Train v hire car in uk, challenge

[dessiato]

I need to travel Grimsby to Longniddry on 30th September. One way. One passenger. I must be in Longniddry no later than 18:30. This time is not negotiable.

Changes are not a big problem. I want a pre-booked seat. I can/will get a railcard if it makes sufficient cost savings.

Trainline is saying £162 to travel early-ish (about 10:30)

I can get 4 day, one way, car rental for about £200.

There's a lot of people on here who can, they say, get super cheap rail fares.

So, here's the challenge. Find me that ticket.

 

[ruffneck23]

From :

No Trains Available | National Rail

We are unable to find your requested journey at this time. Please try and select an alternative route or operator. Thank you.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

or google cheapest fare finder and go to the national rail link.

Dont know if 5 hours is too long for you though?

 

[keybored]

Dont know if 5 hours is too long for you though?

It's almost that long by car too.

 

[ruffneck23]

It's almost that long by car too.

Job done then

 

[farmerbarleymow]

View attachment 289134

From :

No Trains Available | National Rail

We are unable to find your requested journey at this time. Please try and select an alternative route or operator. Thank you.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

or google cheapest fare finder and go to the national rail link.

Dont know if 5 hours is too long for you though?

Split tickets might be cheaper still.



NB - you don't need to book via that site if you don't want to pay the booking fee - you can buy the tickets from the train company or the trainline site directly.

Split Train Tickets | E-Tickets | Google/Apple Wallet | Save £20 on average

The Split Ticketing Champions - Compare fares and get the best value for money through split tickets and booking cheap train tickets online and on our mobile app, E-Tickets to your phone, no booking fee, save up to 90%

book.splitticketing.com

 

[neonwilderness]

or the trainline site directly.

Just don’t tell Bungle

Yeah, getting an advance ticket for Doncaster to Edinburgh, then separate tickets for the bit at each end looks to be the cheapest way.

 

[dessiato]

Thank you. This makes it worth using the train rather than one way car hire.

My first thoughts were that I'd not use the train, too expensive, but this starts to make sense.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

Thank you. This makes it worth using the train rather than one way car hire.

My first thoughts were that I'd not use the train, too expensive, but this starts to make sense.

In what way does such stupid, complicated, rail pricing make sense?

 

[dessiato]

In what way does such stupid, complicated, rail pricing make sense?

It doesn't, but saving a lot of money does make sense. I can save £100+ by knowing about split tickets. I wonder how many know about this, or would look for it. My f-i-l wouldn't know, and because he can't use the internet, would rely on being given the information at the booking office.

Ticketing needs to be simplified.

 

[dessiato]

Split tickets might be cheaper still.

View attachment 289140

NB - you don't need to book via that site if you don't want to pay the booking fee - you can buy the tickets from the train company or the trainline site directly.

Split Train Tickets | E-Tickets | Google/Apple Wallet | Save £20 on average

The Split Ticketing Champions - Compare fares and get the best value for money through split tickets and booking cheap train tickets online and on our mobile app, E-Tickets to your phone, no booking fee, save up to 90%

book.splitticketing.com

If I get a railcard I can recover the cost in one trip to the UK, and save again at Xmas.

 

[High Voltage]

In what way does such stupid, complicated, rail pricing make sense?

Eehhh hummm!

I think you'll find that you're confusing a stupid, complicated rail pricing system

With giving the "customer" what they've always wanted, but could never get under a nationalised railway system, and that its the choice to pay an over priced ticket charge

 

[pseudonarcissus]

If I get a railcard I can recover the cost in one trip to the UK, and save again at Xmas.

Great

We’re still red list so no U.K. travel for me dor the foreseeable, but I love going by train.

 

[dessiato]

I've just used slitticketing to book Manchester to Cleethorpes. Trainline was 62€, split ticketing plus using myrailcard, £16.

Why do they make you jump through so many hoops to get best price?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Ticketing needs to be simplified.

