ChatterBank0 min ago
Train To Birmingham
7 Answers
What would be the quickest and cheapest way to travel by train to Birmingham from London and also who best to book with tia
Answers
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Depends on the day and time you want to travel.
Check prices here https:/
You can also try the ticket splitting sites , like this one https:/
Check prices here https:/
You can also try the ticket splitting sites , like this one https:/
fastest is avanti from Euston to New Street. fastest journey 1h16mn but more usually 1h30mn. 2 trains per hour.
next is Chiltern from Marylebone to Moor Street, journey just under 2 hours. 1-2 trains per hour depending on time of day.
London NorthWestern also run from Euston to New Street via Northampton, journey time 2h25mn, although the journey can be done 20mn quicker with a change at Rugby.
the problem with Avanti is they frequently don't release their cheapest tickets until the week before the travel date. they have been criticised for this by the DfT and ORR, but remain unmoved, and nothing is likely to change.
next is Chiltern from Marylebone to Moor Street, journey just under 2 hours. 1-2 trains per hour depending on time of day.
London NorthWestern also run from Euston to New Street via Northampton, journey time 2h25mn, although the journey can be done 20mn quicker with a change at Rugby.
the problem with Avanti is they frequently don't release their cheapest tickets until the week before the travel date. they have been criticised for this by the DfT and ORR, but remain unmoved, and nothing is likely to change.
^^^^ Aagh!!! No! No! No! Do NOT use The Trainline! They charge a 'service fee' for each transaction, which can be avoided by going through the websites of individual train operating companies.
Further, they've been known to issue tickets that simply aren't valid for travel on any train! (When I ran a railway station, I got fed up of seeing tickets from The Trainline for, say, a service from operator A but with a ticket that was only valid on the trains of operator B, providing numbered seat reservations despite the fact that the train in the booking didn't offer reservable seats).
It can also be harder to get a refund from The Trainline, if things go wrong, than it can be to get one from the relevant train operator.
Search for tickets on the National Rail website:
https:/
(Although National Rail doesn't have its own booking service, you can click through from your search results to a train operator's own website, thus enabling you to avoid The Trainline's booking fees).
As Barry indicates though, it's sometimes possible to get cheaper fares by booking a journey in two stages. (i.e. instead of booking from A to C, book from A to B and then from B to C). 'Ticket splitting' websites can help in the search for ways to do that but they're far from infallible. (I've several times managed to beat their offers by searching manually for fares).
If you tell us
(a) when you need to travel . (Date and time, please ) ;
(b) your return travel requirements, if any ; and
(c) what flexibility there is in your plans ;
the people here who regard rail ticketing as a specialist field (such as Mushroom25, Dzug2 - if he's still around - and myself) can take a look to see what might be available for you.
Note though that it's usually pointless trying to find discounted fares at peak travel times, such as Friday evenings, on major inter-city routes. You're usually stuck with having to pay the full 'walk-up' fares.
Further, they've been known to issue tickets that simply aren't valid for travel on any train! (When I ran a railway station, I got fed up of seeing tickets from The Trainline for, say, a service from operator A but with a ticket that was only valid on the trains of operator B, providing numbered seat reservations despite the fact that the train in the booking didn't offer reservable seats).
It can also be harder to get a refund from The Trainline, if things go wrong, than it can be to get one from the relevant train operator.
Search for tickets on the National Rail website:
https:/
(Although National Rail doesn't have its own booking service, you can click through from your search results to a train operator's own website, thus enabling you to avoid The Trainline's booking fees).
As Barry indicates though, it's sometimes possible to get cheaper fares by booking a journey in two stages. (i.e. instead of booking from A to C, book from A to B and then from B to C). 'Ticket splitting' websites can help in the search for ways to do that but they're far from infallible. (I've several times managed to beat their offers by searching manually for fares).
If you tell us
(a) when you need to travel . (Date and time, please ) ;
(b) your return travel requirements, if any ; and
(c) what flexibility there is in your plans ;
the people here who regard rail ticketing as a specialist field (such as Mushroom25, Dzug2 - if he's still around - and myself) can take a look to see what might be available for you.
Note though that it's usually pointless trying to find discounted fares at peak travel times, such as Friday evenings, on major inter-city routes. You're usually stuck with having to pay the full 'walk-up' fares.
Relevant links:
Forthcoming rail strikes:
https:/
From the BBC website today:
https:/
Forthcoming rail strikes:
https:/
From the BBC website today:
https:/
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