tell me about eurostar

[Dr. Furface]

Eh?

I don't think an off peak return victoria to gatwick is anything near that much.

You can get single journey tix for £12 online

 

[sim667]

An anytime off-peak return starts at £32.40 from a return within a month

The Gatwick Express is £32.70 for the same ticket.

Oh right, didn't realise he was talking about an anytime.


I live two stops before gatwick on that line, and its £12 for a return whenever I go to london, hence my surprise.

BTW, I think southern tickets are valid on gatwick express, but they'll try and tell you they're not. There's been some debate about that down in these parts.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

BTW, I think southern tickets are valid on gatwick express, but they'll try and tell you they're not. There's been some debate about that down in these parts.

Origin:
London Terminals
Destination:
Gatwick Airport
Route:
Not valid for travel on Gatwick Express services.

 

[scifisam]

Oh right, didn't realise he was talking about an anytime.


I live two stops before gatwick on that line, and its £12 for a return whenever I go to london, hence my surprise.

BTW, I think southern tickets are valid on gatwick express, but they'll try and tell you they're not. There's been some debate about that down in these parts.

It's the cheapest return ticket available and it's off-peak - I hardly cherry-picked the most expensive ticket.

I have found the £12 ticket, but it's on a specific train and I had to go over a month in advance to find one that had a single seat available. I don't know about you but I'd never book a specific train for an airport service, certainly not when coming back. The odds of missing that train and having to pay for a more expensive ticket are too great.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

It's the cheapest return ticket available and it's off-peak - I hardly cherry-picked the most expensive ticket.

I've just had a look on the trainline and despite the supposed existence of these £12 tickets they're not coming up for any date and time I put in. I think they must be to near Gatwick rather than the airport itself.

Redhill is £11.90 off-peak return to/from London.

 

[scifisam]

Redhill is £11.90 off-peak return to/from London.

I've found the £12 ticket now. But it's not really a practical option IMO.

 

[teuchter]

Origin:
London Terminals
Destination:
Gatwick Airport
Route:
Not valid for travel on Gatwick Express services.

The dispute, I think, is that Gatwick Express cannot enforce such a condition, because they are the same company as Southern. Or something.

 

[teuchter]

BTW: you can now use oyster PAYG to/from Gatwick. £8.30 each way off peak, £14.70 each way peak. I usually advise guests arriving at Gatwick to buy an Oyster there and use it to get into London.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

The dispute, I think, is that Gatwick Express cannot enforce such a condition, because they are the same company as Southern. Or something.

Sounds a bit spurious; buy a ticket on Vueling and demand to fly on BA kind of thing.

 

[sealion]

The dispute, I think, is that Gatwick Express cannot enforce such a condition, because they are the same company as Southern. Or something.

You can get an -any route permitted -ticket. It will let you use the express. I do this a couple of times a week.

 

[teuchter]

Sounds a bit spurious; buy a ticket on Vueling and demand to fly on BA kind of thing.

It's all based on the rules that determine what kinds of tickets TOCs are allowed to sell.

Here's an explanation

 

[teuchter]

You can get an -any route permitted -ticket. It will let you use the express. I do this a couple of times a week.

Yes, but they are more expensive than Southern-only or Thameslink-only tickets.

 

[teuchter]

Regarding Eurostar:

My tip is check prices on bahn.de

Search for tickets from London to Aachen or Cologne (Koln) (which will go via Brussels).

Sometimes these will be cheaper than what the Eurostar website offers you just to Brussels.

Also sometimes worth looking at the Loco2 website.

 

[sealion]

Yes, but they are more expensive than Southern-only or Thameslink-only tickets.

Not by much and the express knocks a bit of time off the journey.

 

[scifisam]

BTW: you can now use oyster PAYG to/from Gatwick. £8.30 each way off peak, £14.70 each way peak. I usually advise guests arriving at Gatwick to buy an Oyster there and use it to get into London.

That's not bad at all. Though I think I'd avoid it - no seats and the trains start before Gatwick so you're likely to be standing all the way.

I hate going to Gatwick though. From East London it's such a long journey, esp at night, and Victoria is an arse (Blackfriars is fine if you can get the train there). IIRC the transfer from the station to the actual departure lounge is really long too, but it's been a while.

 

[scifisam]

Regarding Eurostar:

My tip is check prices on bahn.de

Search for tickets from London to Aachen or Cologne (Koln) (which will go via Brussels).

Sometimes these will be cheaper than what the Eurostar website offers you just to Brussels.

Also sometimes worth looking at the Loco2 website.

Are you allowed to depart at Brussels on those tickets though?

