craisin

I am sadly a U.K. newbie. I tried searching for this info with no luck. Could someone give me a general idea of how much this would cost and/or where I could find this information?

Thank you very much!

Passepartout

http://www.thetrainline.com

Their splash page is currently showing &pound;5 for a ticket from their <b>print @ home</b> pilot program. Might not be available outside UK, though.

PalenqueBob

You can go to www.nationalrail.co.uk for all the various Byzantine fare structures or www.thetrainline.com

If you want an unrestricted fully flexible ticket you may have to pay much more than restricted ones. Anyway all the fares are on the web sites.

That said, you should also investigate the LondonPlus flexipass rail pass sold only outside the U.K. It can be a good deal if taking some other rail travel in and out of London, such as from Gatwick Airport into town, another day trip, etc.

The LondonPlus pass starts at 2 days of travel in an 8-day period for $70 per person or $35 a day - unlimited travel virtually in about a 100-mile radius of London - including Cambridge. With this pass you can hop any train any time so you don't need to peg yourself into some cheap restricted fare.
If coming from Gatwick you can use it on the Gatwick Express or other trains serving the airport - with the Express about a $20 value each way i believe. A 4-day out of 8 days pass is about $130 p.p. There is also a 7-day out of 15 day pass but you'd have to be commuting to London practically to realize this benefit.
Note they are specials on the LondonPlus pass - from Nov 1 to Feb 28 you get 25% off the above prices - meaning two days out of 8 for $53 p.p. making it even more attractive. Kids under 16 get a FREE pass to match whatever the adults buy. And if you're traveling in packs - the 3rd thru 9th adult pays just half of what the first two adults pay (i.e. and incredible $26 for a 4-day pass in the Off-Peak nov-feb period.)
And for folks thinking about taking the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels the LondonPlus pass gives you a passholder rate of as low as $77 one-way which can be way cheaper than other available fares, even enough to make this pass a great deal even if you throw the pass away! Passes not sold in U.K. - marketed in U.S. by RailEurope, who would charge also a $15 mailing fee (for orders under $200) - of course i always recommend BETS; 800-441-2387; www.budgeteuropetravel.com) for their expertise in U.K. rail travel in my long experience with them and only $5 mailing fee on this type of order; or you can order direct from RailEurope: www.raileurope.com or any RailEurope agent (practically any travel agent).

Note that the pass can not be used for trains from Hathrow (except for from nearby Feltham station to Waterloo and on the air link Heathrow to Watford Junction, on which it is valid). The pass is also not valid on trains going out of Paddington station towards Bath. Otherwise any trains in London area - Salisbury for Stonehenge, Portsmouth, Dover, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.

StephCar

If you are just going to Cambridge for the day, and travel off peak, it is around 20 pounds roundtrip. If you travel during peak hours it is just a bit more--but basically affordable to go for the day. Just buy your txt at the train station or at one of the kiosks. Super easy.

PalenqueBob

20 pounds is about $38 - the LondonPlus pass from Nov-Feb costs just $53 and you can travel anytime - the 20 pound fare the above poster says costs a little more if you don't go off-peak. So if you're coming in from Gatwick Airport on train and going to Cambridge or similar day trip i think the LondonPlus pass is perhaps the best deal. And you don't have to bother with buying tickets and can hop on just any ole train.

GeoffHamer

If you look at the National Rail web site, you'll find the cheap day return fare from London to Cambridge is &pound;17.60 or just under $33. The only restrictions on this ticket are that you must return the same day and you can't go in the morning peak period (before 0930); otherwise, you can hop on any train, and they are frequent.

crazy4Hawaii

I guess I'll need to do some comparing closer to my travel dates (June '07), but if planning day trips to Oxford and Stratford and Hampton Court, this pass might be a better deal than individual tix, right?

PalenqueBob

probably - even though it won't take you right to Stratford as it's just outside the pass coverage - but it will cover most of the fare and then before boarding the train in London you buy a day return ticket from the last station the pass covers (Banbury on one route) to Stratford and back to that station so you don't have to get off the train. In your case the pass makes sense because your savings, if any by buying tickets locally would be practically nil and with the pass you just get on the train - any train.

