london to liverpool by rail
Sep 7th, 2003, 11:39 PM
#2
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In theory, it is Virgin, but I doubt you will be able to leaev London Euston much before 1030 am to get a cheap day return (or whatever they are called now.)
Go to www.virgin.com and click on trains. Then go to the bargain fares area, and see what you can get.
If that does not work, then try to fly from London Luton to Liverpool on easyjet.com. Both airports are some way from their respective city centres, so you will end up being inconvenienced with bus and rail links, plus their expense, at both ends.
If all else fails, go to www.gobycoach.com and see how much a coach trip would be. Leave early, early to avoid the rush hour.
Train tickets can be booked 3 months ahead. Don't bother with the 'optional insurance' if offered - it is a scam. You can collect the tickets from the station with a PIN.
Go to www.virgin.com and click on trains. Then go to the bargain fares area, and see what you can get.
If that does not work, then try to fly from London Luton to Liverpool on easyjet.com. Both airports are some way from their respective city centres, so you will end up being inconvenienced with bus and rail links, plus their expense, at both ends.
If all else fails, go to www.gobycoach.com and see how much a coach trip would be. Leave early, early to avoid the rush hour.
Train tickets can be booked 3 months ahead. Don't bother with the 'optional insurance' if offered - it is a scam. You can collect the tickets from the station with a PIN.
Sep 8th, 2003, 04:05 AM
#3
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Sadly, Easyjet no longer fly from London to Liverpool. For at least the past 40 years, companies have been trying to run that route profitably. They typically abandon it after a couple of years.
So depending on when you're travelling, it might be worth checking on a site like www.nonrev.net to see whether yet another optimist is having a go.
In the meantime, Virgin have a near-monopoly on the train route, and as Nigello says, have fiendish restrictions on when low-price tickets apply. As a general rule, day returns are about the same price as a London-JFK plane, or give you only an hour or two in Liverpool.
The problem is often less acute on Saturdays. On Sundays, though, the timings are lousy, so a day return becomes almost impossible again.
I say "near-monopoly" because you might try booking two separate tickets: Silverlink from London to Birmingham and whoever's offering the best deal on the qjump site from Bham to Lpool.
Even this circuitous route is likely to be a lot faster than the bus. Last time I took the bus it was 7 hrs each way, with interminable diversions to some of the ugliest bus stations, in the ugliest towns, in Europe.
Try playing on the qjump sites with all the timings you can think of when a train might not be busy.
Good luck. I've abandoned all attempts to use public transport on this route.
So depending on when you're travelling, it might be worth checking on a site like www.nonrev.net to see whether yet another optimist is having a go.
In the meantime, Virgin have a near-monopoly on the train route, and as Nigello says, have fiendish restrictions on when low-price tickets apply. As a general rule, day returns are about the same price as a London-JFK plane, or give you only an hour or two in Liverpool.
The problem is often less acute on Saturdays. On Sundays, though, the timings are lousy, so a day return becomes almost impossible again.
I say "near-monopoly" because you might try booking two separate tickets: Silverlink from London to Birmingham and whoever's offering the best deal on the qjump site from Bham to Lpool.
Even this circuitous route is likely to be a lot faster than the bus. Last time I took the bus it was 7 hrs each way, with interminable diversions to some of the ugliest bus stations, in the ugliest towns, in Europe.
Try playing on the qjump sites with all the timings you can think of when a train might not be busy.
Good luck. I've abandoned all attempts to use public transport on this route.
Sep 8th, 2003, 05:44 AM
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On a long journey like London-Liverpool, you won't find a cheap day return fare. The cheapest fares without having to book in advance will be a "Supersaver" (or on Fridays a "Saver" which will cost more). Cheaper fares require booking in advance and committing yourself to a specific train on a specific date. The fast trains from London to Liverpool are all run by Virgin.
Sep 8th, 2003, 10:45 AM
#5
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PS. There is an urban myth in Liverpool that there's a way round Virgin's restrictions - which can apply to every kind of discount fare. Geof's right, BTW: "cheap day" returns hardly exist any more.
The theory goes. The time restrictions apply to journeys beyond Milton Keynes. So get a cheap return to MK, and get practically any train to MK. Separately buy any MK-Liverpool cheapo (which, goes the theory, you can get on the web). These have far less onerous time restrictions. Most London-Lpool trains stop at MK, but if there isn't a convenient one, you can easily change at Bham or Stafford.
I've no idea whether this actually works. But anything that might reduce the obscene money Branson makes from running a truly awful railway system is worth trying. Indeed, it would be a public service.
The theory goes. The time restrictions apply to journeys beyond Milton Keynes. So get a cheap return to MK, and get practically any train to MK. Separately buy any MK-Liverpool cheapo (which, goes the theory, you can get on the web). These have far less onerous time restrictions. Most London-Lpool trains stop at MK, but if there isn't a convenient one, you can easily change at Bham or Stafford.
I've no idea whether this actually works. But anything that might reduce the obscene money Branson makes from running a truly awful railway system is worth trying. Indeed, it would be a public service.
