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Re: Train tickets

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on me getting to Scotland - and for the couple of private emails I have had.

My preference is actually for the train, not the plane so will try and work something out there first.

I really did know that I would be able to get gas, I just always have been that worrier - am I really the only one who always has the nagging voice in my head going - "what if the train is delayed?" " What if the airline loses my bag?" "what if there's fog and the plane doesn't fly?" etc etc

Re: Train tickets

Er, no! Most definitely not. I am well known (unfortunately :-( ) for my ability to stress and fret, and not just in the (obsessive) planning stages. Glad I'm not the only one!

Re: Train tickets

The scramble for the cheap train tickets starts next week and as I understand it there are only two through sleeper carriages on the London/ Fort William route. I believe there are more carriages on the Inverness route.
So despite starting from Mallaig I hope to get tickets to Wednesday night service to Inverness and there connect with the scenic train route to Kyle of Lochalsh ( a journey I wanted to take for years ).
From Kyle its easy to get the bus over to Skye and Armadale and thus the ferry to Mallaig, arriving just after 3 o'clock.
It may be an option for those who can't get the space and/or cheap tickets via FW.

Re: Train tickets

We can get a bit hung up on the trains. Unless you're obsessively green, the aeroplane often offers a faster and cheaper alternative.

Easy Jet London Stansted to Glasgow on the Thursday (arr.9.25am) is just £31.99 inc up to 20kg hold luggage. I've used this flight in the past. Always had plenty of time to bus or cab into Glasgow buy gas from Tiso's (other outdoor shops are available) and stroll over to Queen street for the train.

Then the train back from Montrose. Simples (fast, and cheap too)

Re: Train tickets

Oh yea! And if I lived down south of course I'd take that option.

A quick trawl for Thursday May 09 shows, for example:

Luton > Inverness 09:30 > 10:55 Easyjet for £35.
Gatwick > Inverness 11:35 > 13:15 Easyjet for £43.

Both ideal with easy train/bus connections to Strathcarron/Plockton/Dornie/Shiel Bridge out of Inverness.

In another life - in the early '90's - I'd a job that meant that I spent two full years continually travelling and living in hotels throughout Europe. As you can imagine, I soon became The World's Greatest Bore regarding infrastructure. Off-peak travel between Weisbaden and Frankfurt? Sign me up, babes.

Seriously for a moment, one of the secret joys of The Challenge is getting to and from yr start/end-points. Some of us have considered hiring mule trains. Others delve into arcane trans-border concessionary fares - and have been known to take on alternate identies simply to shave off those extra pennies.

All I know is that I favour the multiple split-journeys. It's not bright, it's not clever, but it means that I can reduce Berwick-upon-Tweed to Strathcarron from an initial ask of £70.70 down to £16.80 (clue . . . even with the same operator look to split your journey at logical transit points - in this case Scotrail Edinburgh > Strathcarron breaks at Inverness, and buying two tickets saves you £4.70. And you can travel Beartown > Edinburgh for £2.95.

East Coast - which is the only nationalised line, and is owned by you and me - has a very wonderful ticketing system that, once you dig in, gives you all these options.

This is all very sad. If I knew where to get a life I'd go for it.

Re: Train tickets

Unfortunately Stansted is not an option for a Wiltshire lad, but there are cheap flights from both Bristol and Southampton. However we feel that the plotting journey to and from, with all its permutations is half the fun.
Not having travelled on a Sleeper train before together with the opportunity of a few beers etc in the lounge car was an opportunity not to be missed. Chuck in a few scenic railway miles and it comes together.
Not living near a great metropolis, obviously Swindon fails that particular accolade, means we country folk have travel distances before we even commence our journey 'opp north'
Now if I could only have found a steam train for part of the journey !

Re: Train tickets

Splitting is a good move. As is looking to go via London if you are going from the SW.

e.g. for my 2011 outward to Mallaig, after 2 hours on the Trainline I jiggled times and split my journey from Exeter to Mallaig thus:
1 Exeter Paddington
2 Paddington Euston
3 Euston Glasgow
4 Glasgow Fort William
5 Fort William Mallaig

- compared to choosing just Exeter to Mallaig (to end up on the same final train) I saved just over £100 ! (Had to start 3 hours earlier though)

On the return journey Montrose - London(somehwere!) - walked 1/2mile over to Waterloo - Exeter - saved me £60 compared to a direct ticket to Exeter.