No LNER advances Grimsby - Edinburgh. Are there any savings to be had elsewhere?

[DeeGee]

I'm putting together an itinerary to try to save what's left of a booked holiday (assuming that the travel corridors will still be in place, which may well not be the case), and I have to be in Edinburgh on the evening of the 22nd October returning during the afternoon of the Sunday, 25th October.

I'll be travelling up from Grimsby Town. Just me, and I don't hold a railcard that is any use for this purpose.

Currently looking, there is no confirmed timetable for the Sunday, and there appear to be no advance tickets of any kind on the Thursday, so it looks like it'll have to be the good-old walk-up fares.

Is an end-to-end ticket the cheapest option?

In reality, it's the airport I need. Is Waverley the best destination?

Of course, it might all be utterly academic.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

You could either get a ticket to Waverley/Haymarket and then take the tram or bus to the airport from there, or you could take the train to Edinburgh Gateway or Edinburgh Park (which are nearer the airport) and get the tram from either of those. Through tickets are available to "Edinburgh Airport by Bus or Tram" but only from these origins (they are primarily longer distance fares set by ScotRail).

It's certainly cheaper to split in some cases, and indeed there are some exceptional value flat-fare LNER offers available on the outward date. I got one example itinerary departing at 11:34 outbound and 15:49 return (to/from Edinburgh Gateway) for £92.64 total on TrainSplit. There are a variety of itineraries and fares available depending on what you want.

Bear in mind that it is the rail industry's policy that Advances (which include LNER flat fares) are now no longer refundable in case of change of mind due to coronavirus-related restrictions etc. You would only be entitled to a refund if one of your trains was cancelled, delayed or otherwise retimed. You could, however, change your booking to a different date or time for a fee of £10 (plus any increase in fare).

 

[Ianno87]

Try splitting tickets at Doncaster. TPE's quotas sometime block the cheapest Advances.

 

[choochootrain]

You could either get a ticket to Waverley/Haymarket and then take the tram or bus to the airport from there, or you could take the train to Edinburgh Gateway or Edinburgh Park (which are nearer the airport) and get the tram from either of those. Through tickets are available to "Edinburgh Airport by Bus or Tram" but only from these origins (they are primarily longer distance fares set by ScotRail).

It's certainly cheaper to split in some cases, and indeed there are some exceptional value flat-fare LNER offers available on the outward date. I got one example itinerary departing at 11:34 outbound and 15:49 return (to/from Edinburgh Gateway) for £92.64 total on TrainSplit. There are a variety of itineraries and fares available depending on what you want.

Bear in mind that it is the rail industry's policy that Advances (which include LNER flat fares) are now no longer refundable in case of change of mind due to coronavirus-related restrictions etc. You would only be entitled to a refund if one of your trains was cancelled, delayed or otherwise retimed. You could, however, change your booking to a different date or time for a fee of £10 (plus any increase in fare).

How is that policy of no refunds going to hold up if the government reimpose restrictions on travel?

 

[DeeGee]

Try splitting tickets at Doncaster. TPE's quotas sometime block the cheapest Advances.

Of course! Silly me. And that gives me a far wider range of trains. The ones that dovetail in with the TPE services have no advances, whereas the other ones don't.

I'll happily risk £18 ish!

Do I get Nectar points on LNER advances if I get them through the TPE app? Or is that TPE tickets only?

 

[2L70]

I book a lot of travel for others and always look at Doncaster first for prices, or even Hull, coming off the TPE south route

 

[DeeGee]

Thanks, I've booked the first bit.

Can't get the return yet, but that's because the timetable isn't ready, I think.

Assuming that I find that I can't get a suitable advance at a suitable price, am I able to part-exchange the Advance ticket for the cost of the off-peak with a £10 handling fee?

 

[Haywain]

Assuming that I find that I can't get a suitable advance at a suitable price, am I able to part-exchange the Advance ticket for the cost of the off-peak with a £10 handling fee?

Yes, you would be able to do that.

 

[_toommm_]

Do I get Nectar points on LNER advances if I get them through the TPE app? Or is that TPE tickets only?

Points on all tickets, unless it’s changed in the past few days.

 

[DeeGee]

So, I've seen the engineering works for that weekend now, and Cross-Country (as I was looking to see what all operators are doing) suggests that there will be track works until 9am on the Sunday. I'll wait to see what happens nearer the time, but I don't imagine under any circumstances that I would be able to make a EDB-GMB valid via the WCML, would I? If the LNER is taking the long route via Carlisle? Not sure if there's a time saving.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I suspect this is the reason that TrainSplit is suggesting travelling back via Preston. May still be worthwhile price-wise to take a diverted LNER service, depending on what Advances get released.

Grimsby-Edinburgh is only valid via the ECML, but there are cheap, flexible TPE only fares from Grimsby-Glasgow which might be worth considering as an option. Alternatively an Any Permitted Glasgow fare is only about £1 more than the equivalent Edinburgh fare and gives you much more routing flexibility (you can go via WCML or ECML).

 

[route101]

I recently did Hull to Glasgow, i bought cheap advance from York to Glasgow and bought Hull to York ticket on day. The advance did not go on sale until a week or two before travel date.

 

[_toommm_]

So, I've seen the engineering works for that weekend now, and Cross-Country (as I was looking to see what all operators are doing) suggests that there will be track works until 9am on the Sunday. I'll wait to see what happens nearer the time, but I don't imagine under any circumstances that I would be able to make a EDB-GMB valid via the WCML, would I? If the LNER is taking the long route via Carlisle? Not sure if there's a time saving.

