All line rover

[tigerroar]

Hi, hope someone can help here. I've been reading a few threads on here and quite fancy the idea of having a 7 day all line rover to spend a week travelling around the UK.

However I noticed on here > http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/pr20780b0a0400020167ed620a7e504e/details.html

that standard class costs £430 but if you have a family railcard it costs £283.90 so could I just get a family railcard for £26 and save £120? I'll be travelling alone mind.

Secondly, I want to be able to do at least one sleeper journey, how much extra do I have to pay and can I just "turn up" and book?

Thanks for any help.

 

[transportphoto]

that standard class costs £430 but if you have a family railcard it costs £283.90 so could I just get a family railcard for £26 and save £120? I'll be travelling alone mind.

Hi, welcome to the forum

With a family railcard you have to have a child travelling with you at all times while using the ticket

Same still apply's if you pay for the extra child ticket - the child still has to travel!

HTH

 

[Ibex]

Unfortunatly it doesn't quite work like that with a Family Railcard

The card can be issued in the name of two adults, so that when one named person can’t use it, the other one can, as long as there is at least one child over the age of five travelling.

So unless you're bringing a child you'll have to pay the full fare.

 

[tigerroar]

Well it was worth a try!

Any thoughts on the sleeper question?

 

[rail-britain]

Any thoughts on the sleeper question?

You can turn up and pay the supplement, but NOT recommended

The supplement varies, depending on class and service, starting at £35

 

[Ticket Man]

Secondly, I want to be able to do at least one sleeper journey, how much extra do I have to pay and can I just "turn up" and book?

I wouldn't chance it with the cally sleeper, i regularly see last minute chancers turned away because the train is fully booked

 

[Statto]

I assume the ScotRail Sleepers[especially the Fort William Sleeper] are extremely popular all year round,, so i'd book the Sleeper as early as possible, & i'd book the Sleeper berth on the FGW Sleeper well in advance as well, all you do is pay the supplement.

 

[43167]

Ive used the FGW sleeper mostly. Last time I did an all line, I did that sleeper and about 4 or 5 times, enquired on the night and each time got a berth. At least with the FGW, if the berths are full, there are always the day coaches to fall back on.

Had mixed luck with the Scotrail sleeper, usually when trying to book. Once tried at Edinburgh when trying for a berth on 1 of them & got some excuse we have to ring Glasgow and they have closed now. Though once went to Euston and booked without problems on the day. With the seats, again once got to Euston to see if there were an unreserved seats and was in luck. Though dont think that would be possible now.

 

[Death]

However I noticed on here that standard class costs £430 but if you have a family railcard it costs £283.90 so could I just get a family railcard for £26 and save £120? I'll be travelling alone mind.

With a family railcard you have to have a child travelling with you at all times while using the ticket
Same still apply's if you pay for the extra child ticket - the child still has to travel!

Assuming ye don't qualify for a 16-25 Railcard (Are ye under 26, or under 28 and in full-time education?) the Family Railcard won't work for the reasons given above. If ye have a child that can happily join ye for the duration of the ALR though (And don't mind buying a child ALR) that might work. Do ye know any railway enthusiasts under 16 who could join ye?

I'm not so sure if this'd work...But does anyone know if the concessionary ALR rate can also be had on a Network Railcard?

Secondly, I want to be able to do at least one sleeper journey, how much extra do I have to pay and can I just "turn up" and book?

As others have said, it's always best to book the Sleepers in advance - They're almost always impossible to get last minute space on, especially the Fort William and Inverness portions of the Highland Sleeper! hock:

If ye don't mind sharing thy space with several other travellers though (And can get the reservations to suit) the sleepers also have a seated car at the rear, which holders of valid tickets may use at no extra charge provided they have a seat reservation. It's not as comfortable as a berth, but it's an easy way of saving money if ye need to!

 

[Railjet]

Better still, if you have a friend or relative living abroad who wants to do the same thing, you could get a BritRail Guest Pass. The prices are less than one-third those of a similar ALR.

