[MrBez]

(Original post by Ferdinandfrog)
Anytime, that's what I'm here for

Hey Ferdinand,

I've just tried to book in advance, and I got one date that was £27 in total. The rest are £20.15 both ways. Does this seem reasonable? All the way up to mid September.

[Ferdinandfrog]

(Original post by MrBez)
Hey Ferdinand,

I've just tried to book in advance, and I got one date that was £27 in total. The rest are £20.15 both ways. Does this seem reasonable? All the way up to mid September.

It all depends on the times that you want to travel too. Can you email your dates to tix@takethetrain.co.uk and I'll have a look for you.

[TheCurlyHairedDude]

How much for return off-peak tomorow? rough estimate

[Olibert]

http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/?

[W.H.T]

I'm absolutely useless at buying train tickets online and have no idea how this is all done - have always relied on others to do this for me . Anyway have a simple question, I was looking for some tickets from London to other parts of the UK and I was just wondering how do you actually get hold of the ticket after paying for it?

because I see you can buy tickets as late as a day or two before the departure time, so obviously according to that, they can't send them to you, as theres not enough time.

[jelly1000]

(Original post by W.H.T)
I'm absolutely useless at buying train tickets online and have no idea how this is all done - have always relied on others to do this for me . Anyway have a simple question, I was looking for some tickets from London to other parts of the UK and I was just wondering how do you actually get hold of the ticket after paying for it?

because I see you can buy tickets as late as a day or two before the departure time, so obviously according to that, they can't send them to you, as theres not enough time.

You choose the option to pick it up at the station you are travelling from (at a self service machine) with the card used to book online.

For example- You book tickets on the First Great Western website to go from Paddington to Oxford with a Visa debit card. You select the option to collect your ticket. In order to do so, you must turn up at Paddington Station with the exact Visa debit card used to book the ticket, go to a self service machine and put the card in, follow the instructions and it finds the tickets which it then prints out for you.

[W.H.T]

(Original post by jelly1000)
You choose the option to pick it up at the station you are travelling from (at a self service machine) with the card used to book online.

For example- You book tickets on the First Great Western website to go from Paddington to Oxford with a Visa debit card. You select the option to collect your ticket. In order to do so, you must turn up at Paddington Station with the exact Visa debit card used to book the ticket, go to a self service machine and put the card in, follow the instructions and it finds the tickets which it then prints out for you.

Oh I see, thanks

[Vinchenko]

(Original post by W.H.T)
Oh I see, thanks

You also need to print out your booking confirmation email, as there's an 8 digit alphanumeric code you need to type in as well.

[hannah_dru]

Buying them online used to confuse me but I've done it 3 times now and I found it quite simple. I've always had them sent out to me in case there's a massive queue for the machine and I'm in a rush. It's cost an extra pound though.

[W.H.T]

(Original post by jelly1000)
You choose the option to pick it up at the station you are travelling from (at a self service machine) with the card used to book online.

For example- You book tickets on the First Great Western website to go from Paddington to Oxford with a Visa debit card. You select the option to collect your ticket. In order to do so, you must turn up at Paddington Station with the exact Visa debit card used to book the ticket, go to a self service machine and put the card in, follow the instructions and it finds the tickets which it then prints out for you.

Sorry, just a few questions (if they're not too taxing):

- Should I use the national rail website, or the websites of individual train companies like west midlands? (is there any difference)

- I thought return tickets were supposed to be cheaper than buying two singles, but on the nationalrail website, one set of return ticket cost £149, whereas the equivalent two singles cost £48,

- Whats a reasonable or cheapest price for this trip:

Leaving london on Thursday early morning (05:00 - 07:00) and arriving at Birmingham before 09:30. Then for the return part, leaving Birmingham on Friday anywhere between 12:00 - 13:00, and arriving in London at before 2:30.

I searched for this, and got some pretty wide results, ranging from £44 to £149.

[jelly1000]

(Original post by W.H.T)
Sorry, just a few questions (if they're not too taxing):

- Should I use the national rail website, or the websites of individual train companies like west midlands? (is there any difference)

- I thought return tickets were supposed to be cheaper than buying two singles, but on the nationalrail website, one set of return ticket cost £149, whereas the equivalent two singles cost £48,

- Whats a reasonable or cheapest price for this trip:

Leaving london on Thursday early morning (05:00 - 07:00) and arriving at Birmingham before 09:30. Then for the return part, leaving Birmingham on Friday anywhere between 12:00 - 13:00, and arriving in London at before 2:30.

I searched for this, and got some pretty wide results, ranging from £44 to £149.

In regards to your first point, two singles is nearly always cheaper.
As for your second, I can't help as to waht a reasonable price is, but I know it does depend on factors such as how far in advance you book (you should book a month in advance for the best prices) and whether or not you have a railcard.

[W.H.T]

(Original post by jelly1000)
In regards to your first point, two singles is nearly always cheaper.As for your second, I can't help as to waht a reasonable price is, but I know it does depend on factors such as how far in advance you book (you should book a month in advance for the best prices) and whether or not you have a railcard.

Wow I never knew that, why is this the case?

and why would anyone choose to buy a return over two singles, its not like you've got to go through extra hassle or anything like that, rigght?

