Booking online train tickets

[Prudie]

I'm trying to book a return ticket (week apart) on national rail but it will only let me book for specific trains. Is it not possible to book a retun keeping to the dates but not the times? The open return option is much more expensive but I thought that was for when you don't even know what day you want to come back. Can anyone advise please?

[mike11111]

If you book a Saver you can return on any day on any off-peak train (you will need to check validity).

[Buenchico]

'Advance' tickets are only available on designated trains. (Just like budget airline tickets, you can only buy single tickets. There is no such thing as an 'Advance Return' ticket).

The only return tickets available are 'Off Peak' or 'Anytime' returns.

With Off-Peak Return tickets, outbound travel must be made on the date on the ticket. Return travel must be within one calendar month.

With Anytime Return tickets, outbound travel must be on the date on the ticket, or on any of the following 4 days. Return travel must be within one calendar month.

There are no 'date specific' return tickets.

http://www.nationalra...s_fares/ticket_types/

Chris

[Prudie]

Thank you both for answers. Chris I was able to buy an advance return ticket as long as I picked the train I was returning on. I'm just concerned that if I miss the reurn train (as it depends on a flight arrival) what happens if I catch a later train.
I'll look at the offpeak option.

[dzug2]

There's no such thing as an 'advance return ticket' - you cannot book such a thing. It doesn't exist.

You can either book an advance single each way - in which case you are stuck with the trains booked. If you miss a train you must buy another, usually expensive, ticket.

OR you can buy an off peak (or anytime) return. You can specify times but you don't have to stick to them.

[puternut]

Is the journey on a single rail company?

If so check if they do a 'Period Return'. Generally valid for return within one month of first part journey

[Buenchico]

The terms 'Period Return' and 'Saver Return', used by others above, no longer exist. The Association of Train Operating Companies accepted that ticketing arrangements were too difficult to understand. There are now only 'Advance', 'Off Peak' (including 'Super Off Peak' on some routes, at certain times) and 'Anytime' tickets.

Eddie correctly states that 'Advance' tickets are only valid on the specified trains (and also, where reservations are included, only in the specified seats).

However where a ticket holder misses their train through a delay to an earlier service, an Advance ticket is automatically valid on the next train available. When a customer (with an Advance ticket) misses their train through other causes, station supervisors have discretionary authority to permit travel, without additional payment, on a later service.

In order to prevent abuse of the system, station supervisors are discouraged from permitting such travel other than exceptional circumstances but (having done the job myself) such authorisations do happen. In particular, when people have been travelling later than planned due to delayed flights, I've asked to see their flight boarding passes as evidence to show that they'd recently completed a flight.

Chris

[Prudie]

I'm not sure why a couple of you are saying there is no such thing as an 'Advance Return Ticket' unless you are talking semantics? I have gone ahead and bought 2 return tickets 'in advance' online and will take the risk that we miss the return train. There must be a difference as it cost £47.40 for the return whereas I had the option of getting singles for £58.
Thank you all for input anyway.

[dzug2]

Whilst you say 'talking semantics' and yes in a way it is, it is important to get them right in a situation where getting them wrong has the potential to cost you money.

In your case you cannot have bought an 'Advance return ticket'. As several of us have said it just doesn't exist.

You have either bought advance singles each way - but that does not gel with you saying singles were £58

OR you have bought an anytime or more likely off peak return ahead of time. If that is what you have done then there's no need to worry about missing the return train - the ticket will be valid, subject to off peak restriction where one exists. And yes, it is perfectly possible for it to be cheaper than a single