 

[teuchter]

the express knocks a bit of time off the journey.

It generally doesn't though - sometimes it's slightly faster than the faster Southern services, sometimes it's slightly slower.

 

[teuchter]

Are you allowed to depart at Brussels on those tickets though?

Don't think there's anything to stop you just not going any further than Brussels.

On the way back, yes I'd double check (I think this is something I've checked out in the past and decided there's no problem). In any case, you can't do a cross-platform interchange in that direction - you have to go in through the Eurostar security etc so I don't think they'd be able to distinguish whether or not you'd done the first part of the journey.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Are you allowed to depart at Brussels on those tickets though?

yes as you have to change trains at Brussels and they have no way of knowing whether you used your onward tickets or not.

 

[sealion]

It generally doesn't though - sometimes it's slightly faster than the faster Southern services, sometimes it's slightly slower.

Outside of rush hour it's great. Brighton to Victoria stopping only at Gatwick takes 56 minutes and less on the weekends or on industrial action dates. When the line from Gatwick to Brighton is busy then it's slighly slower as there's no take over points on parts the antiquated line. I have never done the journey quicker on Southern as it has more stopping points.

 

[scifisam]

Handy. I just asked because I know it's not always possible to do the same within the UK.

 

[teuchter]

Outside of rush hour it's great. Brighton to Victoria stopping only at Gatwick takes 56 minutes and less on the weekends or on industrial action dates. When the line from Gatwick to Brighton is busy then it's slighly slower as there's no take over points on parts the antiquated line. I have never done the journey quicker on Southern as it has more stopping points.

We're talking about Gatwick to Victoria here, not Brighton to Victoria.

 

[sealion]

We're talking about Gatwick to Victoria here, not Brighton to Victoria.

Even Gatwick to Victoria is quicker as it doesn't stop at east Croydon or Clapham junction. Derail anyway,,,

 

[teuchter]

Even Gatwick to Victoria is quicker as it doesn't stop at east Croydon or Clapham junction.

It's not though, that was my point. Sometimes it is by a couple of minutes, sometimes it's slower. GE is something of a con. All it gets you if starting from Gatwick is a better chance of getting a seat.

Also... it can actually be cheaper to buy a ticket from locations south of Gatwick. The pricing, and the GE itself, is just there to take advantage of unwary tourists/travellers.

 

[bemused]

I met Nigel Farage on the Eurostar once - apart from that, it was okay. I prefer it to flying.

 

[trashpony]

Isn't that partly because you live quite close to Gatwick? It costs me quite a lot of money to get there but King's Cross is one short tube journey. And then at the other end you're already in the city too.

Eurostar is cheaper for disabled people and people under 26 too (it's free for under-fours).

Its free for under 4s but they don’t get a seat!

 

[sealion]

Also... it can actually be cheaper to buy a ticket from locations south of Gatwick. The pricing, and the GE itself, is just there to take advantage of unwary tourists/travellers.

That's why you should buy an any route permitted ticket rather than one for GE, it's valid on the GE as well. You are right about the unwary tourists/ ravellers bit.

 

[trashpony]

I'm all for eurostar. Its so much easier than flying. What with checking in, luggage and boarding. You get to your destination and just walk, no baggage collection, no ticket check, nothing. Amongst other trips. We took the inaugural train to Avignon. Brilliant.
left a cold grey London and walked off in a hot sunny south of France...so damn cool.

I found it awful. Mass rush for car hire places, no trolleys, nowhere to sit in Avignon station while waiting for the return train, having to haul all your luggage off at Lyon for passport control on the way back. Wouldn’t do it again in a hurry

 

[teuchter]

That's why you should buy an any route permitted ticket rather than one for GE, it's valid on the GE as well.

No, the question of buying an any-permitted instead of route-specific is a separate question from whether you buy from Gatwick or from a point further south.

Gatwick express only is not cheaper than any permitted, true. So if you want to travel on Gatwick Express you might as well get an any permitted ticket and be able to use it on other services too.
However, "southern only", "thameslink only" and "not gatwick express" are cheaper than either "gatwick express only or "any permitted". That applies whether you buy a ticket from Gatwick, or from somewhere further south.

 

[sealion]

Gatwick express only is not cheaper than any permitted, true. So if you want to travel on Gatwick Express you might as well get an any permitted ticket and be able to use it on other services too.

I said this up thread.

However, "southern only", "thameslink only" and "not gatwick express" are cheaper than either "gatwick express only or "any permitted". That applies whether you buy a ticket from Gatwick, or from somewhere further south.

I am aware of this too, i have used the service weekly for nearly 3 years. The difference is not much, a pound and a few pence.