Britain's best value transport ticket?

[BlueFox]

It's £288.

I think radamfi is referring to the first class version. The second class one is £288.

 

[najaB]

For 425 euros you can get a 7 days in a month Interrail Global Pass which has no time restrictions.

This may be true, but it doesn't answer the thread-starting question "Britain's best value transport ticket?"

 

[Dentonian]

Metrolink Family Day Travelcard (after 0930 weekdays, any time weekends and Bank Holidays).

£6.70 for the entire Metrolink network for the day for one or two adults with one to three children in tow. Astonishing value for money!

Doesn't this rather contradict your sentiments regarding getting from Manchester Airport to business locations near Woodhouse Park on another thread?

Just proves VFM is a very subjective concept. All I would need is free taxi connections (about 3 miles each way to the nearest stop), a family (with identical travel demands/interest) and a cushion. I wonder of the HSA outlaws people from taking personal cushions on public transport.

 

[Howardh]

Metrolink Family Day Travelcard (after 0930 weekdays, any time weekends and Bank Holidays).

£6.70 for the entire Metrolink network for the day for one or two adults with one to three children in tow. Astonishing value for money!

It is considering now the network has been enlarged significantly!

 

[Ianno87]

Doesn't this rather contradict your sentiments regarding getting from Manchester Airport to business locations near Woodhouse Park on another thread?

Just proves VFM is a very subjective concept. All I would need is free taxi connections (about 3 miles each way to the nearest stop), a family (with identical travel demands/interest) and a cushion. I wonder of the HSA outlaws people from taking personal cushions on public transport.

I don't understand how it's a contradiction, it's an entirely different point. Commuters doing a daily journey to work value their time and journey choices (time and convenience being the main drivers) wildly differently to a family on a day out (cost being a main factor, compared to say parking in Manchester City Centre for the day).

Anyway, lots of families either live within walking distance of a tram stop, or have access to a car to drive to the nearest Park & Ride, which are plentifully spread across the network. Clearly the ticket is not aimed at you (but the Adult or Group day tickets are also good value, IMHO).

When you consider the Metrolink ticket price and compare it to a Family Day ticket on Stagecoach buses here in Cambridge - £7.80 for one adult maximum in the group - then I'd snap up the Metrolink ticket any day.

The popularity of Metrolink suggest the seats don't both most people.

 

[Dentonian]

I don't understand how it's a contradiction, it's an entirely different point. Commuters doing a daily journey to work value their time and journey choices (time and convenience being the main drivers) wildly differently to a family on a day out (cost being a main factor, compared to say parking in Manchester City Centre for the day).

Anyway, lots of families either live within walking distance of a tram stop, or have access to a car to drive to the nearest Park & Ride, which are plentifully spread across the network. Clearly the ticket is not aimed at you (but the Adult or Group day tickets are also good value, IMHO).

When you consider the Metrolink ticket price and compare it to a Family Day ticket on Stagecoach buses here in Cambridge - £7.80 for one adult maximum in the group - then I'd snap up the Metrolink ticket any day.

The popularity of Metrolink suggest the seats don't both most people.

I take your specific point, but equally you are illustrating the fundamental reason why current Transport Strategy (dominated by a Rail is good; bus is bad mentality) is doomed to failure. There are *millions* of car less households in Britain, including 360,000 in Greater Manchester. We cannot continue with this self contradiction of everyone having to purchase, tax and insure a car - but then NOT use it. Its crazy, utterly crazy.

As for the points about Metrolink "seats", Metrolink is popular mainly amongst the young, physically fit, image concious generation. When they develop Athritis or other bone weaking diseases (mine is more serious than Arthritis and specifically targets the spine), they might be bothered by hard plastic bum perches.

 

[PeterY]

Thats the problem i have , i wanted to do clear a few lines but takes time and if you stay a bit away you need to factor in going home . Also fitting in lunch etc/

That's the problem I have living down south. Getting to the start point, especially "up north"
This year I've done a West Midland day ranger, Greater Anglia day ranger. 2 Devon day rangers and an ALR.

