Great Western Coffee Shop

I am looking to go to Devizes to help my cousin and his boat down the 29 locks.

I have the chance of a lift down but could come back public transport.

Given I've just received my bus pass and have Senior Rail card what do you reckon is the cheapest fare I can get for Devizes to Taplow?

i've come up with ^2.95 for Swindon Taplow on the 17.59 ex Swindon!

Given if I was to do this I would book via Chiltern that means FGW will only get 2.68. I can do First Class for ^7.25.

Now I know we all like cheap fares but I do think these are ridiculous compared with the walk up fares, Off peak ^15.20 which only seems to be available on the 15:59 ex Swindon and Anytime fare of ^22.75.

Transport direct gives a car cost of ^19 return.

However if I try to do it both ways   by public transport ^22.40 for the train plus I'd have to pay one way on the bus as I want to travel before 09:30.

So if I can't get a lift I'm afraid it will have to be the car.

Update on above post.

My lift to Devises didn't materialsie so I had to drive.

However, I have just come back from another trip on the boat from Bristol to Gloucester.

The passage was booked for Tuesday 18th.

As it involved a 05:30 start from Bristol and an 18:00 arrival at Sharpness I had to go down on Monday and return Wednesday.

Browsing through National Railway I found I could get to Bristol on a choice of trains for an advanced fare of  ^6.95 standard with railcard compared with offpeak of ^25.75 and an anytime fare of ^38.30!

It also said First Class form ^12.55, on clicking on this i got the same range of trains for ^12.55 with  off peaks at ^76.55! and an anytime of ^61.40 (why less than teh off peak?)
 
So I opted for the Frist Advanced purchased through Chiltern so First only got ^11.42

Coming back was more of problem in that I had to take a chance on the weather and pilot availability to ensure I got to Gloucester on Wednesday.

Fares for coming back were cheaper than Bristol.

Namely on one train standard advanced at ^4.25 off peak ^22.45 anytime ^37.30.

First Class ^10.90, offpeak ^66 anytie ^52.80.

So I opted for The advanced booked again through Chiltern pick up Gloucester.

Had the passage been les assurred and I might have got to Gloucester on Thursday instead I could have bought two advance one for each day First class for less tha the off peak standard.

Can anyone make any sense out of these differrentials.

Given I was the only person in coach G on teh way out except between Swindon and Bath when someone else joined.

Comimg back I think there were about 3/4 of us in coach G by the time I got off at Reading.






 

Advance fares are subject to availability and this availability is subject to yield management. Managing yields is an imprecise art, although FGW are one of the better TOCs at it.

G is normally quite empty I find. F is full of staff, and H is full of reserved seats ;)