Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm hoping to take 4 children (madness I know - two of them are over 16 so adults really)..to Brighton tomorrow.. The cheapest fare I can get (for 3 adults, 2 kids) via London is ^56.80 and via Reading and Gatwick (which is the way I'm going to go as it's quicker and I've never done the journey from Reading to Gatwick by train before) ^67.40..These are on Groupsave.. Can anyone better that?

Incidentally if I put 2 adults and 3 children instead (as one of the passengers is our German exchange student who arrives later today and I can't quite remember if she is 15 or 16) it quotes me ^97.65 and ^116.20 as I guess there aren't enough adults for Groupsave?

The journey planners do show the Gatwick route as quicker but they are overly generous with the transfer time from Paddington to Victoria, even for a Sunday, for the via London route. TfL gives Paddington to Victoria by tube (Bakerloo line, change Oxford Circus, Victoria line) as 16 minutes.

You should easily make the departure to Brighton timetabled 30 minutes earlier than the suggestions from journey planners. Thus the journey time is almost identical to that via Reading and Gatwick.

As to the fares, you won't beat the GroupSave prices you've already found which ever way you chose to go. I've found no splits that'll offer savings either.

The GroupSave prices are the same whether your group is 3 adults and 2 children or 2 adults and 3 children. The prices of ^97.65 (PAD) and ^116.20 (RDG) are non GroupSave. Did you not select GroupSave 4 when you looked for 2+3? FGWs website gave me the correct GroupSave fare for that combination. You only need one adult for GroupSave to be valid.

GroupSave is 4 adults tickets for the price of 2 plus up to 4 additional children at ^1 each. Children effectively travel on adult tickets if there are less than 4 adults in the group.

Thanks for that bignosemac.. I did it via NR website and they don't give the option of Group Save in the rail card drop down box.. I assume it just decides if it's the best option or not.

And yeah I noticed it was over an hour from Paddington to Victoria allowed, whereas I do it most days so I know it's about 20 minutes on the bus...

I still fancy the Gatwick route I think just for a change.. I go to Victoria so often.. I'l make the final decsion when I get the tickets as I actually have a monthly Maidenhead to London all zones season ticket so actually should use that to the edge of zone 6 (going via London) and get a Group save for everyone else.. I think I might have to pop to the station later to price that one up...

Can't see you getting any value out of using your season, if you do go via London. Your group would then just be 4, so only ^1 cheaper and you would then need a Boundary Zone 6 to Brighton Off Peak Day Return at ^16.60 for yourself.

Can you combine Network Card discounts with Groupsave?.....if not, would a network card be any cheaper?

Cannot combine the discounts, but if the group is 2 adults and three children then the fares are slightly cheaper with a Network Railcard, as they are if the group is 1 adult and 3 children plus your season and a BZ6 to Brighton.

All that presupposes you hold a Network Railcard. If not then you need to fork out another ^25.

There's the Daysave product that Southern offer, but I think you have to book in advance. Gives access to the whole of their network for less than ^15 I think per adult....check their website.

Then you've got to get into London....but it might be cheaper overall

DaySave only available 7 days in advance. Not much use for tomorrow!  ;)

The turbo from Reading to Gatwick isn't the most pleasant journey

I'd say the same d_m. But if you've never travelled on the North Downs Line then I guess it makes a change.

Victoria to Gatwick ain't that inspiring either!

I've decided to go via Reading just for a change.. The trawl into London on a Sunday isn't usually that pleasant as there aren't as many trains as a Saturday.. It's only about ^10 more but for a route I've not done before I don't mind at all..

The German girl turned out to only be 15 (so 2 adults and 3 kids) but makes little difference to the price..

I did see if I could do it cheaper via London for the four of them plus me just from the edge of zone 6 to Brighton and it was dearer...Obviously paying for all 5 of us on groupsave from here was cheaper but I fancy a change of scenery to my everyday commute.. Now I just hope the weather is good enough.. ;D

Should the weather be inclement, you can take shelter in The Brighton Centre where there is the All-In American Rumble Wrestling Spectacular from 3pm!!!  :P ;) :D

Weather seemed okay when I was driving down that way, looked like it was going to rain though, that was about 12:30 ish.
Brighton still nice though.

=)

I didn't read your post until just now Inspector_blakey or I might have paid a trip to the Brighton Centre as we walked past it more than once.. Mind you it only rained a little bit and was nice enough after that so we didn't need to shelter.. And anyway..Brighton is nice in any weather..

And Ollie, you should have offered all five of us a lift  ;)

The Reading to Gatwick was a long old haul this morning, not helped by the train being heated up to silly temperatures.. Changing at Gatwick onto Southern made me realise just how bad the "air conditioned" FGW turbos are (which is what we were on although someone had opened the windows otherwise we'd have expired due to the heat I think).. Southern however, as they have spent some money on their air conditioned trains, have totally sealed units and perfect temperatures inside the carriages..So I know it can be done..

Sorry my car would only allow 4 of you, unless somebody sat on a lap or went in the boot.
Plus I was back in Wokingham by about 14:30 ish so would have been a bit early for you?

But next time you go let me know, be nice to have a trip down - I'm in Sussex reasonably often anyway as I used to live in Polegate, and still have family down that way.

Plus car is cheaper.

I filled the car up in Polegate yesterday (^60ish), since then I have done:

Polegate to Paddington
Paddington to Polegate
Polegate to Wokingham

And I still have fuel left, won't last much longer as I'm going down to Eastbourne again this week lol


Edit: Please note rail is of course still a good option, and I would have probably preferred to get the train to London rather than drive.

Good point.. Travelling in the boot would have been even worse than the train we were on this morning  :-)
And yes we got home 8ish so that would have been a bit too early..

I should point out that I try to use railway when I can, but if I'm going to Sussex I will pretty much always use the car. As it's more practical for me =]