I know I'd be wasting my money on a Lincolnshire Day ranger, it's only any good if you like hanging around railway stations waiting for connections .

 

[radamfi]

That's the problem I have living down south.

If you are down south and especially if you are near London or an airport, you might as well pop on a plane, overnight coach or Eurostar and explore transport on the continent instead.

 

[higthomas]

I always think the Explorer ticket covering all buses on pretty much every bus operator in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and bits of Hampshire for £8.50 is pretty good value.

Otherwise I semi seriously considered making a journey I had to do from Oxford to the North Norfolk coast solely on the ~£10 Stagecoach East student dayrider. Sadly I was leaving to late in the day to make it and it won't ever be possible again after they've got rid of the King's Lynn operations.

 

[The Ham]

A fairly good value season ticket is the Reading to Woking one (£87 for a week) it allows travel on the following services:
- Reading - Basingstoke
- Basingstoke - Woking
- Woking - Guildford
- Guildford - Reading

Given that the season ticket for Basingstoke - Woking is more than this it can be fairly good value, especially if you travel semi regularly beyond your core commute.

However it's never going to able to match the large bus zones for cheapness.

 

[peri]

That's the problem I have living down south. Getting to the start point, especially "up north"
This year I've done a West Midland day ranger, Greater Anglia day ranger. 2 Devon day rangers and an ALR.

I know I'd be wasting my money on a Lincolnshire Day ranger, it's only any good if you like hanging around railway stations waiting for connections .

A few years back, I did a Lincolnshire ranger: Peterborough - Lincoln - Nottingham - Skegness - Lincoln - Doncaster. Cleethorpes was all I couldn't fit in.
Bit expensive compared to Greater Anglia day ranger though.

 

[AndrewE]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the ENCTS (pensioners') bus pass yet! I used mine yesterday when Northern Fail had cancelled most Barrow line services.

 

[Alex Smith]

Sail Rail tickets have to be up there with the best value. I did Mallaig to Derry/Londonderry. Price was around £60.

Mallaig - Fort William
Fort William - Crewe
Crewe - Holyhead
Holyhead - Dublin Ferry Port
Dublin - Belfast
Belfast - Derry/Londonderry

 

[najaB]

Sail Rail tickets have to be up there with the best value. I did Mallaig to Derry/Londonderry. Price was around £60.

Mallaig - Fort William
Fort William - Crewe
Crewe - Holyhead
Holyhead - Dublin Ferry Port
Dublin - Belfast
Belfast - Derry/Londonderry

Agreed, though already mentioned.

 

[cactustwirly]

Can anyone beat Reading - Hereford (about 112 miles) for £3.85 each way?
I know they're advances, but still they are very cheap!

 

[Tetchytyke]

The ENCTS bus pass!

Travel on any bus in any part of the country, all for a financial contribution of £0.00.

Can't beat that for value. At least not until it drives all subsidised bus services off the road, anyway.

 

[radamfi]

If we are including free travel deals, then you could include the free weekend travel on the TrawsCymru network, and you don't even need to be old to qualify.

 

[Crossover]

Metrolink Family Day Travelcard (after 0930 weekdays, any time weekends and Bank Holidays).

£6.70 for the entire Metrolink network for the day for one or two adults with one to three children in tow. Astonishing value for money!

It is considering now the network has been enlarged significantly!

I would put quite a few of the PTE tickets down as good value. I have used the GM ones a few times this year, most recently a Daysaver TBM (Train, Bus, Metrolink) which even at £9.30 I think is pretty reasonable for what is covered

I know I'd be wasting my money on a Lincolnshire Day ranger, it's only any good if you like hanging around railway stations waiting for connections .

Yes, I have used one of these once with @Starmill - very nearly missed a connection which would have been day over pretty much, even as early as mid-afternoon!