Train journey route help

[RB Will]

Hi just wondering if anyone can confirm.

I am looking to book a train trip to parents house.

I had selected an outbound trip and it lists all the changes and I want an open return.

In trying to find a suitable return trip I cant find one that goes back on the same route.

So my outbound trip is A-B-C-D and only option for returning is D-E-F-A.

Does the open return allow me to travel any which way I like as long as I start and end at A/D or if I go via ABCD do I have to return via DCBA?

Thanks for any help

[silverfoxcc]

Will

Sent a pm

Ron

[alangla]

If one of the journey planners is prepared to ticket it then it's valid, but if the route is convoluted/unlikely, it's sometimes worth printing off the page showing the journey just in case you meet a stroppy ticket inspector etc.

As to why you're not getting the routing you expect, are you trying to book for more than 12 weeks in advance or travel on a Sunday or something? Sometimes weird routes come up if the timetable is unconfirmed.

EDIT - also worth saying, regardless of whether it's an open return or not, the key bit is the routing. Most will be "any permitted" - i.e. you can go any way the journey planner says is valid, some will be "AP Rugby" or similar, meaning you have to pass through the named station (an example might be a Glasgow - London, where Any Permitted means you can go via Rugby/Euston or Doncaster/Kings X on the main routes, plus a load of weird variations taking you into St. Pancras, Marylebone and I believe Liverpool Street, but AP Rugby means you're going to Euston)

Edited by alangla on Wednesday 15th February 16:12

[RB Will]

silverfoxcc said:

Will

Sent a pm

Ron

Thanks, I will check that out and see what they have to say.

[RB Will]

Just for interest the exact routes I'm seeing are

Swindon-Bath, Bath-Upwey, Upwey-Moreton

Then on return

Moreton-Dorchester South, Dorchester South-Southampton Central, Southampton-Reading then Reading to Swindon

[steve-5snwi]

is an open return the cheapest way of doing it ?

[alangla]

RB Will said:

Just for interest the exact routes I'm seeing are

Swindon-Bath, Bath-Upwey, Upwey-Moreton

Then on return

Moreton-Dorchester South, Dorchester South-Southampton Central, Southampton-Reading then Reading to Swindon

They probably are about the same distance/time. You're doing a journey that isn't really easy to do by any rail route. I'm surprised at the first leg of your return though - that's a back-track and not usually allowed. Normally you'd be forced to head towards Wool when you left Moreton for the journey you're doing, the only thing I can think is if Moreton has a patchy service, there might be an easement that allows you to double back via Dorchester.

I assume your train from Southampton to Reading is a Cross-Country service. If that starts at Bournemouth, I'd recommend boarding it there rather than at Southampton - you'll have a better chance of bagging your choice of seat (or indeed, getting a seat at all) if you board at its starting point.

On the fare thing - your return journey is only valid on the Any Permitted ticket (£184.20!!!!) not on the Route Dorchester West (£49.30) ticket - if you have bought the £49.30 ticket then you need to go back via your outward route unless the journey planner has specifically offered to sell you the £49.30 ticket for that journey. Even then, I would definitely print out the route as you will be challenged on it.

[rcspeirs]

Does your planned itinerary include a weekend? If it does, planned engineering may be blocking the "obvious" route, which would be why the journey planner is offering a different return route.