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Quinno
27-05-2011, 15:24
My (probable) final big trip out of the year is going up to Newcastle. I have earmarked the above dates for a two-night stop-over.

It's dependent on me being able to find reasonably-priced tickets from Reading - currently I am being quoted £122!

Happy to meet up with anyone who is knocking around! There'll be small deputation of us from Reading.

Any good ideas on obtaining cheap train tickets is welcome! (coaches eg Megabus is ruled out by others in the group!)

ROBCamra
27-05-2011, 17:49
My (probable) final big trip out of the year is going up to Newcastle. I have earmarked the above dates for a two-night stop-over.

It's dependent on me being able to find reasonably-priced tickets from Reading - currently I am being quoted £122!

Happy to meet up with anyone who is knocking around! There'll be small deputation of us from Reading.

Any good ideas on obtaining cheap train tickets is welcome! (coaches eg Megabus is ruled out by others in the group!)

Newcastle on a Saturday night is hell, you'll never have seen so many dipsticks in one city, even in the best ale pubs.

The likes of Bacchus, Centurian, Bodega, Newcastle Arms, Crown Posada, Bridge etc are all 3 deep at the bar.

Love Newcastle during the week but hate it at weekends.

Quinno
27-05-2011, 18:35
Newcastle on a Saturday night is hell, you'll never have seen so many dipsticks in one city, even in the best ale pubs.

The likes of Bacchus, Centurian, Bodega, Newcastle Arms, Crown Posada, Bridge etc are all 3 deep at the bar.

Love Newcastle during the week but hate it at weekends.

Yeah, I was thinking of using Saturday night to go to someplace else - one of the deputation went to Uni there so can still speak pidgin Geordie and knows the surrounding area. Sunday is our town centre day :)

PaulOfHorsham
27-05-2011, 22:03
Any good ideas on obtaining cheap train tickets is welcome! (coaches eg Megabus is ruled out by others in the group!)

I presume that's Cross-Country? Actually, I wouldn't think that tickets would be on sale that far away. Anyway, I was going to direct you towards East Coast (if that's what they're called) out of King's Cross (even with a train into London, it's probably quicker than any direct train via Birmingham).

trainman
27-05-2011, 22:13
...even with a train into London, it's probably quicker than any direct train via Birmingham).

Agreed. In a group you'll be able to get to & from London quickly & cheaply though the actual cost of direct travel t'toon won't be apparent for a while. Best expectation I could see on a projected basis (30Jul-01Aug) is £63 rtn on specific trains.

I hesitate to speculate on taking megatrain to Sheffield & seeing what onward deal you could get from there, but you'd have to wait until Sep to know whether you would beat potentially earlier direct prices (at the cost of an extra ~40mins travel). Though you could build in a couple of hours debrief there on the return, if anyone is still standing...

ps. Missing Sat night is, by all accounts, very smart. But watch the fixture list in case toon get a home game on the Sunday!

RogerB
27-05-2011, 22:31
But watch the fixture list in case toon get a home game on the Sunday!

v Spurs with a bit of luck. Quinno did mention this to me a few weeks ago and I am deffo up for it as long as the fixture list is kind and Spurs aren't at home. I haven't really done Newcastle in a pub capacity, just been there for footy and a gig at City Hall many years ago. As TM says, won't be able to look at any particular bargain journeys until nearer the time.

NickDavies
28-05-2011, 10:39
you can download the fares manual here
http://cid-cae1e0742d874e31.office.live.com/browse.aspx/Public/Avantix%20Traveller%20%5E5National%20Fares%20Manua l%5E6

which suggests that if you try hard enough you can get it down to £17.50 each way

Quinno
28-05-2011, 11:47
you can download the fares manual here
http://cid-cae1e0742d874e31.office.live.com/browse.aspx/Public/Avantix%20Traveller%20%5E5National%20Fares%20Manua l%5E6

which suggests that if you try hard enough you can get it down to £17.50 each way

Well that's an interesting little tool. The question, of course, is where and when I can source such a deal!!

Currently my tactic is to keep asking around and checking the website!

NickDavies
28-05-2011, 12:05
Well that's an interesting little tool. The question, of course, is where and when I can source such a deal!!

Currently my tactic is to keep asking around and checking the website!

Try going to a booking office forearmed with the information and see what you can prise out of them. There are some fares you just can't get on the web. One of my bugbears is that I've got an all-zones travelcard and you can't book from the zone boundary on the web. A booking office will happily sell you a return from Boundary Zone 6 to Cambridge and you are free to travel by either route. The best you can do on the web is book from somewhere like Enfield Lock - which ties you to the Liverpool Street route both ways, is dearer, and in theory the train has to stop there en-route.

rpadam
28-05-2011, 14:57
A booking office will happily sell you a return from Boundary Zone 6 to Cambridge and you are free to travel by either route.
Drifting very slightly off subject, but the last time I asked for a day return from boundary of Zone 6 to Cambridge, the booking office clerk said "You want a day return from boundary of Zone 4 to Cambridge." Not unreasonably, given that this was a longer journey, I said "Do I?" The guy then showed me the fares on his screen, and lo and behold the fare from Zone 4 was cheaper than from Zone 6 - explanations on a postcard please!

