Off Peak Family Travelcards - children for £2

[graylo]

Hello all

Looking for return travel for five 12-13 year olds and my wife from Letchworth Garden City to London KX (including Zone 1 travelcard) on 19 January.

On nationalrail.co.uk, four children can go for £2 each, but add an adult and suddenly the price is rocketing.

I've got a gold card but wasn't going along (unless it saves a lot of money ), if I do we have to take our son too.

I've got a complementary ticket for my wife, but I am not sure if I can use that with £2 tickets, or if we can use them at all.

Just looking at the website, we could book four children and then one alone, all for £10, nothing much about who else needs to go?

That can't be right?

 

[GoByThameslink]

Hello all

Looking for return travel for five 12-13 year olds and my wife from Letchworth Garden City to London KX (including Zone 1 travelcard) on 19 January.

...

Just looking at the website, we could book four children and then one alone, all for £10, nothing much about who else needs to go?

That can't be right?

Graylo, the £2 fare is for a child that accompanies an adult - up to 4 can travel. According to National Rail, the cheapest option, including zone 1 is a Group Save 4 (£36) + 2 Extra Children (£1 each with Group Save). Effectively, you pay for two adults (one of whom is an adult), get free travel for 2 Children and pay £1 each for 2 children

If you travel as well, my understanding is 4 children at £2 each + 2 adults @ £11.90 each - ie £31.80. If your Gold Card doesn't include Zone 1, that would be extra.

I'm afraid I don't know whether Children could accompany your wife on a Complimentary ticket.

 

[Hadders]

I don't think Groupsave is available on the Super off-peak Travelcard.

As you have a Gold Card you should be able to get a Network Railcard (Partner Card) for your wife for £1. Is this the complimentary ticket that you refer to? The Network Railcard can be used on the Super Off-peak Travelcard.

Use the Network Card to buy an a ticket for one adult and 4 children. This will cost £25.50 - you will then need an additional undiscounted child ticket costing £9.00 as the maximum number of children that can travel using a Network Card is 4.

Total cost £34.50.

 

[Hadders]

I don't think Groupsave is available on the Super off-peak Travelcard.

As you have a Gold Card you should be able to get a Network Railcard (Partner Card) for your wife for £1. Is this the complimentary ticket that you refer to? The Network Railcard can be used on the Super Off-peak Travelcard.

Use the Network Card to buy an a ticket for one adult and 4 children. This will cost £25.50 - you will then need an additional undiscounted child ticket costing £9.00 as the maximum number of children that can travel using a Network Card is 4.

Total cost £34.50.

 

[island]

I don't think Groupsave is available on the Super off-peak Travelcard.

Why ever not?

 

[Hadders]

I have absolutely no idea why! The T's&C's only mention off-peak day returns and off-peak travelcards and their on-line booking site does not offer a Groupsave on the super off-peak travelcard.

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/tickets-and-fares/off-peak-tickets/groupsave/groupsave-tcs/

I can only assume it's because the super off-peak is only available at weekends as is already significantly cheaper than the normal off-peak fares.

I do wonder how many people get caught out by this though.

 

[tom3107]

Groupsave is definitely available on Super Off-Peak Travelcards from FCC. I used one myself with Groupsave 4 last weekend. http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/tickets-and-fares/off-peak-tickets/super-off-peak/

 

[GoByThameslink]

Groupsave is definitely available on Super Off-Peak Travelcards from FCC. I used one myself with Groupsave 4 last weekend. http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/tickets-and-fares/off-peak-tickets/super-off-peak/

Agreed - I got one yesterday as well. 3 People return, with a cost a lot less than the normal peak return for a single person.

 

[graylo]

Thank you all for your help.

I never knew about the Network Railcard (Partner Card), so that seems the way to go, thank you.

The complementary ticket is one of the two free return tickets they give when I renewed my season ticket.

Another question that may have been covered above, but my brain is fried at the mo and I can't work it out.

Could my wife use her complementary ticket and the Network Railcard (Partner Card) so we only have to pay 4 x £2 + 1 x £9 for the children (plus she would have her Oyster for the Tube)?