Uk Train Tickets

[cmsally]

OK, I know not exactly Thailand related. But I will be purchasing the tickets from Thailand and travelling from Thailand

I wanted to book a UK railway ticket online. Lots of websites; is there an official one or one that is more reliable.

Anyone done this, the prices look fairly reasonable and it would be good to have ticket in hand and not have to queue at the station.

[CharlieH]

Look here:http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

[supatson11]

Hi, i always use Thetrainline.com, they are usually a little cheaper than the national rail website and if you book a specific time for the departing train you can get great discounts where as the anytime fares tend to be more expensive.

[exeter]

Depends where you want to go. a lot of these sites are now charging you add ons I gather so I always book on the site of the route.

Before I go back to the UK I arrange avisit to friends in Penzance, whilst I am there I will have a day out in Plymouth and a day out in Falmouth, so before i go back ( tickets are available 90 days prior to travel ) I book my tickets with First great western co .uk I have an account with them so they already have my payment details, I set that up from thailand last year. So I book my tickets and state at which station I wish to collect them from. There will be a ticket machine, you put your card with which you paid for the tickets into the machine and enter the code which has been issued to you in an email confirmation and out pop the tickets, simple! Booking ahead can give you some great deals, a cheap day return from Penzance to Plymouth. first class retrun was £9 and you get free tea/coffee and bisquits + the Times. I do have a senior rail card to that helps.

If you looking at Scotland then you might try eastcoast( trains?).co.uk thats out of Kings Cross. You can choose window seat and direction of travel.

First time is always the worst time after that its a dodle. good luck.

[steve187]

you can collect tickets once booked from mainline rail stations listed. heathrow is not included, gatwick is.

I use mytrainticket.co.uk

[beano2274]

Depends on where you are going to and from, as many different train companies in the UK, but best to use a consolidator.

www.britrail.com

[cmsally]

Thanks for all the info. , I'll take a look.

Actually it's Exeter I need to go to. Seems to have 3 railway stations just to add to the confusion!!

[beano2274]

Depends where you want to go. a lot of these sites are now charging you add ons I gather so I always book on the site of the route.

Before I go back to the UK I arrange avisit to friends in Penzance, whilst I am there I will have a day out in Plymouth and a day out in Falmouth, so before i go back ( tickets are available 90 days prior to travel ) I book my tickets with First great western co .uk I have an account with them so they already have my payment details, I set that up from thailand last year. So I book my tickets and state at which station I wish to collect them from. There will be a ticket machine, you put your card with which you paid for the tickets into the machine and enter the code which has been issued to you in an email confirmation and out pop the tickets, simple! Booking ahead can give you some great deals, a cheap day return from Penzance to Plymouth. first class retrun was £9 and you get free tea/coffee and bisquits + the Times. I do have a senior rail card to that helps.

If you looking at Scotland then you might try eastcoast( trains?).co.uk thats out of Kings Cross. You can choose window seat and direction of travel.

First time is always the worst time after that its a dodle. good luck.

Must be a St Davids trainspotter then!!!!!!I would use greatwestern as well to get home, but to the Junction, Yeovil that is.

[beano2274]

Thanks for all the info. , I'll take a look.

Actually it's Exeter I need to go to. Seems to have 3 railway stations just to add to the confusion!!

Exeter St Davids is the main station from London Waterloo, and there are 7 in Exeter not three.

Edited December 19, 2011 by beano2274

[hansnl]

Depends on where you are going to and from, as many different train companies in the UK, but best to use a consolidator.

www.britrail.com

The Great British Railway Disaster

[beano2274]

Thanks for all the info. , I'll take a look.

Actually it's Exeter I need to go to. Seems to have 3 railway stations just to add to the confusion!!

Double post

Edited December 19, 2011 by beano2274

[Briggsy]

I do this all the time as I am back and forth between Thailand and the UK.

Don't use the trainline.com as they charge a fee.

Use any of the train firms, it doesn't matter which, e.g. arrivatrainswales. They all use the same computer system as the trainline!

Also if you can pick up your tickets at a station from a machine, I recommend you do that. Tickets can go missing in the post and then it becomes a total nightmare. You will lose your money, probably.

[exeter]

Depends where you want to go. a lot of these sites are now charging you add ons I gather so I always book on the site of the route.

Before I go back to the UK I arrange avisit to friends in Penzance, whilst I am there I will have a day out in Plymouth and a day out in Falmouth, so before i go back ( tickets are available 90 days prior to travel ) I book my tickets with First great western co .uk I have an account with them so they already have my payment details, I set that up from thailand last year. So I book my tickets and state at which station I wish to collect them from. There will be a ticket machine, you put your card with which you paid for the tickets into the machine and enter the code which has been issued to you in an email confirmation and out pop the tickets, simple! Booking ahead can give you some great deals, a cheap day return from Penzance to Plymouth. first class retrun was £9 and you get free tea/coffee and bisquits + the Times. I do have a senior rail card to that helps.

