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Is it possible to get to Llandrindod cheaply?

Orang Utan said:
I never want to drive. Plenty of us don't.
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I'm 43 and I never got a driving licence - lived in London for a lot of that time, and it's just an unnecessary expense when you've never needed a car and would have problems parking one (and when for most journeys public transport is quicker and cheaper!)

I did do my CBT and rode bikes/scooters on a provisional licence for a while mind you, but that was more a hobby thing than a transport necessity.
 
FFS! I've waited for the 3 months ahead business to book tickets and they're £54 from London to Shrewsbury (single) :mad::mad::mad:

Yet, up to about 3 days ahead, prices are £11.00

Are these really the cheap, advance tickets or has someone overnight bought up every single £11.00 ticket or were there none in the first place? :mad::mad::mad:
 
Seems this 3 months advance thing isn't exactly accurate.

Despite National Rail Enquiries/Virgin displaying the prices for the dates I want, they aren't actually the discount fares. They'll be put on next week (so more than 3 months then). Most confusing for travellers :mad:
 
Minnie_the_Minx said:
FFS! I've waited for the 3 months ahead business to book tickets and they're £54 from London to Shrewsbury (single) :mad::mad::mad:

Yet, up to about 3 days ahead, prices are £11.00

Are these really the cheap, advance tickets or has someone overnight bought up every single £11.00 ticket or were there none in the first place? :mad::mad::mad:
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Quite possibly - the very cheapest tickets are "rationed or quota limited " - much like on Easyjet etc - so you have to be really quick. Still think the cheapest option would be say London Midland on a slowish train to Birmingham or Shrewsbury - change at New St then down the Heart of Wales line with it's "modest" service.....
 
The actual minimum for "timetable compliance" is 12 weeks - if the operators do not do it - they get their g+++ads kicked - so often if there are no massive engineering blocks etc ...they can release journey options quicker and earlier.
 
davesgcr said:
Quite possibly - the very cheapest tickets are "rationed or quota limited " - much like
davesgcr said:
The actual minimum for "timetable compliance" is 12 weeks - if the operators do not do it - they get their g+++ads kicked - so often if there are no massive engineering blocks etc ...they can release journey options quicker and earlier.
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davesgcr said:
£45 single via Paddington / Newport / Craven Arms - pretty consistant fare...

OK - I have free rail travel - (35 years on the railways) - but I would happily pay that
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Birmingham or Shrewsbury - change at New St then down the Heart of Wales line with it's "modest" service.....
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I rang up Virgin direct and queried the prices and asking how come there are still £11 fares almost every day and he said they hadn't been released yet, which is odd as today is exactly 12 weeks which was why I assumed these £54 prices were the final prices
 
davesgcr said:
Quite possibly - the very cheapest tickets are "rationed or quota limited " - much like on Easyjet etc - so you have to be really quick. Still think the cheapest option would be say London Midland on a slowish train to Birmingham or Shrewsbury - change at New St then down the Heart of Wales line with it's "modest" service.....
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Well I figured it would work similar to airlines, but as I said, plenty of other £11 fares available, so unless something major (festival/bank holiday etc.) was going on or a school class or some other big group had nabbed them all :D
 
davesgcr said:
£45 single via Paddington / Newport / Craven Arms - pretty consistant fare...

OK - I have free rail travel - (35 years on the railways) - but I would happily pay that
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Fares released today.

Euston to Shrewsbury + Shrewsbury to Llandrindod = £44.40 for two (one way)
 
davesgcr said:
Excellent news - pleased ...
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Just received an email from The Trainline.com informing that cheap tickets are now available. They're a bit slow aren't they :D

Have to wait a few days to sort return tickets, but looks like I'll have to pay slightly more on return leg
 
2 x trips for 2 people £214 return.

Could have got them slightly cheaper, but avoiding tight transfers

Does anyone now Birmingham New Street really really well or lives near there?

I've heard there's loads of works going on which can make it difficult to find where you want (eg. correct platform) if you don't know the station well.
 
Minnie_the_Minx said:
2 x trips for 2 people £214 return.

Could have got them slightly cheaper, but avoiding tight transfers

Does anyone now Birmingham New Street really really well or lives near there?

I've heard there's loads of works going on which can make it difficult to find where you want (eg. correct platform) if you don't know the station well.
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You're just changing trains at new street, not going out of the station?

