35 replies to this topic

[emily@raileasy]

@ALL

If you need any advice about getting the train to the festival please ask me - We are the official rail provider of Glastonbury 2010.

Those looking to save a few £££s should know there are still some cheap advance fares available London - Bristol, then just jump on the coach.  It's definately worth booking in advance.  There are even some one way £10 fares left if you are thinking of heading down on Tuesday.

@emilyraileasy  

[lea7784]

i payed 250.60p for 2 of us to get from newcastle to castle cary only changing once and got reserved seats well i hope i can sit on them a whole 6 hours

[tinytim27]

Nah not too busy, think I got the one about 10 ish last year, willy probably get an earlier one this year. I'm meeting a friend on the train and he is coming from Plymouth so will meet him at Taunton. Will probably see you there!

I'm coming down from Leeds on the Tuesday and staying in Taunton premier inn Tuesday night, Getting 7.05am train from Taunton to Castle Cary wednesday morning. Just hope the free shuttle buses are running earlier this year.

[guyfawkes]

We're going down on tuesday and staying in a b&b in Taunton, 1st train to Castle Cary in the morning and set up in time for the footie!

[krofh]

Be aware that with cheap advance tickets you have to get the train you're booked on. If you don't then your ticket's not valid and you can be fined. This will be a problem heading back on the Monday, cause there are large queues and it's all done on a first-come-first-served basis.

(Actually, I thought for this reason they didn't offer cheap advance tickets over the festival weekend. But if you've managed to book some then clearly I'm wrong!)

This isnt correct. You have to get on the train you're booked on if you can but if theres a reason why you cant which isnt your fault, like for example not being able to get into the station at castle cary because of the crowd or more typically, if your train is delayed and you miss a connection then you can get on the next train without a problem. You just have to explain to the ticket person. So dont be scared to get a cheaper advance ticket!

Strange situation: a return ticket Reading -> Exeter (passing through Castle Cary) is significantly cheaper than a ticket Reading -> Castle Cary.

Any idea whether buying the cheaper ticket be a mistake?

Yes, because it would not be valid. The ticket barrier folks at Castle Cary (who will be looking for these tricks) will charge you the full Reading - Castle Cary price, so you'll end up paying twice.

Also incorrect, any train ticket between two places allows you to get off and on at any station along the route. I do this all the time..

Edited by krofh, 30 May 2010 - 12:32 PM.

[mikeb]

Ummmmm, sorry but I *really* don't think the above is quite right at all TBH

Firstly: Advance Tickets almost always have a line in the Ts&Cs which prohibits Break Of Journey (other than for any necessary change of trains) and usually specifically state "is not valid for starting or ending a journey at intermediate stops" or words to that effect - i.e. it is only valid for use between the 2 places printed on the ticket on the specific date/times printed on the ticket !  Here's an extract from the Ts&Cs for the Advance Tickets that I generally buy for almost all journeys other than to/from Glasto:

Non-refundable ticket, only valid for the date, time and trains specified.

You must travel on the date, time and trains specified. You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary.

Secondly: As Advance Tickets technically do not normally permit you travel on any other train than that printed on the ticket, doing so leaves you open to getting caught and being charged for an appropriate standard ticket for your journey as your Advance Ticket will be invalid. It may be possible to claim that you missed the 'right' train due to a service stylee issue and therefore get away with travelling on an alternative service but it's by no means clear that you can. If anything, it's usually strongly implied that you can't. Unless you buy travel insurance (usually an additional £1 at the time of ticket purchase) or have an existing policy that covers you then missing the 'right' train is entirely YOUR problem and not a problem for the train operator !  In any case, I would seriously doubt that delays at Castle Cary for instance would actually qualify as "Service Delays" for which the train operator will officially allow you to use a later train if necessary and may not even be covered by insurance either.  It's more than a bit like claiming the traffic on the M25 or at Heathrow car park made you miss your el-cheapo flight therefore the Airline should allow you travel on a later flight at their own expense isn't it ?

