Great Ticket Sale courtesy of Grant Shapps

[Haywain]

We're trying to book a return from Aberdeen to London in September but LNER reservations only go uo to July at present.

Unfortunately a small number of trains can't be opened for reservations due to unconfirmed timetables (relating to engineering works).

 

[Deltic1961]

Ah OK, thanks for that.

 

[David57]

Just managed to book on LNW's website two adults (with disabled railcard) Mon. 16th May, Long Buckby to Liverpool Lime St. return for £13.60.
Seems like a bargain.

 

[Deltic1961]

A few disappointed people asking Scotrail if it applies up here and it's a firm no.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A few disappointed people asking Scotrail if it applies up here and it's a firm no.

Unfortunately it seems the nationalists are using this to push the whole "England treats us unfairly" line, and are rather missing the point that this should in fact reflect on the Welsh and Scots Governments, as transport is a devolved matter so Westminster has no powers to do this within Wales/Scotland at all.

 

[miklcct]

I have grabbed a £1.75 ticket from Southampton Central to London Victoria followed by a £1.15 ticket from St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway using my 26-30 railcard. Unfortunately the £2.35 CrossCountry trains from Bournemouth to Southampton Central doesn't make good connection into the Southern train (arriving at the exact same minute when the Southern train departs), so I bought a £3.45 regular-priced advance on SWR instead. Bridging the gap in London using Oyster PAYG at £1.65 and the airport shuttle at £2.40, my whole journey from home to airport will be done at £10.40.

 

[Fiyero]

I’ve given up trying to find one with SWR, luckily found some bottom price advances which only work out about £5 more over the return journey so not worth losing sleep over. Shame though.

 

[Starmill]

Bargains on extremely restrictive Advance purchase tickets that would likely be at the most a couple of pounds more expensive without this ‘sale’? I’ll look again when the TOC’s decide to meaningfully discount anytime fares…

Avanti West Coast provide a 20% discount on some Anytime Singles for booking them in advance, with the usual Anytime ticket conditions otherwise.

Of course, a Manchester to London Anytime Single with a 20% discount is still £148. £8 more than a York to London Anytime Single at full price.

 

[Tomp94]

Went on to the ticket sale website through national rail....
First thing it offers me from my local station (Worthing) is trips to to outer suburbs out London for £2.70.
Got to laugh.

 

[davews]

With nothing at all on the Waterloo-Reading service this offers nothing for me once you have added the normal tickets to there and extra TFL contactless. OK some of you have got good bargains but in my view it is a huge disappointment after all the media publicity this morning.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...but in my view it is a huge disappointment after all the media publicity this morning.

Quite possibly it's been more hype than substance?

 

[Haywain]

Managed to pick up a deal - £7.90 for two from Liverpool Street to the Norfolk Broads (one way) is very good, and makes Priv look expensive!

 

[Class 33]

In a mo I'm going to try and find some cheap fares for a day out somewhere.

The article on the Bristol Post website about this sale mentions you can get Bristol-London single fares for as low as £18 with this sale. Well that's a bit of a con, as even without this sale that's the cheapest price for advance Bristol-London singles anyway! I was expecting fares of about £9 single with this sale!!

 

[trover]

Anyone realise Northern isn’t offering railcard discount on rail sale advance? Here’s the ‘Price Information’ under https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/offers/great-british-rail-sale

Rail Sale official page:

 

[rg177]

Anyone realise Northern isn’t offering railcard discount on rail sale advance? Here’s the ‘Price Information’ under https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/offers/great-british-rail-sale
View attachment 113307
Rail Sale official page:
View attachment 113309

Northern seem to have instead gone for the 'flat fare' option. This works well on a lot of flows (for example I've managed to get Carlisle to Leeds for £1.50) but on shorter hops there's either no or little saving to be had. To be fair, it just shows that Northern's advances (considering that they're normally available right up to departure of the train) are already decent value on a lot of routes.

 

[Starmill]

Anyone realise Northern isn’t offering railcard discount on rail sale advance? Here’s the ‘Price Information’ under https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/offers/great-british-rail-sale
View attachment 113307
Rail Sale official page:
View attachment 113309

Some of Northern's fares don't get a further discount with a railcard, but are generally set at bigger discounts than on other operators. I don't know if Northern have any sale prices that do attract a railcard discount. SWR's also have no discount. But I've not looked at what rates they've set them at.

 

[Class 33]

Not having much luck so far in trying to find good deals in this sale. I looked up London Liverpool Street-Great Yarmouth on an upcoming Saturday. £12 singles. Which whilst good value for a journey of that distance and duration, I think that's the cheapest you'll get advance singles for anyway even without this sale.

Also looked up London St. Pancras-Nottingham. Great British Rail Sale website says £12.50 singles are available. Though when you go into any train booking website, fares as cheap as this are not available on weekends!

I can only really do a long trip on a Saturday really within this period, as just started a new temp job and can't really get a day off within the next few weeks to do a trip on a weekday. Sundays are not really ideal either as train services are more limited and much busier on those days, plus there's work the next day.

Hmmm.... I don't know! Some help needed please. Which train operators are offering fare sales for travel on SATURDAY's?

