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    Rail ticket question

    I have to buy a ticket for someone coming over from America to Heathrow and on to Blackpool.

    Obviously, anything like him going up to a window and buying a ticket would be ridiculous if he wants to pay less than about £100. So then an advanced ticket. But what happens if the plane is a bit late, or perhaps the airport terminal has decided that only 4 immigration officers are enough for 3 loads of planes arriving at once, as happened this morning to another friend?

    I assume he's cranked up to full fare in that case. Is there anything we can do about it?

    The cheapest ticket looks to be £61 as it is.

    Are there also maybe some cheaper ways, splitting the journey up.

    And how do I get his ticket to him, if I book it?

    #2
    Rail ticket question

    Is it ridiculous to ask why he wouldn't take National Express, seeing as there's a station right at Heathrow?

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      #3
      Rail ticket question

      Seven hours on a coach, probably.

      Though this is the kind of thing that the UK is piss poor at compared to the much of the rest of Europe. I'm not aware of any alternative to taking the Tube (or Paddington Express and Tube) to Euston as the first step. I have, however, heard of "off peak" fares that are no longer train-specific (unlike the advance fares). And it's still going to be a pain to get him the ticket.

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        #4
        Rail ticket question

        Out of curiousity, I googles this trip.

        It told me "no transit directions could be found."
        By car, 3 hours 57 minutes.

        Wouldn't it make more sense to just fly into Manchester?

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          #5
          Rail ticket question

          Tubby - Get him to book a ticket from Euston to Manchester via the Virgin website. They do a special deal where if you prebook, the ticket costs about fifteen quid. And, best of all for him, they send the ticket via sms, so he has it on his phone. A train ticket from Manchester to Blackpool will cost him about twenty quid, and there's no reason to preboo kthat.

          OK, it's a faff, but it'll be a third of the price.

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            #6
            Rail ticket question

            He could by a Britrail pass in the US. The cheapest is for three days and costs about £80 (depending on current rates, that's what it would be if bought in Canada.) He could use the extra two days tripping around the Lake District, or sell the ticket to a local for a decent slice of what it cost (see threads recently passim.)

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              #7
              Rail ticket question

              http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/specialoffers/default.aspx

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                #8
                Rail ticket question

                Tubby - you can buy a rail ticket directly from Heathrow airport to Blackpool including the coach link from Heathrow to Reading station and then vermin voyager from there to Preston.

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                  #9
                  Rail ticket question

                  I've settled on Heathrow Connect to Paddington, taxi to Euston, EIM train from Euston. EIM's point about text ticketing is very welcome.

                  All I need to know now (apart from when he's actually coming) is whether the tickets will be train specific, and what happens when he's delayed. Surcharge of about £90?

                  Looked at the coach- £24 but only 4 of them a day, and Ursus's guess of the travel time is remarkably accurate.

                  Paul won't that cost a fortune on the day?

                  We really need this built, don't we?

                  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathrow_Airtrack

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                    #10
                    Rail ticket question

                    it's very nice of you to go to all this trouble. I'd be telling them to bugger off and make their own damn arrangements. Maybe they can't for some reason and I'm being a total bitch, in which case, sorry.

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                      #11
                      Rail ticket question

                      I'd say being in America was a fairly decent excuse.

                      They've probably no idea that getting a fair ticket price involves this sort of bumfluffery.

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                        #12
                        Rail ticket question

                        I wouldn't. I researched & booked my own buses in Australia from here for example. But I'm a miserable, nasty person.

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                          #13
                          Rail ticket question

                          From EIM's link, it looks like those tickets are train specific (and only available for a couple of services a day).

                          Amor's Britrail pass suggestion may well be the cheapest way to go here once everything is said and done, especially if the fellow in question ever wants to leave Blackpool. Query, however, as to whether there is enough time to get one.

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                            #14
                            Rail ticket question

                            My research indicates it would be more cost-effective to fly into Manchester instead of Heathrow.

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                              #15
                              Rail ticket question

                              I think the flight's already booked, Reed.

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                                #16
                                Rail ticket question

                                He is going to have to change at Euston and Preston, no easier way other than possibly adding a flight on to Manchester.

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                                  #17
                                  Rail ticket question

                                  Unless you can get him a cheap connecting flight to Blackpool airport.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Rail ticket question

                                    How's work on the teleporter coming along?

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