Best Bargain Fares

[whole diary]

[grahame]

https://railwayworld.net/2023/07/15/a-bargain-12-70-rail-tour-of-southern-england/

£12.70 - Ashford "Intetnational" to Portsmouth Harbour via Polegate
Off peak day return on senior railcard

Ever the one to take up a bargain offer, I decided to see what transport delights £12.70 would buy when I took a full-day circular tour from Portsmouth & Southsea on Friday, 14 July 2023, with plans to take breaks at Rye and Tonbridge, on a nine-hour, 223-mile circuit, that would include eight separate journeys and four different rail operators.

Can anyone offer a better bargain?   Best I have so far is 190 miles for £14.15 in our area.

[Timmer]

I once did Weymouth to Margate 1st class off peak day return for around £35 via Barnham. This was about 10 years ago.

And yes, the fare is still available £31.70 Std £47.60 1st. Even cheaper with a railcard of course.

You could go ‘via London’ changing at Southampton for a Victoria service and then back out of Victoria to Margate, thus avoiding crossing London which isn’t valid.

Alternatively going via Brighton, Eastbourne and Ashford.

[PhilWakely]

I recall several occasions where NSE^▸ (Network South East) had a 'Network Day'. The first of these cost me £5 and I did a circuit from Pinhoe via Waterloo, Tonbridge, Brighton, Southampton and Salisbury. I think the final 'Network Day' cost me a tenner. Nowadays, any SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) offers do not include west of Yeovil Junction because 'these trains are already full'.

Also, I took full advantage, along with my 5-year-old-son, of British Rail's '£5 go anywhere with a child carrying a teddy bear' over several weekends back in the late 1980s. Included was a trip from Exeter to York, out via Derby and back via London.

[Timmer]

I recall several occasions where NSE^▸ (Network South East) had a 'Network Day'. The first of these cost me £5 and I did a circuit from Pinhoe via Waterloo, Tonbridge, Brighton, Southampton and Salisbury. I think the final 'Network Day' cost me a tenner. Nowadays, any SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) offers do not include west of Yeovil Junction because 'these trains are already full'.

Also, I took full advantage, along with my 5-year-old-son, of British Rail's '£5 go anywhere with a child carrying a teddy bear' over several weekends back in the late 1980s. Included was a trip from Exeter to York, out via Derby and back via London.

I remember the Teddy Fares. Dad took the three of us, and our teddies, for a day trip to York too. HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) broke down in the tunnels leading to Birmingham NS and the sadness when Dad told us we'd have to go home if they couldn't get the HST moving soon. Fortunately the fitter got it going again and we were still able to go to York.

[ChrisB]

I made full use of those Network Days, living in deepest Kent made a trip to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) & Weymouth count for many miles, setting out on the first train (around 0530 in those days, returning on the last (so about 22 hours all told with the 'milk' train allowed (really Sunday papers), you could rack up some serious miles without repeating any mileage (although the rules allowed you to return up the way you went in order to stay within the area, but had to turn off as soon as possible onto new track)

[DaveHarries]

£12.70 - Ashford "Intetnational" to Portsmouth Harbour via Polegate
Off peak day return on senior railcard

I queried it on the app I use and it came up with the same fare but via. Tonbridge, Reigate and Guildford with changes of train at all three.

Dave

[johnneyw]

It's the combination of my Railcard and advanced tickets that has provided me with my best bargain fares this last 12 months.  £26.40 from Bristol Parkway to Hampton Court station and back was the most recent but £27.70 from Redland (Bristol) to Benfleet and back was also great value.  Redland to Shoeburyness and then back from Southend Victoria for £29.00, including checking out the Lizzie Line, completed an interesting exploration/rediscovery of that stretch off the Essex coastline.
Redland to Ryde (IoW) last year included the Hovercraft and station to Hoverport transfer 'Hoverbus' (not as cool as it sounds) and cost less than £30, there and back.
It does help though, having a good choice of future dates available to search for tickets from.....and off course, you take your chances with the weather.

[Phantom]

I noticed that the "Group Save" option has gone from all the online ticket sites