 

[Haywain]

Not having much luck so far in trying to find good deals in this sale. I looked up London Liverpool Street-Great Yarmouth on an upcoming Saturday. £12 singles. Which whilst good value for a journey of that distance and duration, I think that's the cheapest you'll get advance singles for anyway even without this sale.

It was mentioned upthread that GA rail sale tickets aren’t available at weekends.

 

[trover]

Northern seem to have instead gone for the 'flat fare' option. This works well on a lot of flows (for example I've managed to get Carlisle to Leeds for £1.50) but on shorter hops there's either no or little saving to be had. To be fair, it just shows that Northern's advances (considering that they're normally available right up to departure of the train) are already decent value on a lot of routes.

I agree they’re good value for longer journeys and offer discount of more than 50%. It’s ok to go for the flat fare approach (although not sure if this satisfies the rules of this campaign), but the way they advertised seems misleading to me.

 

[ainsworth74]

Considering some of the reactions on here and the media perhaps the thread title should be amended to "Great Ticket Sale controversy of Grant Shapps"?

 

[Sleepy]

It was mentioned upthread that GA rail sale tickets aren’t available at weekends.

Can't say I'm surprised - weekend travel Norfolk - London and reverse is extremely busy last few months.

 

[Delenn]

I see that it's still impossible to get from Leeds to Whitby for a day trip for a reasonable price.

I think that this is because the train that gets you between Leeds and Middlesborough for a mid day arrival in Whitby falls within the peak (in spite of not being anywhere near well loaded).

This would be a good service for a positive easement.

Use the Coastliner for that one. It would be £17.50 at most (cheaper if you buy internet tickets etc), and you get the bonus of a trip across the moors.

 

[Kite159]

Looks like the sale is so popular it's broken the LNER website!

 

[cokealot]

Also looked up London St. Pancras-Nottingham. Great British Rail Sale website says £12.50 singles are available. Though when you go into any train booking website, fares as cheap as this are not available on weekends!

There are LOTS of good EMR fares in this sale. I've just bought a few LEI - LON returns for £15 and a Lincoln - Spalding - Peterborough round trip for under £10 (with railcard). Make sure you're using a split ticketing website.

Having a glance on train split for the 14th of May it looks like every train has still got Rail Sale tickets available from LON - NOT. For a few extra pounds you can do London - Lincoln via Nottingham then return via Peterborough on the ECML.

 

[yorkie]

I see TfW are offering sale tickets, despite previous announcements stating they were not going to. This is a bit annoying as I just bought some tickets which I now see are cheaper than when I booked earlier this morning.

 

[James H]

How does it work with the off peak tickets in the sale on Thameslink - which routes are included? I've struggled to find anything.

 

[Class 33]

There are LOTS of good EMR fares in this sale. I've just bought a few LEI - LON returns for £15 and a Lincoln - Spalding - Peterborough round trip for under £10 (with railcard). Make sure you're using a split ticketing website.

Having a glance on train split for the 14th of May it looks like every train has still got Rail Sale tickets available from LON - NOT. For a few extra pounds you can do London - Lincoln via Nottingham then return via Peterborough on the ECML.

Thanks. I'll have a look at EMR journeys to consider.

Meanwhile, I found some great value fares with SouthEastern for travel on Saturdays. Fares between London Victoria and Margate for just £5.10 singles. And high speed journeys between London St. Pancras and Margate for £7! Also with Southern, fares between London Victoria and Bognor Regis for just £2.70 single! I might well have to consider some of those journeys! Can't guarantee the weather will be beach type weather on those days yet. But those are some really good value train journeys, not to be sniffed at!

 

[matt]

I've managed to get sale tickets for my Luton Aiport Parkway to Rugby via London. £2.30 for two with two together Luton Airport Parkway and £7.90 Euston to Rugby on a Friday evening.

 

[trover]

I see TfW are offering sale tickets, despite previous announcements stating they were not going to. This is a bit annoying as I just bought some tickets which I now see are cheaper than when I booked earlier this morning.

Book with confidence is your friend If booking with first group retailer even better with cash refund within 24 hrs

 

[alistairlees]

Has anyone managed to find an Off-Peak Rail Sale ticket from Welwyn Garden City (WGC) to London, on any date? Fares from WGC to London Thameslink are supposed to be £8.20 in the Rail Sale. I'd like to help the Secretary of State (whose constituency includes WGC) find a good value ticket.

Also, has anyone managed to find a South Western Railway Rail Sale Advance Single (ticket type NW1) for any date? I have searched Bournemouth to London Waterloo pretty thoroughly, I think. Even though the National Rail site (and the fares data) show Rail Sale Advance Singles for £9.30, I can't find any on any date (nor for any other SWR route, either). Any takers? I'm beginning to think that SWR have just forgotten to set up any availability.

How does it work with the off peak tickets in the sale on Thameslink - which routes are included? I've struggled to find anything.

I can't see anything has been set up. Anybody else?

Some of Northern's fares don't get a further discount with a railcard, but are generally set at bigger discounts than on other operators. I don't know if Northern have any sale prices that do attract a railcard discount. SWR's also have no discount. But I've not looked at what rates they've set them at.

I don't thinnk they do. So far as I know, Northern have set every Rail Sale fare to be £1.50. I hadn't realised there were no railcard discounts, though that is reasonable considering. Carlisle to Leeds is probably the longest flow (112.75 miles) they have set up though.