Buying advance rail tickets

[Garage_Doors]

I keep getting e mails from Southern Rail regarding "advance tickets", not sure why I guess I used the're site once as I rarely use trains
So normally ignore them, but..........................
Today i want to buy one ! that's when he trouble stated

It says as long as you book 12 weeks in advance for Brighton to Victoria its level £5 Level 2 £8.50 Level 2 £12

So i plug in i want to go on the 19th May (this year) after 5pm and return the same night and it gives me a price of £67.
Now i don't mind someone having my trousers down but passed both ankle is taking a liberty.

What am i doing wrong please

 

[1066familyman]

I'll watch this thread with interest. I get these emails from Southern and I've never yet managed to get cheap advanced tickets off of them. Need a return to London in late April but there's none of that £5 stuff they claim on offer.....EVER!

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

12 weeks in advance is the maximum you can go for advance fares. You're just a wee bit too early, nothing more.

 

[8ace]

14 weeks in advance not 12

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I keep getting e mails from Southern Rail regarding "advance tickets", not sure why I guess I used the're site once as I rarely use trains
So normally ignore them, but..........................
Today i want to buy one ! that's when he trouble stated

It says as long as you book 12 weeks in advance for Brighton to Victoria its level £5 Level 2 £8.50 Level 2 £12

So i plug in i want to go on the 19th May (this year) after 5pm and return the same night and it gives me a price of £67.
Now i don't mind someone having my trousers down but passed both ankle is taking a liberty.

What am i doing wrong please

All fourteen emails I received on this offer in the space of a minute a few days back stated:
"............Tickets are available 12 weeks in advance of departure right up until 6pm the night before you travel so you can even make those last minute celebrations........"
Essentially, you can currently only purchase up to May 1st.

 

[Gazwag]

Are you looking for a return ticket it's usually singles that are cheap. I often get two £5 or £8.50 singles from polegate to Victoria and back for away games and then get separate tickets from London onwards.

 

[Triggaaar]

Now i don't mind someone having my trousers down but passed both ankle is taking a liberty.

What am i doing wrong please

Did you take your belt off?

 

[1066familyman]

Ok, so I access their site direct from the book advance button in their email.

Put in all the details for 3 adult returns on 24th April. Cheapest price = £70.65

Anyone any idea what the magic trick is I always always seem to miss? I've never ever got cheap advance tickets from Southern on these promotions.

Will be cheaper just to get a group save ticket from our local tourist info office.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Ok thanks guys, i will wait a couple of weeks and report back

 

[HHGull]

All fourteen emails I received on this offer in the space of a minute a few days back stated:
"............Tickets are available 12 weeks in advance of departure right up until 6pm the night before you travel so you can even make those last minute celebrations........"
Essentially, you can currently only purchase up to May 1st.

I only got 10! You're their favourite.

 

[8ace]

Ok, so I access their site direct from the book advance button in their email.

Put in all the details for 3 adult returns on 24th April. Cheapest price = £70.65

Anyone any idea what the magic trick is I always always seem to miss? I've never ever got cheap advance tickets from Southern on these promotions.

Will be cheaper just to get a group save ticket from our local tourist info office.

They may not be on sale yet for that day, have a look a week ahead of the date.

 

[1066familyman]

They may not be on sale yet for that day, have a look a week ahead of the date.

Ok thanks. I have just come off the phone from them as it happens as I'm curious to know why I can never get these advanced deals to work. Here's a brief upshot:

National rail redirect from Southern had a lovely lady not finding the advance fare either but throwing up £35.40 return for 3 adult as super off peak day return, with the group save box ticked. Would be very happy with that price if it wasn't for the fact last train back to Hastings at that fare leaves at 21.47. Might be cutting it fine to get back from O2 for that time.

She also told me how to get to speak to Southern direct. On doing that the bloke I spoke to checked for the same Victoria to Hastings £5 deal and confirmed he couldn't get it either and said it could be fault with their new website. Although it seems you may have answered the question for him. They took my details and said they'd get back to me.

Sorry for boring the crap out of you, but it's the principal of never ever getting these advance deals that nags me, so I thought I'd check it out even though I'll probably just end up with a group save anyway. I think you get good advance fares for away days from what I read on here?, and I know others who do too, but I assumed that was for the onward journeys from London, not Southern?

 

[8ace]

Ok thanks. I have just come off the phone from them as it happens as I'm curious to know why I can never get these advanced deals to work. Here's a brief upshot:

National rail redirect from Southern had a lovely lady not finding the advance fare either but throwing up £35.40 return for 3 adult as super off peak day return, with the group save box ticked. Would be very happy with that price if it wasn't for the fact last train back to Hastings at that fare leaves at 21.47. Might be cutting it fine to get back from O2 for that time.

She also told me how to get to speak to Southern direct. On doing that the bloke I spoke to checked for the same Victoria to Hastings £5 deal and confirmed he couldn't get it either and said it could be fault with their new website. Although it seems you may have answered the question for him. They took my details and said they'd get back to me.

Sorry for boring the crap out of you, but it's the principal of never ever getting these advance deals that nags me, so I thought I'd check it out even though I'll probably just end up with a group save anyway. I think you get good advance fares for away days from what I read on here?, and I know others who do too, but I assumed that was for the onward journeys from London, not Southern?

Yeah the cheap advance ones I get are from London onward, the tickets we get up to London are cheap enough on the day. I've just checked for you and there are advance tkts available on the 17th April so the tkts for the 24th should be on sale soon (this week I'd guess)

 

[1066familyman]

Yeah the cheap advance ones I get are from London onward, the tickets we get up to London are cheap enough on the day. I've just checked for you and there are advance tkts available on the 17th April so the tkts for the 24th should be on sale soon (this week I'd guess)

Nice one, thanks. Getting cheap train tickets is like a full time job in itself. Singles rather than returns, breaking up the journey...etc etc. Beats me why it can't all be simplified, but that would be too easy I suppose, or more likely cost the operators too much money in lost revenue from generally shafting people.

 

[8ace]

Nice one, thanks. Getting cheap train tickets is like a full time job in itself. Singles rather than returns, breaking up the journey...etc etc. Beats me why it can't all be simplified, but that would be too easy I suppose, or more likely cost the operators too much money in lost revenue from generally shafting people.

I've been doing it for a few years now so it doesn't take me that long these days.
One thing I would say is don't use that useless Southern website, I tend to use this one:

https://www.buytickets.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/advancedsearch.aspx

Same tkts / price etc just a simpler website that works

 

[Beach Hut]

What is a rail ticket you have to purchase ?

 

[Hampster Gull]

What is a rail ticket you have to purchase ?

Its for young people, like the internet thingy

 

[spence]

I've been doing it for a few years now so it doesn't take me that long these days.
One thing I would say is don't use that useless Southern website, I tend to use this one:

https://www.buytickets.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/advancedsearch.aspx

Same tkts / price etc just a simpler website that works

Any cheap returns for a single traveler for the Charlton game on the 23 April?

 

[8ace]

Any cheap returns for a single traveler for the Charlton game on the 23 April?

You could get £5 singles* from Crawley or 3B to Victoria and then a return to Charlton - might save you a couple of quid.


*as per post #13 not on sale yet.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

All fourteen emails I received on this offer in the space of a minute a few days back stated:
"............Tickets are available 12 weeks in advance of departure right up until 6pm the night before you travel so you can even make those last minute celebrations........"
Essentially, you can currently only purchase up to May 1st.

I feel cheated. I only received THIRTEEN in a minute.