Buying a return train ticket to Southampton from London
We want to travel from London to Peppa Pig World in Paultons Park. From enquiring, the fastest and most cost-effective way to reach it is by taking a train from London to Southhampton and then taking a taxi to the park. I checked about buying a ticket in advance on TrainLine.com and I see that I need to book a specific train (meaning a specific time). On the way there it's not really a problem, but the way is problematic, it would be very hard to set a schedule and stick to it when travelling to an amusement park with small children, they might not want to leave at the planned time, or be tired and want to leave way earlier. Ordering an open return ticket costs more that 100 GBP. Do I have to book the return (and even the forth ticket) in advance? How much will a train ticket cost if I buy it in the station (for adults and children)? How far ahead do I need to buy the ticket? Can I book it when I see that we are finished and are on our way back?
Best Answer
Assuming you are returning the same day, an Anytime Day Return ticket from London to Southampton costs £47.20 for an adult and £23.60 for a child. This ticket is fully flexible and can be used for one journey from London to Southampton and back on the specified day. This ticket can be purchased in advance or at the station on the day.
It would probably not make sense for you to pre-purchase a restricted Advance ticket on your outbound journey to Southampton, as a flexible one-way ticket from Southampton to London costs nearly as much as the return ticket above (£44.80 for an adult).
You've explained that you're travelling as a party of 2 adults and 2 children, and that the >£100 cost is for the four of you together. Unfortunately, this is likely to be the cheapest flexible fare available to you (assuming that this is for a return journey and not a one-way journey).
Advance fares (i.e. tickets marked "Advance", not all tickets purchased in advance of your journey) can be substantially cheaper than flexible fares as you've discovered, but they are extremely restrictive. In addition, on the London to Southampton route, they must be purchased at least one day before you travel, so you would not be able to take advantage of these savings were you to purchase on the day of your trip. The only tickets available to purchase for you on the day of your trip would be the flexible fares I've described above.
Another poster has mentioned the Family and Friends railcard. Please note that the Family and Friends railcard is not valid on journeys departing London to Southampton before 9:30 AM on weekdays, so do check that a discounted fare is available if you intend on purchasing a railcard.
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How much does it cost to get to Southampton from London?
London to Southampton Central by trainJourney timeFrom 1h 13mPriceFrom \xa35.50Distance69 miles (112 km)Frequency62 trains per dayFirst train04:305 more rowsIs return train ticket cheaper than one way?
On both your outward and return journey, you'll be able to access the First Class carriage, and it'll generally be cheaper if you travel during Off-Peak times. In fact, an Off-Peak Return journey in First Class can sometimes end up cheaper than an Anytime Return ticket in Standard.Is there a direct train from London to Southampton?
Two direct train lines between London and Southampton! The London Waterloo train is the fastest and most frequent to Southampton. However there is also an alternative direct train service from London's Victoria Station to Southampton. This takes a slower route via Gatwick Airport and takes around an hour longer.Is a Travelcard a return ticket?
Travelcards can be purchased from most stations in the South East England area. Day Travelcard prices include the return fare to London plus travel in Zones 1-6. Travelcards valid for 7 days or longer can be purchased for any combination of adjoining zones which include Zone 6.5 Tips for Using Trains in England! 🚂
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Answer 2
That is a typical saving for booking on specific trains, well in advance (advance tickets are sold in limited numbers and do sell out).
You can save a fair bit with a family and friends railcard, but that costs money itself. If you end up buying the anytime day return, the railcard should pay for itself on this one trip. Mine did the first long distance journey I did with my daughter.
Also, under fives travel free, and if you're going to Peppa world there's a fair chance at least one of yours is under five.
Answer 3
Given that Advance tickets are sometimes a lot cheaper than an off-peak day return, you could consider:
Advance tickets for one particular train to Southampton; and then
Advance tickets for two or three different options on the way back.
Then, if you want to go home earlier, you use an earlier booked option (and not use the tickets for the later option(s) you have booked). If you want to go later, you use a later booked option (and not use the tickets for the earlier option(s)).
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