[affinity89]

(Original post by W.H.T)
Wow I never knew that, why is this the case?

and why would anyone choose to buy a return over two singles, its not like you've got to go through extra hassle or anything like that, rigght?

It does vary. I could get a single from Manchester to Lancaster for as little as £3 booked in advance with my railcard, but that is opting for specific trains. Instead, I always buy an open return at the station for £11. For me, having that flexibility is better than having to get set trains.

[Linzikins]

(Original post by W.H.T)
Sorry, just a few questions (if they're not too taxing):

- Should I use the national rail website, or the websites of individual train companies like west midlands? (is there any difference)

- I thought return tickets were supposed to be cheaper than buying two singles, but on the nationalrail website, one set of return ticket cost £149, whereas the equivalent two singles cost £48,

- Whats a reasonable or cheapest price for this trip:

Leaving london on Thursday early morning (05:00 - 07:00) and arriving at Birmingham before 09:30. Then for the return part, leaving Birmingham on Friday anywhere between 12:00 - 13:00, and arriving in London at before 2:30.

I searched for this, and got some pretty wide results, ranging from £44 to £149.

Whatttt! £149! It costs me £21 for a return from Yorkshire to London. I bought myself a 16-24 railcard for £25 and save over £60 every time I travel to London! I loveee it!

I use trainline.com and find that the best, I used to use other ones but I always found they just ignored my seating requests where as trainline doesn't.

EDIT: I just looked and saw a return for £33 From London to Birmingham

PM me which station and i'll find you the cheapest tickets I can.

[affinity89]

(Original post by Linzikins)
Whatttt! £149! It costs me £21 for a return from Yorkshire to London. I bought myself a 16-24 railcard for £25 and save over £100 every time I travel to London! I loveee it!

I use trainline.com and find that the best, I used to use other ones but I always found they just ignored my seating requests where as trainline doesn't.

You've had better luck than I have then lol. Trainline always seem to do the exact opposite for me. I always ask to be facing forward as I get travel sick very easily and they have always given me a seat that means I am going backwards. It isn't really within their control though, I know, as the carriages can be attached either way.

OP, the earlier description pretty much summed it up. You need to take your card and the booking code to the station. You go to one of the self-service machines, input the card and number and your tickets pop out the bottom. Or, if you are booking in advance, you can request to have the tickets sent to you instead.

[aeterno]

It's worth noting that it's cheaper to go at off-peak times so if you don't need to be there by a certain time, try and work around these times

[W.H.T]

(Original post by Linzikins)
Whatttt! £149! It costs me £21 for a return from Yorkshire to London. I bought myself a 16-24 railcard for £25 and save over £100 every time I travel to London! I loveee it!

I use trainline.com and find that the best, I used to use other ones but I always found they just ignored my seating requests where as trainline doesn't.

EDIT: I just looked and saw a return for £33 From London to Birmingham

PM me which station and i'll find you the cheapest tickets I can.

Stations are: London Euston and Birmingham New Street.

TBH I don't mind which station in London I set off from, but I hear Euston is the one where trains go to Birmingham.

and I'll check out trainlines website now to see how it is

[Linzikins]

(Original post by W.H.T)
Stations are: London Euston and Birmingham New Street.

TBH I don't mind which station in London I set off from, but I hear Euston is the one where trains go to Birmingham.

and I'll check out trainlines website now to see how it is

From London Euston to Birmingham new street -

Depart 05.30
Arrive 8.03

£6

Birmingham - London

Depart 11.53
Arrive 14.17

£17.90

Not sure why the next day return is so expensive but its still reasonable.

[W.H.T]

(Original post by Linzikins)
From London Euston to Birmingham new street -

Depart 05.30
Arrive 8.03

£6

Birmingham - London

Depart 11.53
Arrive 14.17

£17.90

Not sure why the next day return is so expensive but its still reasonable.

Yeah its reasonable, but if you take into account that both legs of the whole trip take twice as long as it should (normally it should take 1hr 20mins from birm-london and vice versa), this somewhat takes the shine off that deal.

Still, I find it slightly surprising how much more you have to pay if you deviated slightly from those departure times. Take the 11:53 you've given me, the other times around it cost more than double the amount it costs

btw, do yoiu think its probably more convinient if I just turn up and buy it at the station (before or on the actual day)

[Linzikins]

(Original post by W.H.T)
Yeah its reasonable, but if you take into account that both legs of the whole trip take twice as long as it should (normally it should take 1hr 20mins from birm-london and vice versa), I'd say its alright.

Still, I find it slightly surprising how much more you have to pay if you deviated slightly from those departure times. Take the 11:53 you've given me, the other times around it cost more than double the amount it costs

btw, do yoiu think its probably more convinient if I just turn up and buy it at the station (before or on the actual day)

I do agree with the time but it saves a lot of money and all you have to do is wait and you still travel between the times you desired. It depends on the amount you wish to spend I always go for the cheapest possible option I can without disrupting my journey.

The thing about buying it on the day is that you may get charged the highest possible rate for your journey (they tend to do this)

I paid £21.45 for a train and I missed it. I called the train company and they charged me around £60 on the day!