I always travel by train and I've seen peeps getting mucho hassle on their journey for being on the wrong train and ultimately getting charged for a standard ticket. However, if you're on one of the Glasto Specials or simply have an 'understanding' guard then you'll probably get away with it. Similar story if you're on a long(ish) distance intercity stylee service but for more local trains and esp for any connecting services ... prepare for hassle I would suggest if your ticket is restricted to a specific train at a specific time and you want to travel on a different service for some reason or other. Do also bear in mind that tickets are always *very* well checked at Castle Cary so no chance of even blagging your way on to the platform unless the guys are entirely satisfied that your ticket is totally valid for your journey.  They don't have a huge F/O great booking office placed outside the station over Glasto weekend for no good reason

As no one posting on here is really in any position to give a definitive answer, make sure you check the Ts&Cs when buying your tickets to ensure that they are suitable for you.  There are deals to be had but you need to be careful and an "open" return is defo the way to go if you can and providing it's not silly money. The Ts&Cs for different ticket types from different operators are often significantly different so you really do need to check the requirements specifically for YOUR intended journey I would suggest.

It is possible to get a specific train from Castle Cary if necessary but it's by no means easy and would require plenty of planning with no doubt lots of hanging around. However, it's usually pretty well organised down there so if needs be, ensure you get there in plenty of time for your train then talk to the guys running the show when you arrive if getting on any old train would seem to be a problem because they will be able help and should allow you to jump the queue if needs be.

BOTTOM LINE: Always check the small print and all that rather than making assumptions or just believing everything you read on t'internet

Edited by mikeb, 30 May 2010 - 08:10 PM.

[Spindles]

I got a bargain early booking through one of the rail booking sites last year (raileasy, ticketline, etc) last year (which I ended up not needing).  A return ticket, checked on several rail booking sites varied in price for me (redditch-castle cary return) from cheapest £52 to steapest £97 (both prices for same trains, at same times, but checked on different days and with different booking sites).  One day I checked and got a return for £37.

The moral?  Watch prices.  The price you see today will likely not be the price you see tomorrow.  When a price is suitable:  Accept it.

I ended up getting a lift and never actually used the ticket.  Go figure.

[Junglist-Guy]

I got my tickets 5 weeks ago.  Return from Lincoln to Castle Cary £50.  Checked today its like £140.

[dawlishmonkey]

hi folks.I believe I am in a position to comment cos I am a fgw guard. so here are the realities of the situation. a break in journey would be possible on (nearly) all but advance tickets,however,if you are leaving castle cary station on or around the festival dates you have no chance of convincing anyone that you are breaking your journey armed with a tent and sleeping bag.

If you have an advance ticket and join the train when it's so busy that you are unable to get to your seat then you can have a chance of claiming that back from fgw(claim forms available from ticket offices),however be aware that the conditions of carriage which are the rules under which you buy your ticket state that the ticket entitles you to a journey but not a seat. but this is different for an advance ticket as opposed to an open ticket.

I'd be quite happy to sort any ones queries via pm or on this forum.I might not know all the answers but I'll know someone who does.

by the way I'm driving in....and I get free train fare

[krofh]

oh blimey, essay. Sorry about motivating that!

I didnt realise Al was on about getting an advance ticket, though thats the only way it would work out cheaper so I probabily should

If its that much cheaper it might be worth grabbing a single from whatever station is the one before Castle Cary though then you can still do the cheap thing.

As for the advance ticket for coming home though, they must get people missing their train all the time given the huge queues outside. Its not your fault the train company wont let you onto the train you booked onto so they certainly wont have a problem with someone get a later train, I wouldn't worry about that.

I'm driving for the first time this year, looking forward to not having to drag a tonne of booze around on trains on the way to festivals Last year my rucksack strap broke when I was getting on and a load of strongbow burst over everything. Was a good start to the week

Edited by krofh, 30 May 2010 - 10:31 PM.

[ParanoidAndroid86]

Possibly a stupid question(s) but.....  Having checked times on thetrainline/raileasy and FGW it looks as though I can get 2 singles for £37 combined or an off-peak return for just under £45 (both with a 16-25 card, all 3 sites appear to be the same prices).  Am I right in thinking that if I go for the singles then (in theory) I'm expected to get that service - and if I miss either I'd have to try and blag it or pay again?  If so then I'd rather pay the £8 extra.