If you looking at Scotland then you might try eastcoast( trains?).co.uk thats out of Kings Cross. You can choose window seat and direction of travel.

First time is always the worst time after that its a dodle. good luck.

Must be a St Davids trainspotter then!!!!!!I would use greatwestern as well to get home, but to the Junction, Yeovil that is.

Yeovil Junction is not what it was but it survived for that we must grateful, esp as they left the turntable. many happy days there with the lass 50,s.

UNder the Beeching cuts the junction was to be axed along with the whole line west of Salisbury, it was the presence of a large number of the Judiciary that lived in Sherborne that saved what is now a thriving line serving the communities and I am personally delighted to see that the service is now a real service and not a 2 hourly one. Success indeed, Rail Travel is such a civilised way to travel,

We gave it to the world free :jap:

Edited December 19, 2011 by exeter

[exeter]

Thanks for all the info. , I'll take a look.

Actually it's Exeter I need to go to. Seems to have 3 railway stations just to add to the confusion!!

If you are out of London then all the fares will show you Paddington to Exter St Davids ( 2 hours) If you like a more scenic ride and dont mind paying a bit more then you can try Waterloo to Exeter but you wouls almost certainly have to book direct with southwesttrains.co.uk.

There are lots of sites, raileasy.com is another, but I have always gone to firstgreatwestern.co.uk and have no problems, look at first class and remember all teas/coffee free with biscuits and a copy of the Times so work it out, nice leather seats too

[naboo]

Try MegaTrain for cheap cheap.

[smokie36]

Depends where you want to go. a lot of these sites are now charging you add ons I gather so I always book on the site of the route.

Before I go back to the UK I arrange avisit to friends in Penzance, whilst I am there I will have a day out in Plymouth and a day out in Falmouth, so before i go back ( tickets are available 90 days prior to travel ) I book my tickets with First great western co .uk I have an account with them so they already have my payment details, I set that up from thailand last year. So I book my tickets and state at which station I wish to collect them from. There will be a ticket machine, you put your card with which you paid for the tickets into the machine and enter the code which has been issued to you in an email confirmation and out pop the tickets, simple! Booking ahead can give you some great deals, a cheap day return from Penzance to Plymouth. first class retrun was £9 and you get free tea/coffee and bisquits + the Times. I do have a senior rail card to that helps.

If you looking at Scotland then you might try eastcoast( trains?).co.uk thats out of Kings Cross. You can choose window seat and direction of travel.

First time is always the worst time after that its a dodle. good luck.

Must be a St Davids trainspotter then!!!!!!I would use greatwestern as well to get home, but to the Junction, Yeovil that is.

Yeovil Junction is not what it was but it survived for that we must grateful, esp as they left the turntable. many happy days there with the lass 50,s.

UNder the Beeching cuts the junction was to be axed along with the whole line west of Salisbury, it was the presence of a large number of the Judiciary that lived in Sherborne that saved what is now a thriving line serving the communities and I am personally delighted to see that the service is now a real service and not a 2 hourly one. Success indeed, Rail Travel is such a civilised way to travel,

We gave it to the world free :jap:

Is the quirky bar still open?

[exeter]

The quirky bar/buffet at Yeovil Junction with real coal fire was still there last time I went although its is a few years now, but with the more frequent service I would think it has survived, a lovelly watering hole to call into on a cold windy day for tea and on summers day sitting on the platform.

other quirkies are the former signal boxes at Totnes and Bodmin Parkway which again dispense food and drinks to travellers.

Great relicts of a by gone era, long may they remain with us!

Edited December 20, 2011 by exeter

[QED]

Thanks for all the info. , I'll take a look.

Actually it's Exeter I need to go to. Seems to have 3 railway stations just to add to the confusion!!

If you are out of London then all the fares will show you Paddington to Exter St Davids ( 2 hours) If you like a more scenic ride and dont mind paying a bit more then you can try Waterloo to Exeter but you wouls almost certainly have to book direct with southwesttrains.co.uk.

There are lots of sites, raileasy.com is another, but I have always gone to firstgreatwestern.co.uk and have no problems, look at first class and remember all teas/coffee free with biscuits and a copy of the Times so work it out, nice leather seats too

Just to put it in perspective, I usually book with thetrainline dot com from Paddington to Exeter St Davids. For the last many years the fee has been 22 GBP. Last time there was an issue with my credit card and I could not book, so thought I would just turn up at Paddington and buy a ticket. That one cost me 68 GBP.

Last couple of trips I have rented a car from Heathrow, so this is over 18 months ago, but if the prices have gone up (inevitably), the proportionate disparity in prices will still be around the same.

Get the Heathrow Express to Paddington (takes about 25 mins), and you can be in Exeter 3 hours after landing.