It's not really different in that regard tbh, you just get the lift/escalators off the platform into a long concourse type area from which you can access any other platform (afaik). There's no barriers or ticket checks and there are toilets (paid) in this area. There are a couple of shops but most are in the main ticket hall type area beyond staffed ticket barriers.

All the platforms have A and B ends but are single platforms so if you are changing from 4A to 9B it doesn't matter if you go down the platform 9A side as you can then walk along platform to 9B.

What has really changed is how and where you get in/out of the station.
 
BigTom said:
You're just changing trains at new street, not going out of the station?

It's not really different in that regard tbh, you just get the lift/escalators off the platform into a long concourse type area from which you can access any other platform (afaik). There's no barriers or ticket checks and there are toilets (paid) in this area. There are a couple of shops but most are in the main ticket hall type area beyond staffed ticket barriers.

All the platforms have A and B ends but are single platforms so if you are changing from 4A to 9B it doesn't matter if you go down the platform 9A side as you can then walk along platform to 9B.

What has really changed is how and where you get in/out of the station.
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Many thanks BT

No, not planning on leaving the station on the first run.

A and B ends? :confused: (Will see if there's an online map showing platforms)

I'm just a tad worried as friend has walking difficulties and I did a test run yesterday on National Rail Enquiries website for a train today and platforms weren't listed. As there's only a 20 minute gap between trains, I don't want to spend half that 20 minutes figuring out which platform for the next train and then having to rush to next platform. Would just like to know beforehand which platform it is.

The platforms are listed now but I don't know if they'll change.

I'm imagining it a bit like Clapham Junction (which you may or may not have been to).



On this concourse between platforms, are there any sandwich shops?
 
I'm keeping an eye on this to give me an idea what platforms we may arrive on. I already see a Virgin trains from London Euston that's 10 minutes late :(

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/birmingham-new-street-station/departures-arrivals/

So, if we missed our connection, we'd have to probably go and buy another ticket for the next (and only) train to Shrewsbury that would get us there in time for Shrewsbury to Llandrindod connection.

It looks like all the London trains arrive in Birmingham on platforms between 1 and 7 (and 4A). An Aberystywth train is showing as departing from 5B (although whether it always departs from there, I have no idea). Any idea of the distances between these platforms please?

Also, I've seen a map where it shows platform As on one side of something (I imagine a concourse) and platform Bs on the other. I assume you go up by lift or escalator to go from the A platforms to the Bs? Where are the platforms that are neither A or B?

Sorry if I'm sounding really stupid, but I won't have time to figure it out when I get there so need to know beforehand
 
fractionMan said:
It's an awesome place imo. I was there for valentines :D

The metropole hotel there is a crazy green victorian fairy tale castle type thing.
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Yeah, I've seen it :D

They offered to put us up for 2 nights there, but I refused and went for a cheaper B&B :D

Will stick with just the meal there
 
Minnie_the_Minx said:
Yeah, I've seen it :D

They offered to put us up for 2 nights there, but I refused and went for a cheaper B&B :D

Will stick with just the meal there
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We got a great deal from them - two nights, and giant gourmet meals both nights in a tower room. Can't remember the exact amount, but considering we had a giant room and two amazing 5 or 6 course meals it was a steal.

Mind you, great deals are relative. I splashed out a bit cos (a) it was valentines and (b) I was proposing!
 
fractionMan said:
We got a great deal from them - two nights, and giant gourmet meals both nights in a tower room. Can't remember the exact amount, but considering we had a giant room and two amazing 5 or 6 course meals it was a steal.

Mind you, great deals are relative. I splashed out a bit cos (a) it was valentines and (b) I was proposing!
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I think it was £125 per night when we wanted it. The turret wasn't much more expensive though, and did look nice, but decided a B&B for half the price was sufficient :D
 
Minnie_the_Minx said:
I think it was £125 per night when we wanted it. The turret wasn't much more expensive though, and did look nice, but decided a B&B for half the price was sufficient :D
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Yeah, the turret was an extra tenner or something and well, well worth it. Also breakfast in bed was a fiver iirc, and also excellent - they bring it covered in those massive silver domes :cool:

I've just checked and we paid 119 quid a night, for two, in the turret and including a 5 course dinner each with a glass of wine. On valentines weekend. Which was amazing value compared to anywhere else I looked.
 
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