Advanced fares Didcot Parkway to London Paddington. Do they exist?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

...  But looking at it, you'll note that I found a cheaper fare from Swindon (I would still love to see a link to the text that says I can't use it for a shortened journey - that IS the same date, timed train).

Are you still referring to Advance fares here?  AFAICS^▸ (As Far As I Can See) the text is shown on the National Rail website ticket type conditions:

"You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

Not easy to find though - and not publicised on notice boards at ticket offices.

Paul

Thanks, Paul ... that condition is also missing from the page that the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site links to when you ask for the details of the advanced single fare ... and I (as an ordinary traveller) had been working under the misaprehension that when I clicked on the link to tell me about the Ts and Cs on the ticket that I would be told about all the relevant Ts and Cs on the ticket.   

[devon_metro]

Most ordinary passengers wouldn't buy a ticket from Swindon to London if they wished to travel from Didcot... 

[TerminalJunkie]

AFAICS^▸ (As Far As I Can See) the text is shown on the National Rail website ticket type conditions:

"You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

Not easy to find though - and not publicised on notice boards at ticket offices.

Thanks, Paul ... that condition is also missing from the page that the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site links to when you ask for the details of the advanced single fare

Hmm.

C. USE OF TICKETS

16. Starting, breaking or ending a journey at intermediate stations

You may start, or break and resume, a journey (in either direction in the case of a return ticket) at any intermediate station, as long as the ticket you hold is valid for the trains you want to use. You may also end your journey (in either direction in the case of a return ticket) before the destination shown on the ticket. However, these rights may not apply to some types of tickets for which a break of journey is prohibited, in which case the relevant Train Companies will make this clear in their notices and other publications. {my emphasis}

I suppose the question really is how does one prove that this prohibition is not clear...

[Tim]

...  But looking at it, you'll note that I found a cheaper fare from Swindon (I would still love to see a link to the text that says I can't use it for a shortened journey - that IS the same date, timed train).

Are you still referring to Advance fares here?  AFAICS^▸ (As Far As I Can See) the text is shown on the National Rail website ticket type conditions:

"You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

Not easy to find though - and not publicised on notice boards at ticket offices.

Paul

Thanks, Paul ... that condition is also missing from the page that the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site links to when you ask for the details of the advanced single fare ... and I (as an ordinary traveller) had been working under the misaprehension that when I clicked on the link to tell me about the Ts and Cs on the ticket that I would be told about all the relevant Ts and Cs on the ticket.   

FGW are being very stupid not publicing these terms and conditions on their website (and in fact implying that the terms and conditiosn taht they do publish are complete.  I would be surprised if the rule would be held enforceable if the question every ended up in court.  It is just this sort of thing that leads to people being let off "on a technicality"  

[Tim]

I suppose the question really is how does one prove that this prohibition is not clear...

bypointing to that it is missing from a proportably complete set of T&C on the website.

[basset44]

Hi Bml,
It depends where you live around Oxford or Didcot, you could I think purchase an advance fare from Oxford to London and a cheap day return from Didcot to Oxford.

I dont know how it would work if you didnt actually travel to Oxford but just got of the train at Didcot on your return because you would technically have a return from Oxford on the way home. You might have to travel to Oxford at the beggining. Think this makes sence, still works out cheaper?

Basset

[grahame]

The destruction of the environment by road users is growing daily and the only way to reverse that is with a publicly owned rail system run for the benefit of the public not private business.

I'm not sure that I follow how your reach that conclusion from the initial fact quoted. Whilst I agree that moving more people from road to rail, and encouraging rail use with an environmental as well as a profit bias would help, it's not the sole or only way.

For example:

As for ^20 fare plus ^4.20 for parking ...

I think you live in a location that has 2 buses an hour to Didcot station. And I'm pretty sure you're eligible for free local bus travel.  So another way to cut the environmental impact of road travel is to make that road travel more efficient ... by having you take the bus which is already running (and it will save you 4.20 as well!)

As for ^20 fare plus ^4.20 for parking being a good deal I must have missed something or is the ^8.00 fare on the Oxford Tube a mirage?  The problem of course is that the more passengers Oxford Tube attracts the more damage is done to the environment.

You are not really comparing like for like.  The Oxford Tube fare is 16 pounds return; you have discounted that one based on the discounts you can obtain, but you have not discounted the rail journey similarly ... and if you're not going to use the bus to get to Oxford to catch the tube, you need to add driving and car costs to straighten out the comparison.  Then you have the matter of the train taking 40 minutes from Didcot and the bus taking 100.

If you have plenty of time, and cost is important, you could make the whole journey by local bus (and then it would be at no cost to yourself, as the taxpayer would pick up the bill which would be around 60% of the bus fare)

[JayMac]

You are not really comparing like for like.  The Oxford Tube fare is 16 pounds return; you have discounted that one based on the discounts you can obtain, but you have not discounted the rail journey similarly ... and if you're not going to use the bus to get to Oxford to catch the tube, you need to add driving and car costs to straighten out the comparison.  Then you have the matter of the train taking 40 minutes from Didcot and the bus taking 100.

A small point in comparing discounted travel. It could be justified for BML to compare the Over 60 Oxford Tube fare with the undiscounted rail tickets if he/she doesn't hold a Senior Persons Railcard. The discounted coach fare doesn't require any bus pass purchase, whereas the rail fares require a ^26 Railcard purchase to enable getting the 1/3 off. You would need to make five Day Returns to London from Didcot before you begin to see a saving. Or one first class Anytime return!
I agree with adding driving costs and the matter of journey times however.