Obviously if you're eligible, a railcard is very handy. £14.20 for a single to Cheltenham where I'll meet my Dad on Saturday.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Sadly not Nick. 30 somethings are discriminated against by rail companies and there is no railcard available for us. People aged 25 and over and under 60 like to pay full price on the railways you know.

[Plymouth Gull]

I know. It must be a pain. Obviously the best advice I'll suggest is just booking quite a bit in advance..

[Kernowgull]

I travel by train a lot, and generally (and ridiculously) you can save a fortune by splitting the journey. As an example, I did Bristol to Plymouth last week for 12 quid by buying 3 singles. Bristol to Taunton, Taunton to Exeter, Exeter to Plymouth. I didnt have to get off the train, just took a bit longer to book and saved 22 quid. Weve done the same for York and saved about 45 quid.

[AustrianAndyGull]

How does that work then Cornish? Am i right in saying you get on the train at Bristol with the intention of going to Taunton (ultimately Plymouth) but buy a single to Taunton, you then do the same to Exeter and then the same to Plymouth and because the train you are on stops at all three stations you don't need to change and just show the tickets when the inspector comes around?

[Kernowgull]

Exactly. It takes a while to work out the cheapest route, but if you have the time and inclination, and flexibility on when you want to travel, you can normally save something. I had to get the 1944, as that was the only one I could get that cheap, when an earlier one would have been better. I rarely pay full price for q journey, but I probably lose a couple hours per journey trying to work it out!

[AustrianAndyGull]

Cheers cornish, i'll see if i can benefit from that then.

[Scott Brehaut]

Andy: http://www.splityourticket.co.uk/

[ferrarilover]

Andy, do you still wear a stove pipe hat? Is the car you speak of a Benz Motorwagen? Does everyone you know work either in a rudimentary factory or down a coal mine? Do you have t'consumption? Are you still spending shillings? Is Ricketts a common problem for your school chums?

If not, then we must assume you do not live in Victorian England, which was the last time that the train was the best way to get around. Get in your car, drive to the match and stop trying to kid yourself that public transport is the best way to do anything except bankrupt yourself and catch diseases from nutters.

Matt.

[bixieupnorth]

sad but true mate, i cant get back to NA on the train from sheffield for less than £100, disgusting, bloody tories privatising everything. someones making a hell of a lot of money, and we'res still paying millions in subsidies to the train companies, how can that be right??

fortunately local travel on the trains in this area seems a bit more reasonable, think york should be less than £20? but then again its only a 50 minute ride, so i guess thats pretty steep to journey within the same county?

[Plymouth Gull]

I commute to Plymouth 3 times a week, costs £4 a day. I did buy a car thinking that it'd be cheaper but you can't really argue with £4, so I sold my car 3 months later.

[AustrianAndyGull]

The train is great for some things, like when i worked in Sheffield a return from Chesterfield was about £3. Considering all the hassle getting the car in the city and parking etc it was great. Some short journeys seem to be real value for money but the longer journeys just seem to be on the flipside and totally unreasonable. It's like Donny to York, a short journey. It's £16 quid odd return but i'd have to get a bus from my mums into Donny as i'm staying at hers and the bus return fair would be around £5 ish so that is £21 ish. York is only 20 minutes away ffs! I can take the car the short journey up the A1 and be there in 45 minutes and find my lovely free parking spot so i'd spend less than a tenner petrol and have the comfort of my own car. As a mate is coming with me that would be double the cost so taking the car will save us £30 combined.