Examples:
14-day 1st class ALR: £990
15-day 1st class BRGP: about £315

7-day 2nd class ALR: £430
8-day 2nd class BRGP: about £140

 

[bnm]

Assuming ye don't qualify for a 16-25 Railcard (Are ye under 26, or under 28 and in full-time education?)

Any age if ye (:roll are in full-time education.

 

[dcd]

Any age if ye (:roll are in full-time education.

If you are over 60 a senior railcard works too.

I had a first class ALR form July 27th to 2nd August 2010 with Senior Card for £429. I reserved Scotrail sleeper seats on 28,29,30,31 and 1st and on all but the first managed to upgrade on arriving for various amounts either £38 or £43 depending on the attendant. The 1st was Edinburgh to Euston and was full with a "coach party" so had to sleep in the seat.

Scotrail would not answer my emailed question as to the chances of upgrading , just kept replying book a berth. But I did not want to book a berth in case I got held up on a previous journey , luckily I got there on time each night.

 

[Butts]

Better still, if you have a friend or relative living abroad who wants to do the same thing, you could get a BritRail Guest Pass. The prices are less than one-third those of a similar ALR.

Examples:
14-day 1st class ALR: £990
15-day 1st class BRGP: about £315

7-day 2nd class ALR: £430
8-day 2nd class BRGP: about £140

Why are these prices so much cheaper....you can understand a few quid but this a phenomenal difference

 

[34D]

Unfortunatly it doesn't quite work like that with a Family Railcard

The card can be issued in the name of two adults, so that when one named person can’t use it, the other one can, as long as there is at least one child over the age of five travelling.

So unless you're bringing a child you'll have to pay the full fare.

You can voluntarily buy a child ticket for a child under five also.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Better still, if you have a friend or relative living abroad who wants to do the same thing, you could get a BritRail Guest Pass. The prices are less than one-third those of a similar ALR.

Examples:
14-day 1st class ALR: £990
15-day 1st class BRGP: about £315

7-day 2nd class ALR: £430
8-day 2nd class BRGP: about £140

What is needed to 'qualify' for this ticket? Is it simply just an address abroad that it can be posted to?

 

[Railjet]

What is needed to 'qualify' for this ticket? Is it simply just an address abroad that it can be posted to?

The person living abroad needs to buy it.

For the Guest pass, one person has to be resident abroad, and one person has to be resident in the UK. Full details are on the BritRail website, although here is quite a clear summary from the FGW website:

For Residents of the UK: The BritRail Guest Pass
Will a friend or relative from overseas be visiting you shortly?

Be sure to have them purchase a matching BritRail Guest Pass for you when they purchase their own BritRail pass and you’ll both save an impressive 25%!.

This will enable you to travel with them and enjoy the convenience and flexibility of a BritRail pass.

This promotion is available only to British residents (proof of UK residence required), who must be accompanied on their train travels by the International purchaser of the matching BritRail product and provide proof of UK residence upon request.

 

[MCR247]

Why are these prices so much cheaper....you can understand a few quid but this a phenomenal difference

To try and get people to use it?

 

[Railjet]

It is a bit crazy, though, when a 1 month 1st class BRGP is only about 35 quid more than a 1 week 2nd class ALR!

 

[Butts]

Are there any countries in Europe that offer similar discounts to British Visitors
on their version of a Britrail pass that are unavailable to residents.

Only small comparison I can think of is in Switzerland where you used to get a free pass for public transport during your stay (issued by hotel) and free ticket from airport to city centre on the train. This was Geneva ( stand by to swear members went to the Motor Show)

 

[ainsworth74]

You can get an InterRail pass.

 

[Railjet]

Yes, all InterRail one-country passes cannot be purchased/used by local residents.

 

[33056]

For Switzerland you can also get a Swiss Pass , slightly dearer than an InterRail but valid on many more lines as well as busses and trams and also has free entry to hundreds of museums and reductions on mountain railways / cable cars.