Hampton Court is within the bounds of the London TravelCard, which you could buy for one day (in the sixth zone i think) and that may be better than using a day on the LondonPlus pass.

Other aspects that could favor a pass include the ability to get off anywhere on a whim - say you come back thru Oxford and want to get off there for a pint or two - hard to do on many cheaper tickets bought at stations i believe - so pass also provides for sponteneity.

owain

&quot;before boarding the train in London you buy a day return ticket from the last station the pass covers (Banbury on one route)&quot;

To be fully within the rules, the train must actually have a scheduled stop at the station you buy the extra ticket from, rather than passing straight through it.

PalenqueBob

thanks for the correction - so just ask the ticket window for the appropriate supplemental ticket with the pass to buy and buy round-trip so you don't have to hassle with buying a return one in Stratford.

firedrago

hello

we are going to Cambridge on 28/12/06 and will go to London on 29/12/06 from Cambridge.

Q1: from the replies, i noted that i can purchase the LondonFlexiPlus outside UK (am now currently live in HongKong), so does is mean when I purchased the pass, I can use it on board the train from Cambridge to London (not out of London but into London)

Q2: can we have the pass for 3 days? i.e. fr 29/12/06 to 31/12/06? how does it work?

thanks!

PalenqueBob

1- yes you can use it on Cambridge to London or vice versa.

2- no 3 day pass - there is a 2-day pass out of 8 day period and 4-day pass out of 8-day period and 7 day pass out of 15-day period. For prices: www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on British Passes - note Nov-Feb travel prices are discounted 25% - 2-day pass just $53 p.p.

Note also if you have others beyond two the 3rd thru 9th passenger on the same pass pays just 50% of what the first two pay - or an incredible $26.50 for two days of unlimited travel in large area around London - even if just going to Gatwick airport/London and back this pass would be a good deal. And of course kids under 16 get a free pass to match their parents - so large parties and those with kids can get a LondonPlus pass at ridiculously low prices. And again, if heading to Paris by Eurostar this pass entitles you to a $77 passholder fare - an outstanding one way fare because it is flexible, can be changed once in Europe up until the time of the train without penalty.

To my knowledge you cannot buy this pass in the U.K. and there is no equivalent all-train line passes sold there corresponding to it. Each individual rail line - about 28 in U.K. may have one day Rovers that are good deals but then you have to know your train companies.

mbchas

Can anyone help with an update on this topic? I'm doing much the same as the previous poster and need to get from Cambridge to London, then taking Eurostar to Paris and back, then back to Cambrige again with 2 adults, 2 youths in early July. The information on the LondonPlus pass doesn't seem to be the same when I check the BETS Web site. I'm wondering if I should get my friend in UK to buy the Eurostar tickets for us--seems to be much lower prices if you log on as British! Any help appreciated because my brain is swimming! Thanks!

alanRow

&lt;&lt;&lt; seems to be much lower prices if you log on as British! &gt;&gt;&gt;

Whilst expressing extreme surprise that the British prices are lower than US, why don't you log on as British &amp; pick the tickets up when you get to Waterloo

Robespierre

You have to clear your cookies if eurostar.com doesn't offer you a choice of nationalities - it &quot;remembers&quot; if you logged on as American.

mbchas

Amazingly enough, alanRow, I did think of ordering tickets while logged on as British, but Eurostar only allows booking up until May for British users, and I need tickets in July. Thanks for the suggestion though...

GeoffHamer

Why not wait until British bookings open? The trains won't be fully booked if British people can't make bookings.

alanRow

&lt;&lt;&lt; Amazingly enough, alanRow, I did think of ordering tickets while logged on as British, but Eurostar only allows booking up until May for British users, and I need tickets in July. &gt;&gt;&gt;

Which begs the question - how was your friend in the UK able to get lower prices?