Partial Commute from Bristol to Didcot (and advance tickets, etc)

[whole diary]

[MaxP]

Hi,

I hope someone can help.

I am currently in the process of trying to move in with my partner who lives down in Bristol, while keeping my job where I live. I've been talking to my employer and they have provisionally agreed to allow me to work two days a week at another site near where she lives. I'll need to commute to my normal office for the rest of the week. It should be 3 continuous days, let's say Tues->Thurs. One option I have is to drive up (to High Wycombe) on Tuesday morning and drive back to Bristol on Thursday evening. To save me driving hell for the remainder of the time I can catch the train from Bristol to Didcot and drive to/from work from there. This would mean I leave the car overnight on Tues & Wed at Didcot and catch the train. This would be a mid week commute on the train, but would be regular, say:

Tue PM: Didcot -> Bristol TM^‡(resolve)
Wed AM: Bristol TM -> Didcot
Wed PM: Didcot -> Bristol TM
Thurs AM: Bristol TM -> Didcot

What's the best way of reducing the cost of this commute? A season ticket is way too expensive - approx ^450 a month - considering I'll only be doing the equivalent of 2 days on the train a week. Is my only remaining option to book advance tickets - i.e. there are no such things as a part-week season ticket or repeat journey ticket?

If we are talking advance tickets, I have yet to figure out when these are released. There appears to be no pattern as to when I can get one or not. Is there any info on how FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do this or will I have to use a web site to track when they are released? The potential savings over a normal ticket are considerable, but trying to sort our the best time to nab one is impossible.

The pain in all this is that the train saves me neither time nor money, but would make the commute more bearable.

Finally, don't get me started on the recent parking charge hikes at Didcot. My weekend parking costs rose 65%!

Thanks,

Max

[JayMac]

First off, for advance purchase booking horizons, you can find the information here:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html

Now as for ticket prices I have assumed you will be working office hours in High Wycombe of 9-5 and have assumed 1h 15mins for the drive between HW and Didcot Parkway (AA recommend between 53-63 mins depending on route - I've added a bit of insurance time)

So, departure from Didcot after 1815 Tues, Weds PM and arrival into Didcot from Temple Meads for 0745 Weds, Thurs AM.

I've looked as far as possible ahead using today's booking horizon for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) which is 24th February

DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)-BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) Tues 16th Feb on the 1812 - ^12.50 ADV single (^22.00 1st class)
BRI-DID Weds 17th Feb on the 0630 - ^12.50 ADV single (^22.00 1st class)

The same for Weds PM, Thurs AM. The sevices either side of the ones above show the same ADV prices of ^12.50 (^22.00) at the moment.

If you need the flexibility of a walk-up fare for your journeys the prices will be:

DID-BRI 1812 Super Off-Peak single (valid on all evening services from DID) ^16.50
BRI-DID 0630 Anytime Day Single ^22.50

Your parking at Didcot will cost you ^5.40 each day if you use RingGo.

Hope this helps MaxP.

(EDIT: It is worth noting that the earlier you book ADV tickets for a particular date does not guarantee the cheapest fare. Yield management means that if seats remain unsold nearer the date of your particular service, the price could drop. Fares for next Tues and Weds on the same services as above are being offered today at DID-BRI ^8.35 and BRI-DID ^5.50! ADV fares really are a lottery.)

[inspector_blakey]

Is there still an off-peak day single DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)-BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)? There certainly was when I was making the journey regularly a few months back, although I don't know if that disappeared in the fare changes. And of course given the halving of single fares it may actually now cost more than the super-off-peak,

[JayMac]

Is there still an off-peak day single DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)-BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)? There certainly was when I was making the journey regularly a few months back, although I don't know if that disappeared in the fare changes. And of course given the halving of single fares it may actually now cost more than the super-off-peak,

Off Peak Day Single currently ^17.70 rising to ^18.70 in Jan. Off Peak Single currently ^17.00 rising to ^19.50. Super Off Peak Single currently ^14.30 rising to ^16.50.

[ChrisB]

(EDIT: It is worth noting that the earlier you book ADV tickets for a particular date does not guarantee the cheapest fare. Yield management means that if seats remain unsold nearer the date of your particular service, the price could drop.

This is incorrect. I have asked FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Fares head-honcho about exactly this, and I am told that fares will never drop....i.e. they will never release extra fares at a lower price after the release date for advance fares for any given date.

So the earlier you book, the better chance of obtaining the cheapest fare on the date & time you want to travel.

[JayMac]

(EDIT: It is worth noting that the earlier you book ADV tickets for a particular date does not guarantee the cheapest fare. Yield management means that if seats remain unsold nearer the date of your particular service, the price could drop.

This is incorrect. I have asked FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Fares head-honcho about exactly this, and I am told that fares will never drop....i.e. they will never release extra fares at a lower price after the release date for advance fares for any given date.

So the earlier you book, the better chance of obtaining the cheapest fare on the date & time you want to travel.

6 weeks ago I purchased a 1st class ADV ticket from Bracknell-Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (priced by FGW) for the 1920 on Fri 18th Dec. I paid ^21.60 with my railcard. Today the fare is available for ^15.00.

[ChrisB]

Thanks for this info _ I Will follow it up. I hope I was not lied to.

[MaxP]

Thanks for the help / opinions.

[MaxP]

Ahh,

Just trying to book tickets over the next 2-3 months, can only find only 2 weeks in that horizon with advance tickets at the times I want to travel. Otherwise full price. Even at the maximum horizon, no advance tickets. I wonder how many they release?

[inspector_blakey]

If you want to travel at peak times, then potentially not very many, or even none at all unfortunately.