Travel tip Plymouth to Paddington on Trainline | PASOTI
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Travel tip Plymouth to Paddington on Trainline

Lundan Cabbie

⚪️ Pasoti Visitor ⚪️
Sep 3, 2008
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1,418
Plymouth
It is very well known that if you break up your journey and buy several train tickets, you may make savings. Try this one though. If are going to London from Plymouth by train and booking through Trainline, instead of buying a return ticket to Paddington, select your destination to Ipswich.

As an example. Monday (26th July) 0813 Plymouth to Paddington and returning on the 1836 Paddington to Plymouth. The return price paying today is £157.20 (£103.70 with a Railcard).

If you book a return ticket from Plymouth to Ipswich travelling on the SAME TRAINS as above, the return fare paying today is £66.10 (£43.60 with a Railcard). You then simply don't bother to use the ticket between London Liverpool Street and Ipswich.

I don't know why Ipswich, I just know that at the moment it works out cheaper. Booking in advance can save even more money. For example next Saturday there is a Plymouth to Ipswich (via Paddington) single ticket for just £18.20 with a Railcard and no doubt a similar offer will be available to return.
 

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Or just use a train splitter website
 

Lundan Cabbie

⚪️ Pasoti Visitor ⚪️
Sep 3, 2008
4,475
1,418
Plymouth
Or just use a train splitter website
I tried to find a cheaper ticket for that same journey on Monday using a split ticket site but couldn't find anything near being under £50 with a Railcard. Split journeys are great but I am suggesting you buy a ticket for a destination FURTHER than the one you want rather than split it into multiple tickets.
 
Aug 14, 2014
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Beware of the conditions of travel, Lundan, which states ticket only valid between the named departure and destination stations. No problem using a London terminus or another intermediate station with an outside of ticket barrier connection service.
For example I travelled from Southampton to Ipswich about 4 years ago and later in the same season considered Southampton to Colchester a shorter journey but 20% or so more expensive. It would have been a risk to buy a ticket to Ipswich and get off at Colchester under the above mentioned conditions of travel.
 

Lundan Cabbie

⚪️ Pasoti Visitor ⚪️
Sep 3, 2008
4,475
1,418
Plymouth
Beware of the conditions of travel, Lundan, which states ticket only valid between the named departure and destination stations. No problem using a London terminus or another intermediate station with an outside of ticket barrier connection service.
For example I travelled from Southampton to Ipswich about 4 years ago and later in the same season considered Southampton to Colchester a shorter journey but 20% or so more expensive. It would have been a risk to buy a ticket to Ipswich and get off at Colchester under the above mentioned conditions of travel.
In the example I gave above for Monday the journey is from Plymouth to Paddington, change to the Tube and then take the train from Liverpool Street to Ipswich. The GWR train leg is included in the ticket the whole way to London. There is no way they can penalise you for NOT boarding the train to Ipswich, even if they actually knew.

Normally when you split tickets the train has to be scheduled to stop at the station on your ticket. For example If you bought split ticket Plymouth to Newbury and Newbury to Paddington, you couldn't travel on the service from Plymouth to London that is non-stop between Taunton and Reading. Under terms and conditions it is an offence to travel on a train that you don't have a ticket for BUT it is not an offence to have a ticket but not actually travel.
 
Aug 14, 2014
236
27
No issues with your last post Lundan, all that you have written is consistent with my experiences.

Back to your Plymouth to Ipswich ticket which I presume is NOT a SPLIT TICKET but a day return.
Leaving Plymouth for Newbury (as mentioned), as an example of an intended destination on this route.

I am suggesting that to buy this ticket and then get off at Newbury is probably in breach of the T&Cs of its use. Obsviously, the cheaper the ticket the less flexible and the more restrictive its use, in this case probably limiting the only valid alighting station to Paddington on the journey's leg to London. Automatic ticket barriers are of varying sophistication, and the human touch may well have a keen eye making the station exit at Newbury a risk. Getting back onto the Newbury platform for the return journey may also be a problem.

I am just suggesting a cautious approach, and your tip is great for Plymouth/London travel from either as a starting off point. What works between Plymouth and London is less likely to work if there is a CHEAPER NON-SPLIT ticket for example, Plymouth to Barnsley changing trains at Sheffield, where Hillsborough is the intended destination. London works for your tip because connecting services involve permitted checking OUT and IN of areas controlled by a valid ticket.
 

Lundan Cabbie

⚪️ Pasoti Visitor ⚪️
Sep 3, 2008
4,475
1,418
Plymouth
No issues with your last post Lundan, all that you have written is consistent with my experiences.

Back to your Plymouth to Ipswich ticket which I presume is NOT a SPLIT TICKET but a day return.
Leaving Plymouth for Newbury (as mentioned), as an example of an intended destination on this route.

I am suggesting that to buy this ticket and then get off at Newbury is probably in breach of the T&Cs of its use. Obsviously, the cheaper the ticket the less flexible and the more restrictive its use, in this case probably limiting the only valid alighting station to Paddington on the journey's leg to London. Automatic ticket barriers are of varying sophistication, and the human touch may well have a keen eye making the station exit at Newbury a risk. Getting back onto the Newbury platform for the return journey may also be a problem.

I am just suggesting a cautious approach, and your tip is great for Plymouth/London travel from either as a starting off point. What works between Plymouth and London is less likely to work if there is a CHEAPER NON-SPLIT ticket for example, Plymouth to Barnsley changing trains at Sheffield, where Hillsborough is the intended destination. London works for your tip because connecting services involve permitted checking OUT and IN of areas controlled by a valid ticket.
That being my point. Many people travel between Plymouth and Paddington every day. My tip is for those people only. It may of course be a loophole that closes sooner or later but right now it is mostly proving to be cheaper than can be found on split ticket sites so in the meantime, fill yer boots.
 
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