How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:20:18 +0000, Mrs Redboots wrote:
But how often is there (a) a very long queue

Always in peak

and (b) ticket machines out of order?

About 60% of the time one of them is out of order, about 30% of the time
they are both out of order, at least at my local station. Pay by card? No
choice but the ticket window.

If I know I'm going to travel, and suspect there will be a queue at the
time of day I wish to go, I usually try to buy my ticket earlier in the
day, or even the previous day. And, of course, for many journeys,
buying in advance is a very great deal cheaper!


Most people dont want to plan travel in advance. The beuaty of a car is
"I need to travel, I travel". It's only on very long distance trips,
mainly airplanes, that people buy well in advance. For daily and weekly
tasks people travel spontaneously.

--
Everything I write here is my personal opinion, and should not be taken as fact.

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

Paul Weaver wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 25 Mar 2005:

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:20:18 +0000, Mrs Redboots wrote:
But how often is there (a) a very long queue

Always in peak

and (b) ticket machines out of order?

About 60% of the time one of them is out of order, about 30% of the time
they are both out of order, at least at my local station. Pay by card? No
choice but the ticket window.

From your original posting, it sounded as though you only go there once
in a blue moon.....

If I know I'm going to travel, and suspect there will be a queue at the
time of day I wish to go, I usually try to buy my ticket earlier in the
day, or even the previous day. And, of course, for many journeys,
buying in advance is a very great deal cheaper!


Most people dont want to plan travel in advance. The beuaty of a car is
"I need to travel, I travel". It's only on very long distance trips,
mainly airplanes, that people buy well in advance. For daily and weekly
tasks people travel spontaneously.

I think you'll find that those going on longer-distance rail journeys
now buy their tickets in advance, since, just like on an aeroplane, it
is a lot cheaper to do so (business travellers funding the rest of us,
as per usual). For local trips, of course, a Travelcard suffices....
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 20 March 2005

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

Mrs Redboots typed


I think you'll find that those going on longer-distance rail journeys
now buy their tickets in advance, since, just like on an aeroplane, it
is a lot cheaper to do so (business travellers funding the rest of us,
as per usual). For local trips, of course, a Travelcard suffices....

Watford Junction is outside Zone 6 (but a bus pass will get you there on
a 142 or 258) and 8.5 miles from here. It's hardly the sort of place I'd
pop to get a ticket. Getting tickets online require several days to
allow for the post...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
About 60% of the time one of them is out of order, about 30% of the time
they are both out of order, at least at my local station. Pay by card? No
choice but the ticket window.

From your original posting, it sounded as though you only go there once
in a blue moon.....

I wasn't the OP, just my experience at Twyford

(earlier you wrote)
If I know I'm going to travel, and suspect there will be a queue at the
time of day I wish to go, I usually try to buy my ticket earlier in the
day, or even the previous day. And, of course, for many journeys,
buying in advance is a very great deal cheaper!

(then wrote)
I think you'll find that those going on longer-distance rail journeys
now buy their tickets in advance, since, just like on an aeroplane, it
is a lot cheaper to do so (business travellers funding the rest of us,
as per usual). For local trips, of course, a Travelcard suffices....

For those in London that travel regularly. As for longer distance, do you
have any authorative figures to back up your absurd statement? Regardless,
what "cheap tickets" can you pick up by going to the station the previous
day or a few hours in advance? Why would you spend an hour goign to the
station and back just to buy tickets? Perhaps if
1) Local stations had fastticket machines
2) They worked and didn't run out of tickets
3) If the f.t. machine wasn't working you could pick your ticket up with
minimal hastle from the ticket office, or on board
4) You had a guarenteed time your ticket wil be available, not (after paying
for it), getting an email stating
Unfortunately due to a technical fault you will not be able to use this
for the next 2-5 hours.

Then you might have a situation where people will buy things like CDRs in
advance.

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

Paul Weaver wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 25 Mar 2005:

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
About 60% of the time one of them is out of order, about 30% of the time
they are both out of order, at least at my local station. Pay by card? No
choice but the ticket window.

From your original posting, it sounded as though you only go there once
in a blue moon.....

I wasn't the OP, just my experience at Twyford

The OP was talking about Watford Junction, I believe, which is in rather
a different place!

(earlier you wrote)
If I know I'm going to travel, and suspect there will be a queue at the
time of day I wish to go, I usually try to buy my ticket earlier in the
day, or even the previous day. And, of course, for many journeys,
buying in advance is a very great deal cheaper!

(then wrote)
I think you'll find that those going on longer-distance rail journeys
now buy their tickets in advance, since, just like on an aeroplane, it
is a lot cheaper to do so (business travellers funding the rest of us,
as per usual). For local trips, of course, a Travelcard suffices....

For those in London that travel regularly. As for longer distance, do you
have any authorative figures to back up your absurd statement?