Splitting at Leeds can get you itineraries via the WCML, either using the Bentham Line to change at Lancaster or the Settle and Carlisle to change at Carlisle. Not sure if splitting at Leeds is economically viable though.

 

[Deerfold]

Splitting at Leeds can get you itineraries via the WCML, either using the Bentham Line to change at Lancaster or the Settle and Carlisle to change at Carlisle. Not sure if splitting at Leeds is economically viable though.

Note that at the moment there's only 1 train a day from Leeds along the Bentham line (but 5 on Sundays!). There's another 3 with a change at Skipton.

 

[DeeGee]

I think, given the length of the journey, I might try via Piccadilly to give me a big station with facilities to break a journey. Happy to do a split there.

How long would it take to get from Edi Airport to Waverley? For a 12.25 arrival is 14.12 too early? There's a train at 16.12 which might connect OK.

 

[Haywain]

How long would it take to get from Edi Airport to Waverley? For a 12.25 arrival is 14.12 too early? There's a train at 16.12 which might connect OK.

That looks a bit tight to me, unless you get through the airport fairly quickly. I don’t think I would risk it.

 

[DeeGee]

I don't really know Edinburgh Airport, but apparently there's a fast track passports product which can be purchased.

Looking at an origin of Edinburgh Airport Bus/Tram, there's a departure at 13:50 (so almost 90 minutes after landing) from the airport, changing at Haymarket onto that TPE at 14.16, to arrive at Piccadilly at 17.24. I can build an hour or so into my stop at Piccadilly before getting the TPE home on a different ticket.

It doesn't appear to be an "Airport Advance", so it'll be booked train only.

2 questions.

1. The first leg is on a Scotrail RRB. If I should get out earlier, would I be permitted to take a tram to Haymarket on this ticket?
2. Is there any catering on TPE at the moment?

If this appears to work, then I have the following:

Outwards: DON-EDB Advance (£18.70, already bought)
Return: EDA-MAN Advance TPE&CONNECT (£41.00) and MAN-GMB Advance TPE Only (£14.80)

That works for me if the timings will work, just need to see the cheapest way to get GMB to DON on the Thursday.

 

[yorkie]

would I be permitted to take a tram to Haymarket on this ticket?

On a ticket from Edinburgh Airport Bus/Tram? Yes.

That works for me if the timings will work, just need to see the cheapest way to get GMB to DON on the Thursday.

Just had a look on Trainsplit and found loads of advances for about £7

 

[Porty]

Allow 40 mins travel time from Edinburgh Airport to city centre. Slightly less to Haymarket. 100 bus (every 12 mins) is slightly cheaper than tram (every 10-15 mins). Both pass directly outside Haymarket Station and close to Waverley.

 

[yorkie]

Another thing for future reference is to consider booking the journey as one journey with a through itinerary.

The number of tickets doesn't matter of course, but if you book each ticket separately it can cause issues if trains are retimed or cancelled, and especially if separate retailers are used.

We have had quite a few instances lately where just one train being retained can throw an entire itinerary out of line. @trainophile recently cancelled her journey due to this reason and it would have been straightforward as all tickets were bought as one journey with one itinerary

Another benefit is that you can obtain one PDF containing all your e tickets, which is so much easier than faffing with separate PDFs or separate pieces of paper; it also makes any Delay Repay claims easier too.

 

[reb0118]

1. The first leg is on a Scotrail RRB. If I should get out earlier, would I be permitted to take a tram to Haymarket on this ticket?

Technically there is no rail replacement bus [RRB] from the airport - that would probably be the Lothian service 100 (the airport express).

With a ticket to/from the airport your permitted interchange points between the rail & tram networks include Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park, Haymarket, & Edinburgh Waverley/St. Andrew Square.

With the bus (service 100) you can change at Haymarket or Waverley.

In terms of simplicity it's easier getting either a direct bus or tram - off peak there's no real time difference - to whichever city centre railway station suits your needs. I've no preference but as my travelling companions are now over 60 we gravitate towards the bus as it's free for them. The bus is frequent, there is lots of luggage space, & if you bag the upstairs seat above the driver you'll get some great views of the city.

With regards to the tram, it is also frequent with lots of luggage space. The vistas are not so exciting though as you are lower down. There is wifi (also on the bus). However with the tram you can also access the rail network earlier - albeit with an additional change. If you get a suitable connection you can save some time by changing at Edinburgh Gateway [EGY] or Edinburgh Park [EDP] for a train right into the city centre. Use Realtime Trains or Traksy to check the running of any connections before doing this, however.

The choice is yours.

 

[DeeGee]

Ah, but now an LNER Advance has come up at 1600 from Waverley to Doncaster, at a decent price, so I've grabbed that, and it's still all much cheaper than walk-ups. Not sure what's open at Waverley right now, but I imagine I'll find something to eat.

 

[Wallsendmag]

There wasn't a lot last time I was there but the Waverly Mall was open.

 

[reb0118]

The Guildford Arms

Classic Edinburgh New Town Victorian Bar & Restaurant owned and operated by the Stewart family since 1896. One of Scotland's "People's Palaces", renowned as one of the nation's foremost purveyors of Real Ale.

guildfordarms.com

Up the Waverley Steps, cross Princes Street, go slightly right past the Apple Store, & Bob's your uncle.