Cheapest Way To Get To St Ives From Cheshire....

[hippyhoppy]

Our options are train or drive.. however a) I don't fancy a 7 hour drive (Boyfriend is being very unhelpful and has just has a hip op so can't drive, ergo, leaving it all to me (bearing in mind I can barely make a trip to Asda and back without needing a nap)) and option 2) trains are anything from (mytrainticket.com) 160 odd EACH WAY!!! (for frankly rubbish times as were're only there for 2 days...

I'm going to have suck it up and drive aren't I.. unless one of you has a time machine that can get me there in a jiffy....

[granny grump]

National coaches are much cheaper but you may have to change

[jomifl]

The cheapest way is to walk..

[mushroom25]

you could try this...

https://www.blablacar.co.uk/

[Baldric]

Which St Ives?

[hippyhoppy]

Not and idea I'd had so just googled national express and the prices are good, however the journey times are 14 hours!!!!! then we've got to come home 5 minutes later... Nice idea, thank you.. but for 2 days I don't think it's feasible :-(

[bednobs]

sorry, but a time machine will only transport you in time, not space, so that idea won't work :(

[ladybirder]

St Ives Cambridgeshire or St Ives Cornwall?

[TWR]

From what you said" Re/Asda, I would not recommend you driving that distance if only a short journey causes you to be sleepy, on the Motorway you don't get 2 chances with dropping off H.H. have a thought about the way you decide.

[ladybirder]

Whichever one, try:
http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

[hc4361]

If possible break the journey with an overnight stay half way.

[hippyhoppy]

lol jomifl... it would cost me more in shoes!!!!! And I'd have to set of now!! and blablacar looks viable, but it's very 'now' and I don't think I could get something for December yet.. Will keep a beady eye on that option.... hold on!!! I could earn a few quid BEING a blabacar and charging people to endure my innane conversation and rubbish music... one to think about!!!

[hippyhoppy]

ladybirder and Baldric.. it's Cornwall, hence the distance... Maybe the Red Arrows can have another display down there so we can hop in and leap out where appropriate (hip condition permitting...!)

[Captain2]

Assuming we're going to Cornwall?
Haven't looked to closely into it but there is a limited flight schedule from Manchester to Newquay (then get to St Ives somehow).
Just an alternative to look at.

https://www.google.co.uk/flights/#search;f=MAN;t=NQY;d=2015-11-17;r=2015-12-01;sel=MANNQY0BE355;q=flights+from+manchester+to+st+ives

[Baldric]

///ladybirder and Baldric.. it's Cornwall, hence the distance.///

You mentioned time not distance and given the fact you say you fall asleep on a supermarket trip 7 hrs could have been for either place.

[Jonathan-Joe]

No disrespect to people on AB but here http://www.railforums.co.uk/ you will find experts in rail fares, some professional. For example "splitting" that is covering a journey with several tickets, one for each leg can save a fortune. They will need possible dates and times for the journey out and return.

[Khandro]

With a bus passes (which may not apply) and careful planning, it can be done for free, a couple did it taking the bus to the limit of their region and then taking the next one across the next region similarly, and so on all the way to Land's End.

[Togo]

It wont take you 7 hrs hiphop. I drive to St Ives from N wales ever year. Takes me 6ish with 2 pit stops. My Advice would be to set off very early, I always leave at about 5am. Clear Birmingham and take a rest stop of 20 mins at least half way down the M5. If you hang about longer than that you wont feel like pushing on. Then once you have found the A30 get across Bodmin and take another 20 min break. Prep your journey and know where you are going to stop. Give my love to St Ives. Your boyfriend can navigate let him know in no uncertain that his responsibility is to spot for you all the way, no sleeping or headphones, make him do his share which includes all the planning and checking your motor over before setting out. Make sure you both have good sunglasses for the trip, it is in your face all the way and low in the sky now. Good luck.

[Buenchico]

Please help us to help you by providing the dates of your travel (and any restrictions on times you might have). Also tell us where in Cheshire you're travelling from.

For example, if you were travelling out on Friday 4 December from Chester, the single fare to St Ives is £40 on the 0618 service, getting you to St Ives at 1531 (with changes at Newport, Exeter & St Erth). Returning on Sunday 6 December costs £63.60 on several services, such as the 1503 which gets you back to Chester at 0022. (Change at St Erth and then at St Austell for a rail replacement bus to Plymouth. Then change again at Birmingham). So that gets your return fare down to £103.60.

The ONLY place you should be looking for rail fares is here:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
Third-party ticket outlets can't offer you anything cheaper. Further, they often add on unnecessary booking fees and they've even been known to issue tickets that aren't actually valid for travel. (I used to run a railway station and I saw quite a few of them!).

Once you've provided your exact requirements, AB's three rail travel experts (Dzug2, Mushroom25 & Buenchico) can get to work to see if there any cheap options for you.

[hippyhoppy]

How lovely for all your answers.... Buenchico.. we're travelling on Monday 14th then home again on the Wednesday afternoon (Crewe - St Ives (Cornwall (to be frank didn't know there was any others!! No wonder I failed my CSE Geography!)).. He (boyfriend) gets free rail travel so it would be just for me... ohh, it's all so confusing.. might need a damp flannel in a dark room, retreat and let him sort it out... Again, thank you all for your suggestions...

[mushroom25]

buenchico's suggested route from chester still the most economical as it avoids using cross country trains (whose advance fares aren't that cheap)

or travel via london - out at 12h29 (arr 21h00) for £57, back on the 16th at 14h33 (arr crewe midnight) for £63.