Paging the Trainisti

So, where does one find these legendary cheap deals?

Mrs WUN has mentioned that we should do more long weekends away next
year. So I picked a random weekend in March 2010 and asked
www.trainline.co.uk how much for two first class returns from Hitchin to
Edinburgh.

It would be *much* cheaper for me to rent a 'plane and fly us. Really.
*MUCH*. I could afford to have an Eastern European hooker blow me all
the way. And back. And I'd still save a shit load of money.

For comparison, renting a Cessna and flying us myself would cost about
£600.

So, where do I get these deals?

 

IME, you don't, not anymore.

Not since they 'simplified' the fare structure, at which point all the
mega cheap advance purchase deals simply disappeared.

Last year it cost 20 quid to get my mum from Manchester to Wales and
back - this year it's nearly 3 times that price, despite booking 12
weeks before the travel date.

 

Easyjet

If you really must have a train ticket then don't use Trainline. They
charge a levy on credit cards. Book via Virgin or FGW and you don't pay a
fee, even though they use the Trainline booking engine with a different
skin.

 

But surely you know trains before 9.30am are priced for people who
absolutly positively need to be there by a certain time for business
reasons.

As I say, book the trip for a sensible time and see how the price pans
out.

 

Who gives a **** about whether it's for business or pleasure? Why should
the reason matter?

The only reason why rail companies hike the fares at 'business' times is
because they know people *have* to travel then. It's like trying to book
a cheap holiday at half-term time.

 

<speaks slowly>

I believe that's called supply and demand. It's one of the main tenets
of capitalism. I thought you wrote about these things for a living.

 

The cheap deals are for pikeys, so drop the 1st class requirement and
youi might get somewhere.

 

"Hello, good morning, and welcome to Economics 101"

thank you, err, Mr. Murray.

 

well, demand-side economics anyway.

"I can't believe it's not barter"

really? I thought he wrote about canned pineapples for a living.

 

*ding*

well, any budget airline.

I've just booked return flights between Stansted and Belfast for
£29.98, all in including taxes. Now, that's cheap travel.

 

March is too close.

And I got my 15 return to That There London on direct on Virgin's
website booking normally. It was just 6 months in advance, going
off-peak, and a straight forward journey from Brum to Nodnol.

 

You could buy a small car, use it for the trip then throw it away when
you get back for less. Or hire a really nice car for the weekend. Or
probably even hire a chauffeur. Or just go on the bike.

 

Well, that's what I thought I was saying.

<Waves hands vaguely>

Economics, schmeconomics, what do I know?

 

Sign up to the mailing list of the major train companies.
MoneySavingTwat also keeps tabs on the deals.

No, doesn't work like that. You have to book through the operator
(used to be National Express but now just East Coast since
nationalisation IIRC) and can't go from Hitchin, you have to book the
leg from one of the express train stops like London or Peterborough.
Some stop at Stevenage so try that. You have to make your own way to
Peterborough/London/Stevenage. SWMBO and I got £18 returns to
Edinburgh but the Sandy to Peterborough standard fares worked out
£15!! Still cheap and a good journey (although there was a delay
coming back).

Try the following link. IIRC it's like a Budget Airline type system
that lets you find the lowest fares for a given date. Last time I used
it you can get on and off anywhere between London and Glasgow for the
same price (but you have to book the ticket between those two
stations) so Stevenage to Edinburgh would be fine.
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/special-offers/Glasgow-to-London/

When you get up there, go to 9 Cellars Thali in York Place next to the
comedy club If you enjoy a good curry

 

For £800 and a bottle of Irn Bru you could probably get a group of
scotch people just to drag Edinburgh a few hundred miles south.

 

We rarely pay more than £4 total for that route, 2 adults, return.

The trick was to use a VISA Electron card, though I hear he's just caught up
with that one.

 

Yes, but how much would it cost to have them take it away again?

 

erm, whilst I have had £0 flights before, surely taxes are never less
than £5 per head each way?

yup - swapped the "no charge" option onto pre-paid Mastercards, which
themselves cost you money to have.

 

Because they want to make a profit ?

Good, keep the kids at home I say !

 

Exactly, and if it was cjeaper it would be filled with the parents of Oiks.