The only thing about the off-peak option is that it normally equates to travelling after 10am, yet I've entered departures on the Wednesday/Monday mornings after 7/8am and it's still permitting me to click those.  The description of the ticket type says "return any time within a month" - am I clicking a specifically timed service for the sake of it then?

Edited by ParanoidAndroid86, 31 May 2010 - 12:06 AM.

[Mrs Peanuttie]

Possibly a stupid question(s) but.....  Having checked times on thetrainline/raileasy and FGW it looks as though I can get 2 singles for £37 combined or an off-peak return for just under £45 (both with a 16-25 card, all 3 sites appear to be the same prices).  Am I right in thinking that if I go for the singles then (in theory) I'm expected to get that service - and if I miss either I'd have to try and blag it or pay again?  If so then I'd rather pay the £8 extra.

The only thing about the off-peak option is that it normally equates to travelling after 10am, yet I've entered departures on the Wednesday/Monday mornings after 7/8am and it's still permitting me to click those.  The description of the ticket type says "return any time within a month" - am I clicking a specifically timed service for the sake of it then?

Don't know if im 100% right, but i think there is a difference between an off-peak return and an off-peak DAY return. With an off-peak day return i find i can only travel anytime after 10am and return the same day. But with a normal off-peak return (The one where the end date is a month after the start) travelling before 10am is ok. This is the case for me in Manchester but i'm sure somebody on here has more information and can help you more  

[mikeb]

Possibly a stupid question(s) but.....  Having checked times on thetrainline/raileasy and FGW it looks as though I can get 2 singles for £37 combined or an off-peak return for just under £45 (both with a 16-25 card, all 3 sites appear to be the same prices).  Am I right in thinking that if I go for the singles then (in theory) I'm expected to get that service - and if I miss either I'd have to try and blag it or pay again?  If so then I'd rather pay the £8 extra.

The only thing about the off-peak option is that it normally equates to travelling after 10am, yet I've entered departures on the Wednesday/Monday mornings after 7/8am and it's still permitting me to click those.  The description of the ticket type says "return any time within a month" - am I clicking a specifically timed service for the sake of it then?

If the option to buy tickets is there then it's OK - trainline.com et al only show trains that you are permitted to use with the relevant ticket type. Peak time periods vary depending on where you're going to/from, it's not always limited to travel after 1000 hours or whatever. In fact sometimes there is no such thing as peak time at all and off-peak tickets are perfectly valid at any time of day. Make sure that you check the Ts&Cs tho to look for any other restrictions there may be. You normally just have to click on the Ticket Type image to see them but there may be other links on the page that do the same thing.  And YES you are selecting a specific date/time for no particularly good reason if the ticket is an 'open' return allowing you to use any return service within a month !  Just pick the one you'd prefer to use but no need to worry if you actually travel on a different service.

ADVANCE tickets (generally single tickets) usually have very strict conditions and usually you MUST use the exact train specified on the ticket. Off-peak tickets are usually much less strict and generally allow you to use ANY valid service at least on the return leg if not on both legs so there are no real implications for a Glasto journey with very unpredictable delays involved. You just need to check the specific Ts&Cs for the specific tickets to make sure there are no catches and it's going to be hassle-free as well as less do$h

PS: Sorry for the alleged "essay" earlier ... but I thought that it was important that peeps were aware of the potential misinformation that had been posted and understood precisely why they could well have problems if they didn't read the small print and all that.

Edited by mikeb, 31 May 2010 - 11:40 AM.

[ParanoidAndroid86]

Thanks for the info - finally got around booking it earlier.

[dawlishmonkey]

just to confuse you more...there is a new level of off peak ticket this year.the super off peak.valid from castle scary from 10am. this is the cheapest walk up or open ticket. you can board any train with this ticket as long as you are willing to pay the upgrade to the next available cheapest fare,they might charge you this at the barriers but I doubt it.

[fadeinout]

I got the train from Padders to Castle Carey a couple of years ago on the Friday morning and it was great.  The free bus from the station missed out all the traffic and dumped us right near the gate which leads up to what was the John Peel/Dance tents.  It's well worth doing.