Go to www.nationalrail.com or www.thetrainline.com and check fares
there. ITYF that it is very far from absurd. Say I wanted to travel to
York to see my daughter - if I was able to book a week in advance, I
might be able to travel for as little as £37.50 - a standard open return
is £144.00.

Regardless,
what "cheap tickets" can you pick up by going to the station the previous
day or a few hours in advance? Why would you spend an hour goign to the
station and back just to buy tickets?

To save over £100 I would - wouldn't you????
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 20 March 2005

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
I think you'll find that those going on longer-distance rail journeys
now buy their tickets in advance, since, just like on an aeroplane, it
is a lot cheaper to do so (business travellers funding the rest of us,
as per usual).

Depends what you mean by long-distance.

Last week I went for a day-trip to Ramsgate. I didn't buy the ticket in
advance as I'd have wasted £20 if I had woken up and decided I couldn't be
bothered to go out.

Not long ago I had cause to go to York, and had to buy my ticket in advance
due to needing to make a cycle reservation for part of the journey. Apart
from having to travel five miles to collect my tickets, being committed to
certain trains and times was highly inconvenient.

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 14:21:41 +0000, Mrs Redboots wrote:
About 60% of the time one of them is out of order, about 30% of the time
they are both out of order, at least at my local station. Pay by card? No
choice but the ticket window.

From your original posting, it sounded as though you only go there once
in a blue moon.....

I wasn't the OP, just my experience at Twyford

The OP was talking about Watford Junction, I believe, which is in rather
a different place!

It's a train station. Sure Watford might have 10 times the ticket windows
and 10 times the machines, but it also has 10 times the customers. The
fact is ticket machines, even at staffed stations, can't be relied on.

Go to www.nationalrail.com or www.thetrainline.com and check fares
there. ITYF that it is very far from absurd. Say I wanted to travel to
York to see my daughter - if I was able to book a week in advance, I
might be able to travel for as little as £37.50 - a standard open return
is £144.00.

Off peak (including Friday nights and all weekend - which it the time most
people will travel for leisure), A saver is £70 (£45 with a railcard).
Apex singles are £40, although in this case GNER do TOC-only deals on more
limited trains then savers, for £37, a maximum saving of arround £30, but
you lose the flexibility (work late on the friday night? You're screwed)

Regardless,
what "cheap tickets" can you pick up by going to the station the previous
day or a few hours in advance? Why would you spend an hour goign to the
station and back just to buy tickets?

To save over £100 I would - wouldn't you????

£30, not £100.
--
Everything I write here is my personal opinion, and should not be taken as fact.

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

"Paul Weaver" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 14:21:41 +0000, Mrs Redboots wrote:
About 60% of the time one of them is out of order, about 30% of the
time
they are both out of order, at least at my local station. Pay by card?
No
choice but the ticket window.


Go to www.nationalrail.com or www.thetrainline.com and check fares
there. ITYF that it is very far from absurd. Say I wanted to travel to
York to see my daughter - if I was able to book a week in advance, I
might be able to travel for as little as £37.50 - a standard open return
is £144.00.

Off peak (including Friday nights and all weekend - which it the time most
people will travel for leisure), A saver is £70 (£45 with a railcard).
Apex singles are £40, although in this case GNER do TOC-only deals on more
limited trains then savers, for £37, a maximum saving of arround £30, but
you lose the flexibility (work late on the friday night? You're screwed)

Regardless,
what "cheap tickets" can you pick up by going to the station the previous
day or a few hours in advance? Why would you spend an hour goign to the
station and back just to buy tickets?

To save over £100 I would - wouldn't you????

£30, not £100.

It's a sad endictment on the current state of our rail system that TOCs are
allowed to levy such as wide range of fares for the same journey. If we take
the £37.50 fare as the baseline, the saver has a surcharge of 87% and the
standard open has a surcharge of 285%.

If I was faced with restrictions that tied me to travelling by a particular
train, I'd say "Sod this for a so-called service - I'll drive it."

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

In message ,
Martin Underwood writes
If I was faced with restrictions that tied me to travelling by a
particular train, I'd say "Sod this for a so-called service - I'll
drive it."

Which is one of the reasons I *sometimes* travel West Midlands - London
by train, instead of *always* travelling West Midlands - London by
train.

In recent weeks the same has been true for:
Birmingham - Lincoln
Birmingham - York
Birmingham - Bristol
Birmingham - Winchester

In each case I was unable to plan ahead and would have had to pay very
many more times the cost in petrol/depreciation/effort to drive in order
to go by train. :-(
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

How Long to Buy a Ticket
 

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 18:18:06 -0000, Martin Underwood wrote:

If I was faced with restrictions that tied me to travelling by a particular
train, I'd say "Sod this for a so-called service - I'll drive it."

And how many cars can you choose from?

--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9633053.html
(47 568 hurrying through Shenfield in 1981)