[cmsally]

Thank you, lots of info. there. Maybe even an obligatory scenic trip through Yeovil junction

[exeter]

Thank you, lots of info. there. Maybe even an obligatory scenic trip through Yeovil junction

The line west of Salisbury to Exeter Central and St Davids is one of the most scenic in the country, 80 miles of pure bliss, the English countryside at its very best, if you have not done it then you should, it may be another year before you have the opportunity.

All on line booking will steer you to the Paddington to Exeter route, you will need to go to southwestrains.co.uk

Goof luck with whatever you choose but leave enough time for yourself to get the connection you never know what awaits you in the future, power failure, strikes, late arrival etc and a stroll around Waterlloo or Paddington would not be time wasted, wonderful buildings.

Check out the 1st class option at the weekends can often be a real bargain, you have two or three hours on board so spoil yourself.

[smokie36]

The quirky bar/buffet at Yeovil Junction with real coal fire was still there last time I went although its is a few years now, but with the more frequent service I would think it has survived, a lovelly watering hole to call into on a cold windy day for tea and on summers day sitting on the platform.

other quirkies are the former signal boxes at Totnes and Bodmin Parkway which again dispense food and drinks to travellers.

Great relicts of a by gone era, long may they remain with us!

At one of the stations there was an honesty box and a pile of newspapers. I used to hop off drop the cash in and then rush back to my seat. I forget which one...that was 15 years ago!

[exeter]

The quirky bar/buffet at Yeovil Junction with real coal fire was still there last time I went although its is a few years now, but with the more frequent service I would think it has survived, a lovelly watering hole to call into on a cold windy day for tea and on summers day sitting on the platform.

other quirkies are the former signal boxes at Totnes and Bodmin Parkway which again dispense food and drinks to travellers.

Great relicts of a by gone era, long may they remain with us!

At one of the stations there was an honesty box and a pile of newspapers. I used to hop off drop the cash in and then rush back to my seat. I forget which one...that was 15 years ago!

Sounds like the sort of thing that used to go on at Tisbury, when Ken Hunt worked there, I used to ring him and he would tell me what Loco's were on which services for the day. Ken was a true character and it was rumoured that he put up a lot of the money to save Class 50 locomotive 50002 "Superb" which is now preserved on the South Devon Railway.

[katana]

I used http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ a few weeks ago.

Was offered the choice of having them sent out to me or picking them up at the station.

All seemed to work ok.

Make sure you book early to get the cheapest fares.

[7by7]

If flying into Heathrow, then Paddington would be easier as the Heathrow Express goes directly there.

If flying into Gatwick, the Gatwick Express goes to Victoria, but you can get off at Clapham Junction and change to the Waterloo - Exeter train there.

Be warned, though; if arriving late afternoon/early evening you wont get a seat when getting on at Clapham, not even in first class!

You could get the Railair bus from Heathrow to Woking and join the Waterloo - Exeter train there, most of the commuters get off at Woking, but the M25 during peak hours can be a very slow nightmare!

[nong38]

The quickest, cheapest and most convenient if flying into LHR is Paddington to Exeter St Davids. The Wterloo route is indeed much more relaxed and a good wind down but you have to get to Waterloo. If you are on the tube, change at Leicester Square, you will have steps but then Waterloo looks more of an option, trains usually are about 20 past the hour out, chek the timetable on southwesttrains.co.uk.

[smokie36]

The quickest, cheapest and most convenient if flying into LHR is Paddington to Exeter St Davids. The Wterloo route is indeed much more relaxed and a good wind down but you have to get to Waterloo. If you are on the tube, change at Leicester Square, you will have steps but then Waterloo looks more of an option, trains usually are about 20 past the hour out, chek the timetable on southwesttrains.co.uk.

Sorry mate but take the Bakerloo Line to Charing Cross then an overground train to Waterloo East or the Northern Line to Waterloo is the easiest option.

Edited December 21, 2011 by smokie36

[7by7]

Better, surely, to stay on the Bakerloo Line train and get off it at Waterloo?

It's quite a slog from Waterloo East to Waterloo main line; plus the change at Charing Cross!

Northern Line doesn't go to Paddington. You can't get to Leicester Square, or the Waterloo branch of the Northern Line, from Paddington without at least 2 changes.

[smokie36]

Better, surely, to stay on the Bakerloo Line train and get off it at Waterloo?

It's quite a slog from Waterloo East to Waterloo main line; plus the change at Charing Cross!

Northern Line doesn't go to Paddington. You can't get to Leicester Square, or the Waterloo branch of the Northern Line, from Paddington without at least 2 changes.

Oh yeah...dam_n that bottle of wine....

Thanks for clearing that one up!

[exeter]

Yes Bakerloo all the way and just a few steps to negoitiate at Waterloo with the luggage!

[7by7]

Which is why if wishing to take the scenic route from Waterloo I think that it would be better to take the Railair bus from LHR to Woking station and join the Exeter train there.

Bus goes from the central bus station, which is easy to get to from T3, and it stops to pick up/drop off at T5. Bit of a pain if arriving at T4 as it doesn't stop there, but there is a free shuttle bus which will take you to the central bus station.