Groupsave

[whole diary]

[Sleepy]

Did anyone else know on Fridays only GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't permit Groupsave on Paddington to Penzance departures 1404 to 1904 inclusive ?  Just one concern -  you can buy discounted tickets for all these services quite happily online, erm from GWRs website ?!? 

[grahame]

Did anyone else know on Fridays only GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't permit Groupsave on Paddington to Penzance departures 1404 to 1904 inclusive ?  Just one concern -  you can buy discounted tickets for all these services quite happily online, erm from GWRs website ?!? 

The booking engine is the definitive authority, apparently - https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/ways-to-save/cheap-tickets/groupsave

Whether you are traveling with friends for a day out or a weekend away, perhaps you are attending a conference with work colleagues, Groupsave might be right for you.

If you are travelling in a group of between 3 and 9 adults, you can get a 1/3 off Standard Off-Peak tickets when travelling together.

How to purchase

It’s easy to get your Groupsave discount

Input your travel information and the number of tickets you need for your group (between 3 and 9) into the Journey Planner
once you have chosen your preferred train(s), a Groupsave ticket option will be served if available to book

Groupsave has changed a number of times over the years - it used to be 3 or 4 tickets only, with children at £1.  A mathematical delight if there were five of you.   It then changed to 3 to 9 people, and more recently a 10 a.m. start time came in but that was poorly communicated. A few trains - any, yes, Cornish expresses on a Friday afternoon - have been excluded as have match day trains but those seem to vary year to year.  Perhaps it's only summer Fridays now with the limits to the west?  I don't recall the restrictions applying to the semifasts but I may be wrong, but Groupsave is not valid on CrossCountry.

[Sleepy]

A blackout calender on National Rail website used to detail dates when these couldnt be used eg. Cheltenham festival, but it hasn't been undated recently.

[plymothian]

As I've posted on here before, Groupsave tickets have a restriction code (RV):
not valid 0001 - 0929 on any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)▸
not valid any time on EMR^» (East Midlands Railway, also known as EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) (East Midlands Trains - about)» (East Midlands Trains) - about), GCR^» (Gloucester - next trains)» , LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about)» , Hull Trains, Merseyrail, Northern, Scotrail, TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express)▸ , Avanti West Coast, Crosscountry, TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales), London Underground, Lumo, Caledonian Sleeper or Night Riviera
not valid for travel to/from Heathrow and London CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers (lit. Convention Internationale pour le transport des Voyageurs))▸
not valid to depart Paddington at 1404/1504/1604/1704/1804 except for travel to/beyond Exeter St Davids (Fridays Only)

[grahame]

Groupsave tickets have a restriction code (RV):
not valid 0001 - 0929 on any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)

That has changed over time - it was a new restriction (I said 10 a.m in error upthread; as we have no train at Melksham between 09:10 and 10:02, it's academic).  Does that restriction apply 7 days a week?

[PhilWakely]

Groupsave tickets have a restriction code (RV):
not valid 0001 - 0929 on any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)

That has changed over time - it was a new restriction (I said 10 a.m in error upthread; as we have no train at Melksham between 09:10 and 10:02, it's academic).  Does that restriction apply 7 days a week?

Monday to Friday only

[plymothian]

14 October 2023 Update.

It appears GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have had a change of heart (slap on the wrist?) with Groupsave.  The new instructions:

Groupsave discounts are generally valid on off-peak tickets [...].  If there is no off-peak ticket type offered for the journey then travel on a Groupsave discounted ticket is permitted after 09.30 Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).  Restrictions to groupsave tickets do not apply at weekends or on bank holidays.

Therefore Groupsave tickets will now be available once off-peak tickets become valid except where there is no off-peak ticket for the journey, whereby GS becomes valid after 09.30.
GS tickets are not valid on: the Night Riviera in either direction and departing Paddington at 1404/1504/1604/1704/1804 except for travel to/beyond Exeter St Davids (Fridays Only)
GS tickets are not valid any time on EMR^» (East Midlands Railway, also known as EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) (East Midlands Trains - about)» (East Midlands Trains) - about)» (East Midlands Trains) - about), GCR^» (Gloucester - next trains)» » , LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about)» » , Hull Trains, Merseyrail, Northern, Scotrail, TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express)▸ ▸ , Avanti West Coast, Crosscountry, TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales), London Underground, Lumo, Caledonian Sleeper or Night Riviera

This brings GWR back in to alignment with the National T&Cs for Groupsave.