Wittenden
28-05-2011, 21:27
the booking office clerk said "You want a day return from boundary of Zone 4 to Cambridge." Not unreasonably, given that this was a longer journey, I said "Do I?" The guy then showed me the fares on his screen, and lo and behold the fare from Zone 4 was cheaper than from Zone 6 - explanations on a postcard please!

Sounds like something from Doris Lessing, but less depressing...

trainman
29-05-2011, 09:23
watch the fixture list in case toon get a home game on the Sunday!

Apparently to be released 17Jun.


you can download the fares manual here
http://cid-cae1e0742d874e31.office.live.com/browse.aspx/Public/Avantix%20Traveller%20%5E5National%20Fares%20Manua l%5E6


Don't know how to open this.

oldboots
29-05-2011, 09:52
Don't know how to open this.

It is a "zipped" package, in others words a series of files which have been compressed and packed together. If you're using Windows you need an application called WINZIP which will "extract" the files (restore them to their orginal size and configuration). You would then need to run the file called SETUP.EXE which will install what you need onto your PC. You might find WINZIP in the Start Menu - Programs if you already have it, if not you can download a copy off the web - try googling for winzip download. Other unzipping programs are available and of course there are similar programs for Apple and Unix/Linux.

trainman
29-05-2011, 10:13
It is a "zipped" package,

Yes, I tried file extract, but I must be doing something wrong. Not very functional, generally, today.

trainman
17-06-2011, 21:50
Apparently to be released 17Jun.

Couldn't see owt for toon - seems England play in Montenegro on the Friday night (07Oct), so your Sunday looks clear(ish) Quinno.
Still no sight of (real) train fares that far ahead yet.

RogerB
17-06-2011, 21:57
Sods law that Spurs are away to Newcastle on the 15th! Might end up doing a week up there - we'll see. Sky will probably change the goalposts after I book everything up.

trainman
19-06-2011, 08:28
It's dependent on me being able to find reasonably-priced tickets from Reading - currently I am being quoted £122!
Any good ideas on obtaining cheap train tickets is welcome!

It really is a watching brief Quinno, best 'distant' price projection (currently based on an example of 03-05Sep from London) is £24.50 out, £12 back.

RogerB
21-06-2011, 12:13
Its only 15 mins on the train between Durham and Newcastle. I'm seriously considering making a 7/10 day trip of it and try to cover Newcastle, Durham and possibly Sunderland (+ hopefully fit in the Toon v Spurs as well!). Need to wait until the cheapo train tickets kick in for October and then see what's available accomodation wise. I already have my eyes on a nice little cottage in the middle of Durham!

Quinno
21-06-2011, 12:55
Its only 15 mins on the train between Durham and Newcastle. I'm seriously considering making a 7/10 day trip of it and try to cover Newcastle, Durham and possibly Sunderland (+ hopefully fit in the Toon v Spurs as well!). Need to wait until the cheapo train tickets kick in for October and then see what's available accomodation wise. I already have my eyes on a nice little cottage in the middle of Durham!

If Mrs Quinno were more of a pubber I'd also be tempted to do a holiday up there as well but I suspect that she'd get bored pretty quickly :(

RogerB
21-06-2011, 12:59
If Mrs Quinno were more of a pubber I'd also be tempted to do a holiday up there as well but I suspect that she'd get bored pretty quickly :(

There must be a shoe shop in the Metro Centre she can spend a week in (he says hoping she doesn't read this site)!

Quinno
21-06-2011, 13:03
There must be a shoe shop in the Metro Centre she can spend a week in (he says hoping she doesn't read this site)!

Shoes? Ha ha, you obviously don't know my missus very well!

I'll mention it to her tonight but if she does say yes it will definitely be, from my end, a holiday with some pubs thrown in - rather than the other way round...

Quinno
21-07-2011, 15:36
Date-wise, I’ve just checked and there’s no way I can do the weekend I originally pencilled in (8-10) as that’s going to be prime time for student fee billing this year (we are having the meeting about it on Tuesday and I’ve just checked the advance draft copy of the workflow!)

Oct 21-23 is probably the earliest I can do, reasonably, in terms of taking off a Friday or Monday. I will consult with the other people who are going up from Reading.

It may get postponed until early 2012...let's see. Will keep you updated!

trainman
21-07-2011, 19:19
Ha! On the VERY day that your discount options kicked in - now £27.50 out, £12.50 back (from London, 08-10Oct).
Bad luck Quinno.

Quinno
03-08-2011, 14:59
Postponed until 2012.