Question on UK trains

blindside88

Hi Boardsies,

This is a very nieche question and I don't know if anyone can give me a steer. I'm flying into Newcastle on Saturday and getting the train to Edinburgh for the rugby. Can anyone tell me is there much difference in buying the ticket for the train early online instead of buying it on the day. My problem with buying it online is that I have to pick a specific train time and I'd obviously want to leave it a couple of hours after my flight to allow for delays. This could mean me standing around for a while in limbo. Any advice would be much appreciated

BuffyBot

blindside88 wrote: »

Hi Boardsies,

This is a very nieche question and I don't know if anyone can give me a steer. I'm flying into Newcastle on Saturday and getting the train to Edinburgh for the rugby. Can anyone tell me is there much difference in buying the ticket for the train early online instead of buying it on the day. My problem with buying it online is that I have to pick a specific train time and I'd obviously want to leave it a couple of hours after my flight to allow for delays. This could mean me standing around for a while in limbo. Any advice would be much appreciated

Online is generally much cheaper than on the day. Generally by quite a bit.

BlinkingLights

Book ahead if at all possible, UK train tickets price a bit like airline tickets. A last minute walk-up can come to absolutely ridiculous money compared to booking ahead.

prinzeugen

Massive difference in price. You could try asking on the UK rail forum. Lots of members are railway staff so would be able to advise you better.

You need to register (like here) to post.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=105

(Mods apologies if linking to another forum is not allowed)

A quick look at the Virgin EastCoast site is giving me fares from £41-£75 return.

The are frequent enough as well so you should not have to wait more than a hour in Newcastle.

km991148

UK (Specifically English trains) or cross region trains are random as hell with massive differences n price depending on times, operator and what phase the moon is in - sometimes walk ups can be cheaper, sometimes they can be may multiples of the online price.

UK Rail forum is best bet.

bluenose1956

If you want the very cheapest fare, yes you need to book a specific time and book in advance. Use the Virginrail website (I think they run the East Cost line) usually the weekends are less restrictive over particular train times.

johnire

Be sure to check out www.thetrainline.com
This will give you all the train times and prices.

blindside88

Thanks everyone for the replies, I think I'll just book it online so. Might book a train for about 1, I land at 11 so even if I'm delayed shouldn't be an issue

blindside88

Just looking at the website recommended above and I'm wondering would I be best to get the metro from the airport and then connect to a train (as in the link below) or just jump in a taxi. The metro seems like a bit of a pain as I'd need to change twice. Thanks again

https://www.thetrainline.com/m/results/outbound?adults=2&children=0&from=apn&journeyType=single&outbound=after&outboundTime=2017-05-13T12:00:00+01:00&to=edb

prinzeugen

blindside88 wrote: »

Just looking at the website recommended above and I'm wondering would I be best to get the metro from the airport and then connect to a train (as in the link below) or just jump in a taxi. The metro seems like a bit of a pain as I'd need to change twice. Thanks again

https://www.thetrainline.com/m/results/outbound?adults=2&children=0&from=apn&journeyType=single&outbound=after&outboundTime=2017-05-13T12%3A00%3A00%2B01%3A00&to=edb

You are not changing twice.

Metro from the airport to Central (Old name for the railway station), get off, walk up the ramp 400 Yards and get on the train to Edinburgh.

Do not get a taxi. Newcastle airport is miles and miles away from the city centre.

Get the metro. It always says xx minutes to allow less able people time to make connections.

Its the same as getting of the Luas at Connolly and walking up the stairs to get the Sligo train.

Vic_08

blindside88 wrote: »

Just looking at the website recommended above and I'm wondering would I be best to get the metro from the airport and then connect to a train (as in the link below) or just jump in a taxi. The metro seems like a bit of a pain as I'd need to change twice. Thanks again

https://www.thetrainline.com/m/results/outbound?adults=2&children=0&from=apn&journeyType=single&outbound=after&outboundTime=2017-05-13T12%3A00%3A00%2B01%3A00&to=edb

As previous poster said, get the Metro, it is a direct train to Newcastle Central and would be as quick or quicker than a taxi.


Looking at what you have searched for above I have a few questions/points.

1 Are you not making a return journey?

Train specific (Advance) tickets are priced per single trip but walk-up fares (Off-peak or Anytime) are much more expensive for single journeys, a return is £1 more than a single for Newcastle-Edinburgh.

