Reading to manchester 02/04 return 03/04

[Jamiescott1]

I need to do the above journey (well technically from marlow but have a season ticket for the first bit) and have been checking for the past few weeks for advance tickets to go on sale but nothing yet.

When / if do you expect cross country to release advance tickets ?

Any advice for cheapest fare possible. Arriving in Manchester around lunchtime and leaving about 4pm / 5pm on the 3rd.

 

[3rd rail land]

I believe advance tickets are being released up to 6 weeks in advance so you've got a bit of wait ahead of you before you'll see advances for these dates.

The days of advance tickets being released up to 12 weeks out are gone and I'd surprised if we ever see advances ever being that far in advance again.

 

[jfollows]

If going via London is an option for you (it's the way I would always go, my sister used to live in Sonning and I avoid XC at all cost, but some people don't like the cross-London transfer) then there are cheap LNW+FGW tickets on the semi-fast changing at Crewe.
Avanti has reservations based on an hourly service only, I don't know whether or not that applies up to April.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Thanks. I'll check via London. Its just incredibly slow off peak from maidenhead to London

 

[Class800]

You could get the ticket from Reading and use the fast train to Paddington, avoiding the slow Maidenhead issue

 

[30907]

As you are travelling at a weekend, you may find that reservations (and therefore Advances) are released at a couple of weeks' notice.

 

[Haywain]

You could get the ticket from Reading and use the fast train to Paddington, avoiding the slow Maidenhead issue

If the OP has a season ticket between Maidenhead and Reading they won't need a ticket from Reading, a ticket from Maidenhead would be enough.

 

[Class800]

If the OP has a season ticket between Maidenhead and Reading they won't need a ticket from Reading, a ticket from Maidenhead would be enough.

I thought so - but then the OP said

Thanks. I'll check via London. Its just incredibly slow off peak from maidenhead to London

Suggesting they felt they needed to use the slow lines.

On a season ticket, the train does not need to stop at Maidenhead to use a Maidenhead ticket plus the season.So, this should resolve the issue with the slow lines

 

[Haywain]

Suggesting they felt they needed to use the slow lines.

I think the OP had simply not thought as laterally as many of us do.

 

[Non Multi]

If you took the following route, I think you'd get to the West Midlands a fair bit sooner than via London:

800/850 bus Marlow-High Wycombe, then walk (or other bus) to the Railway Station.

I think all the operators below offer advances, or certainly did pre-pandemic:
Chiltern: High Wycombe-Birmingham Moor St, then walk to New Street Railway Station.
LNWR: Birmingham New St - Crewe | or Avanti: Birmingham New St-Manchester Pic.
Northern: Crewe-Manchester Pic.

If you still want to travel using XC, the old NSE fares boundary is at Banbury.

 

[Jamiescott1]

I think the OP had simply not thought as laterally as many of us do.

I did think laterally.
Leaving Marlow on a Saturday at 0900 has an arrival time in Paddington of 0959 (changing at Maidenhead and Slough).
Changing at both Maidenhead and Reading I will arrive in London at 10.26.