All Line Rover: must-see destinations?

[whole diary]

[bobm]

You might also want to have a look at the Heart of Wales route too. You could do a nice (approximate) figure of 8 through Wales/the Marches - SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line) to Swansea > Shrewsbury via Heart of Wales > Llandudno Junction > Blaenau Ffestiniog (or to Bangor & bus to Caernarfon for Welsh Highland) > Porthmadog > Shrewsbury > Newport via Hereford or to Crewe or Birmingham depending on subsequent destinations.

If you are in that part of the world you can also catch the bus from Bangor to Llanberis and up the top of Snowdon on the mountain railway.  Planned to do that last year but high winds put an end to that, so going to have another try this year.

[Brucey]

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions.  Plenty of interesting places to visit and I'll definitely need to spend the weekend sorting through everything!

Next job is calculating the optimum route to get in as many places of interest as possible, whilst minimising hotel expenditure.  With Ryanair's wonderful ^9.99 fares, I may well fly to/from Edinburgh or Glasgow (journeys I've done a few times this year already) on one end of the trip to reduce wastage on the rover.

[rogerw]

I would also recommend the Stranraer line if you have the time.  Whilst not as spectacular as the west highland it still has some superb scenery.  I was up there the Sunday before last.  Your can get from Mallaig to Kyle by ferry to Armadale and then by bus, but not in the peak season as the train misses the ferry.  It's a tight connection at other times.  A final word of warning, don't forget that the Settle and Carlisle is closed north of Appleby until further notice.

[chuffed]

An overlooked gem is Middlesborough to Saltburn by the sea for the sadly defunct steelworks at Redcar and on to Saltburn. The station and muriels are stunning !  Newcastle -Sunderland-Hartlepool-Middlesborough is also worth 90 minutes of anybodys time with sailing ships, a maritime musuem,a paddle steamer and a Travelodge  all within a short walk of Hartlepool station. Try not to time your visit with a nor-easterly gale as I did !

[eightf48544]

I would also recommend the Stranraer line if you have the time. 

One of the last Lines to use ETT (Electric Train Tablet) using Tylers No 6 instruments.

[Brucey]

Looking at berth supplements for the Caledonian Sleeper and Night Rivieria, would I be correct in assuming the following provided I hold a standard class railcard discounted all line rover valid for both days:

Caledonian Sleeper from Aberdeen to Euston: 1st class excess from railcard discounted standard anytime single (^103.95) to first class anytime single (^230.00) = ^126.05 plus a 1st class berth supplement ^43.00.  In which case, an advance berth at ^115ish would be much cheaper and simpler to book.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Sleeper from Penzance to Paddington: only the berth supplement of ^60.00, as the solo berths are considered standard class so my ticket is already valid.  A ^49 advance may work out cheaper, in which case the ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) almost feels wasted.

[bobm]

I have just been booking sleeper berths in connection with my ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) next month.

Caledonian sleepers allow you to book berths only on line but they do insist your rover is valid both on the day of departure AND arrival. They also allow you to book evening meals and breakfast. I've got a 1st class ALR so upgrading wasn't an issue so upgrading on line may be a problem.

On the Night Riveria I've never seen ^49 advances. I've just paid ^60 for a berth on top of my ALR. They have to be done via telesales or at a station.

[JayMac]

I think the insistence on having to date two boxes on an ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) when using the Caledonian Sleepers is wrong.

Normal ticket rules should apply. Once you've started your journey at a valid time you are permitted to continue it, even if it continues into a following day.

Obviously not an issue if you plan further rail travel on the day you leave the Sleeper, but what if your Sleeper trip is planned for the last day of your Rover? Will Serco deny you boarding?

[Merthyr Imp]

Re the Festiniog and Welsh Highland, a round trip might be possible with part of it done by bus -
North Wales coast line to Bangor, bus to Caernarfon, Welsh Highland to Portmadoc, Festiniog Railway to Blaenau then to Llandudno Junction.

Out of interest - does the All-Line Rover still include travel on the ferry from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde?  The Island Line is worth a visit if only for the vintage Underground trains.

[bobm]

I think the insistence on having to date two boxes on an ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) when using the Caledonian Sleepers is wrong.

Normal ticket rules should apply. Once you've started your journey at a valid time you are permitted to continue it, even if it continues into a following day.

Obviously not an issue if you plan further rail travel on the day you leave the Sleeper, but what if your Sleeper trip is planned for the last day of your Rover? Will Serco deny you boarding?

I agree with you totally but the "both days" rule is clearly stated on the CS website.  I know GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't insist on it on their sleepers.

[JayMac]

I think the insistence on having to date two boxes on an ALR^▸ (All Line Rover) when using the Caledonian Sleepers is wrong.

Normal ticket rules should apply. Once you've started your journey at a valid time you are permitted to continue it, even if it continues into a following day.

Obviously not an issue if you plan further rail travel on the day you leave the Sleeper, but what if your Sleeper trip is planned for the last day of your Rover? Will Serco deny you boarding?

I agree with you totally but the "both days" rule is clearly stated on the CS website.  I know GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't insist on it on their sleepers.

I'd like to understand Serco's rationale. They're not getting additional revenue from the Rover by insisting two boxes are dated. Overnight single journeys that straddle railway days don't require two walk-up tickets.

[grahame]

I'm puzzled by this dating business on an all line rover.  I thought the tickets were 7 or 14 sequential days rather that 4 in 7 or 8 in 15, so why the need to date at all, and how can dating loose you a day if you're on sequential days anyway?   

[Brucey]

I'm puzzled by this dating business on an all line rover.  I thought the tickets were 7 or 14 sequential days rather that 4 in 7 or 8 in 15, so why the need to date at all, and how can dating loose you a day if you're on sequential days anyway?   

I believe some ticket issuing systems redundantly issue a set of boxes with all rover tickets.  Most don't, but some do.

The only real issue is using the rover overnight on the final day, as technically the ticket's validity ends at 0429.  A normal day ticket would allow you to complete your journey the following day.

[bobm]

Having already bought mine for next month (on line with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) plus nectar points) I can confirm it is issued by them as a single ticket with no boxes.  That doesn't stop the odd member of gateline staff asking to see a dated box though!

I agree with Brucey that it is only really an issue on the final day - which in my case is the sleeper from Penzance, so I should be OK!

[Worcester_Passenger]

I agree with the comments about the West Highland (and Stranraer) being more spectacular than the Kyle line or the Far North. At this time of year you're more likely to see stags - they have a curious tendency to disappear in the autumn in the stalking season!

Getting between Kyle and the West Highland line is easiest using the coach from Kyle to Fort William. That gets included in the Freedom of Scotland ticket (as do several other useful coach links) but presumably isn't in the ALR^▸ (All Line Rover).