There have been government noises about simplifying it - but I've not noticed much news coverage about it since then.

Rail reform: What does the shake-up mean for you?

How will a government promise to simplify the UK's "complicated" rail network impact passengers and fares.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Why do they make you jump through so many hoops to get best price?

It's ridiculous - before the pandemic, I used to spend quite a bit of time working out the cheapest split tickets to get where I needed to go. Madness really.

 

[StoneRoad]

I've just used slitticketing to book Manchester to Cleethorpes. Trainline was 62€, split ticketing plus using myrailcard, £16.

Why do they make you jump through so many hoops to get best price?

[my bold] Because they rely on people not knowing about the cheaper stuff, or making it too difficult to access, so they can (effectively) make more money out of you. It is designed that way. Beware of travelling on the wrong company's trains or not on a specified train !

I admit that BR had some faults, but their all-lines ticketing & timetabling system was not one of them (yes, it was fiendishly complicated if you didn't travel often, but nothing like as anti-passenger as the current franchised nightmare)

 

[platinumsage]

It really wasn't much better with BR. The split ticketing, routing tables, special fares via certain lines, restricted advanced tickets etc all existed back then. All the current hideousness was decades in the making and cannot be simplified, it needs abolishing and starting over.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Great
View attachment 289156
We’re still red list so no U.K. travel for me dor the foreseeable, but I love going by train.

I think dessiato might be just above the upper age limit for a young persons railcard.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

I think dessiato might be just above the upper age limit for a young persons railcard.

In my mind’s eye, both you and desisto, as do i, qualify for a young person’s railcard….the willing suspension of disbelief, and all that.

 

[fishfinger]

I think dessiato might be just above the upper age limit for a young persons railcard.

He'll qualify for a senior railcard though:

Senior Railcard | The Senior Citizen (60+) Railcard | BUY NOW from Trainline

 

[dessiato]

He'll qualify for a senior railcard though:

Senior Railcard | The Senior Citizen (60+) Railcard | BUY NOW from Trainline

I do, I've got a digital one today.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

It's ridiculous - before the pandemic, I used to spend quite a bit of time working out the cheapest split tickets to get where I needed to go. Madness really.

Save yourself the agg and just jump in the motor and go when you’re ready.

 

[maomao]

I'm a 47 year old mature student and needed a Railcard last year because I got sent on a work placement twenty miles away. They don't actually have a 'mature students railcard' or anything so they gave me a 16-25 one. The first couple of times I got inspected I blurted out the whole story but none of the inspectors were phased by it in the slightest.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Save yourself the agg and just jump in the motor and go when you’re ready.

Is the correct answer.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Save yourself the agg and just jump in the motor and go when you’re ready.

Why on earth would I want to do that? At least travelling by train means I can have a sleep - although I know plenty of car drivers seem to do likewise.

 

[Sasaferrato]

It really wasn't much better with BR. The split ticketing, routing tables, special fares via certain lines, restricted advanced tickets etc all existed back then. All the current hideousness was decades in the making and cannot be simplified, it needs abolishing and starting over.

It certainly does.

There is a new service starting soon that will do Edinburgh to London return for about £80.00 max.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I'm a 47 year old mature student and needed a Railcard last year because I got sent on a work placement twenty miles away. They don't actually have a 'mature students railcard' or anything so they gave me a 16-25 one. The first couple of times I got inspected I blurted out the whole story but none of the inspectors were phased by it in the slightest.

How dare you take the piss out of my progeria?

 

[Sasaferrato]

May one enquire why you are going to Longniddry, hardly the most popular destination?

 

[maomao]

How dare you take the piss out of my progeria?

Progeria makes children look like pensioners. There is no disease I know of that makes you look like a fat middle-aged man.

 

[dessiato]

May one enquire why you are going to Longniddry, hardly the most popular destination?

Because it's the nearest station to the family house.