If you are making a return journey the same day or day after (you searched for Sat 13 May) then there is not a great saving to be made with Advance fares, less than £10 in total depending on which specific trains you take so unless you are determined to get the cheapest possible fare I would recommend using one of the walk-up fares. The main reason for this is that Advance fares are only valid on the booked train, if you miss this due to a delayed plane for example they are worthless and you would have to buy the walk-up fare anyway.

For comparison, Advance singles are pricing at £21-26 depending on which train you select.

Walk-up off-peak returns (valid all day on weekends and after 09.30 mon-fri) are £41 on CrossCountry Trains, £47 on Virgin Trains or £52.60 for all trains.

For a single trip it is worth booking the Advance and giving yourself as big a margin for delays as possible, for a return I would go with one of the Off-Peak fares and forget about having to make a specific train.


2. You have searched for Newcastle Airport-Edinburgh tickets. DO NOT buy these. If you want to buy in advance you must buy Newcastle - Edinburgh and pay for the Metro separately.

This is because you have to collect the tickets from a vending machine with your credit/debit card (the same one you book the tickets with) and code issued when you book. There is no machine at Newcastle Airport to issue these tickets, the Metro ticket machines there can not issue pre-bought rail tickets.

3. The site linked above thetrainline.com charges booking fees on top of the fares, the rail companies sites do not. The various websites all sell the same range of tickets.
https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/ is the site for the main operator on that route, I would suggest you book with them, if anything goes wrong it is easier to get a resolution if you have purchased tickets with the same company who runs the stations you are using.

munchkin_utd

blindside88 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies, I think I'll just book it online so. Might book a train for about 1, I land at 11 so even if I'm delayed shouldn't be an issue

sure at that time of the day you'd nearly be looking to get lunch anyhow (or better put, when sitting on a train from 1 till 3 or so, the hunger could hit you!) so building in a buffer is no bad idea as it can be used for grabbing a bite to eat in peace if needs be.

johnire

I posted the link about suggesting to look at thetrainline.com.
It's very handy way of doing all the donkey work for you. Just get the train times you're interested in and keep a note of the train company that is running the train that you will be using then book through their site not through thetrainline.com as they do charge a booking fee.

blindside88

Thanks very much for the info everyone it's very much appreciated. Just to clarify, we won't be making a return journey as we are flying home from Edinburgh (it just worked out far cheaper to fly to Newcastle and get the train up)

In relation to the train am I reading you all right that I should:
1: book the train directly with the train operator in advance and leave a buffer time to allow for delays
2: use the metro to get to the station but buy the ticket for this separately when I arrive

Thanks

Gravelly

I usually book UK trains ahead of time, and take a chance on the time. If you end up having to take a different time train, do the "I'm just a poor simple Irish lad who doesn't know any better" routine, and they won't say a word - has worked countless times for me. In fact I once bought a bus ticket from standsted to London because I didn't think I'd make the train, but did make it in time for the train in the end, and they left me travel on the train with my bus ticket after I made sad eyes at them.

coylemj

For all train times, connections and even platform numbers for departures, I'd highly recommend that you install the national rail (formerly BR) smartphone app, it's called 'national rail enquiries'....

https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/national-rail-enquiries-train-journey-planner/id519094154?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.nationalrail.google

whomitconcerns

Gravelly wrote: »

I usually book UK trains ahead of time, and take a chance on the time. If you end up having to take a different time train, do the "I'm just a poor simple Irish lad who doesn't know any better" routine, and they won't say a word - has worked countless times for me. In fact I once bought a bus ticket from standsted to London because I didn't think I'd make the train, but did make it in time for the train in the end, and they left me travel on the train with my bus ticket after I made sad eyes at them.

Don't try this... It won't work they may let you on but the inductor on the train or in Liverpool Street will fine you

Book an any time off peak ticket from thetrainline.com. if you buy on the day it will be a LOT more expensive.

blindside88

I booked the train for about 2 hours after we're due to land so should be in plenty of time even if the flight is delayed. £43 for the 2 of us. Thanks everyone for your help

whomitconcerns

You can get any of the trains on a lot of the tickets. Just check and it should say anytime single or something like that. Just make sure that it's not an operator specific ticket also... Can be sneaky. Post a summary of what you have bought of in any doubt. (I live here for 2 years now, train tickets can be a maze of nonsense and restrictions)

blindside88

whomitconcerns wrote: »

You can get any of the trains on a lot of the tickets. Just check and it should say anytime single or something like that. Just make sure that it's not an operator specific ticket also... Can be sneaky. Post a summary of what you have bought of in any doubt. (I live here for 2 years now, train tickets can be a maze of nonsense and restrictions)

I've booked with virgin trains and have to go at the specific time booked but I've left plenty of time