Birmingham International to St Albans

[Geezertronic]

I've got to travel to St Albans for work and I've been looking at ticket splitting since the price of an end to end ticket seems more expensive than if I split at London.

For example (all booked online via the VT website):

Book for the 0720 BHI-EUS = £55.50
Zone 12 Tube card (because I 'aint walking from EUS-STP ) = £7.20
STP-SAC = £16 for an Anytime Day Return
Book for the 1843 EUS-BHI = £43.50

Total = £122.20

Now if I book the journey from end to end using the same timed VT trains and I guess it books specific trains from STP-SAC, it is: £158.00

How's that happened?

 

[oliverj8]

I'm not sure about the answer to your question but you could go to St Albans Abbey instead of St Albans, it just requires a change at Watford Junction and costs £43.70 for an off-peak return.

EDIT: Sorry didn't realize you were traveling peak, my suggestion probably wont help.

 

[Big Chris]

I had a quick check on London Midland, I took May 20th as an example as you hadn't said a date

dep Brum International: 0700 and arrive St Albans: 0917 - £58
dep Brum International: 0920 and arrive St Albans: 1047 - £29

dep St Albans: 1742 and arrive Brum International: 1933 - £45
dep St Albans: 1916 and arrive brum International: 2033 - £29

Depending on when you need to travel/arrive you could pay as little as £58
The most pricy option was £157 and was travel at any time/on any train
Hope that helps
Chris

 

[John @ home]

How's that happened?

Because the British railway fares system is not rational, and it's getting worse.

I've got to travel to St Albans for work and I've been looking at ticket splitting since the price of an end to end ticket seems more expensive than if I split at London.

Agreed. But I don't think London is the best place to split.

First, do you really need to go to St Albans City? As oliverj8 suggests above, St Albans Abbey may be better.

If I needed to get from Birmingham International to St Albans to arrive 0930 -1000 on a weekday, I would choose:

Birmingham International - Milton Keynes Central £60 Standard Anytime Return route Any Permitted. (There is also a £30 Standard Anytime Return route London Midland only, but it's much slower.) I would catch:
0700 Birmingham International - Milton Keynes Central 0740 Virgin.

Then I would use a £26.30 Milton Keynes Central - St Albans Abbey Standard Anytime Day Return route Any Permitted on:
0813 Milton Keynes Central - Watford Junction 0851 Southern
0901 Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey 0913 London Midland.

Total £86.30

With this combination, the timing of your return journey is flexible but you need to choose trains which stop at Milton Keynes.

 

[Big Chris]

just discovered another option

for example:
dep 19th May

Dep Brum International 2020 Arrive St Albans Abbey 2147 - £10

Travellodge 51.50

Dep 20th May
Dep St Albans 2000 Arrive Brum International 2133 - £10

£71.50 and you get some free tea and coffee to boot

 

[Geezertronic]

Thanks for the suggestions guys

The office where I have to go to is right behind St Albans station and I was trying to find a way of avoiding travelling by car due to nowhere to park the thing

 

[Big Chris]

its only a mile or so between the two stations so even if you go to St Albans Abbey it won't take much to get to City

 

[cuccir]

Zone 12 Tube card (because I 'aint walking from EUS-STP ) = £7.20

you lazy sod!

 

[Geezertronic]

its only a mile or so between the two stations so even if you go to St Albans Abbey it won't take much to get to City

Yeah I know, Multimap says it's 23 minutes walking

you lazy sod!

I should know better really since one of the offices in London is down York Way and from Euston I have to walk past St Pancras and Kings Cross to get there

 

[westcoaster]

what about going via leicester or vwc+connections is 65 pound single on the 0639/0700/0705 departures and 40.60 for the return journey.

vwc&connections means using the virgin coach between mkc and luton station

 

[b0b]

I was going to suggest via Leicester as well. I once did I Bedford to Glasgow on a NOT LONDON ticket, via Leicester and Nuneaton and it was certainly the long way around, so much so I ended up excessing the return part via London.

But it could save you money?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ok, got a split for you, Bletchley

SOR Birmingham Intl > Bletchley London Midland Only is 30
SDR Bletchley > St Albans route Bedford, 28.50

58.50 with no time restrictions. Might be slow though!

 

[Dolive22]

SAA-SAC isn't that bad. I wouldn't bother waiting for a bus for example, although that hill is even steeper than it looks on the map. Which office? Murco, Victoria Square or the empty one?

 

[Geezertronic]

SAA-SAC isn't that bad. I wouldn't bother waiting for a bus for example, although that hill is even steeper than it looks on the map. Which office? Murco, Victoria Square or the empty one?

Victoria Square.

Thanks for all the options guys, got some thinking to do

 

[John Webb]

As a possibility from St A Abbey, try this 'diagonal' walk which reduces the climb somewhat:
Turn Rt into Prospect Road
Left into Cottonmill Lane - straight on into Watson's Walk
Bear Rt down London Road
Cross at pedestrian lights by old (hopefully to be restored) cinema
Turn left into Alma Road, use ped crossing a couple of hundred yards up
bear rt into Oswald Road and cross Ridgmont Road to Victoria St.

(I speak as a St Albans resident!)

By the way, can you see the restored St Albans South Signal Box from your office?

Regards,
John Webb

 

[asylumxl]

It really depends when you wish to get there.

I'd personally go a Standard Open Return from Birmingham International to Bletchley. This would then give you the option of "breaking" your journey at Milton Keynes and either then taking the VT99 to Luton or the Marston Vale line to Bedford. Then train from Bedford or Luton to St Albans.

Personally, I've found the coach to be the fastest route on my few trips on the WCML.

£60+ Approx. £10-12 + £7.80. £80 or so with oodles of flexibility...

John, you're not a teacher are you?

 

[John Webb]

..........
John, you're not a teacher are you?

The one job I studiously avoided taking up! I spent most of my working life as a "Legal Arsonist" setting fire to things as a member of the scientific staff at the Fire Research Station.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[asylumxl]

Ah ok. You're a different John Webb scientist.