Any advice out there please: I have just started looking at travel from Penrith to Shiel Bridge. Last time, we took train to Glasgow then bus, getting no concession on the bus. This year, the train fares are already up on the Trainline site, unusually early, and not very cheap (£37 for 2). The East Coast ticket booking website doesn't yet sell tickets for May. So - I'm wondering whether to wait for East Coast, or book now at £37 for 2 with railcards with Trainline. Also, whether there's a way of reducing the cost of the bus tickets (£75 for 2 - ).

Hi Marian

Although you may be able to buy a train ticket months in advance, I think this will only be a full-price ticket. I think the cheap fares are only released 12 weeks in advance so you're probably best waiting.

This page http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/44703.aspx tells you when each train company releases their advance (cheap) tickets. With some companies you can ask for an email reminder when the dates you want become available.

Sorry, I can't help with the buses.

Thanks Judith - what is confusing me is I can buy tickets for May through Trainline right now, way more than 12 weeks in advance, which isn't their usual policy as you know - normally you simply can't book that far ahead; but the prices which should be around £16 for two are £37. Hmm. Whereas East Coast aren't showing May yet, so they are following the usual pattern. Hmm, hmmmm.

I am glad I am not the only one!
W

I think I'll wait for East Coast who will hopefully play the normal game of sticking to the 12 week advance offer.

Scottish City Link reduce fares for members of the scottish Youth Hostels Association....

Hi Lindy, unfortunately I am a life member of the YHA which does not help me in terms of these fare reductions. I'll check out whether it's worth joining SYHA as well, anyway - thanks.

Hi Marian

I wonder if it would be useful to look at Club50 which offers return fares throughout Scotland (including Carlisle) for £16 return and other discounted prices 20% if booked in advance online. you could perhaps get a bus to Carlisle then train to Fort William and bus to Shiel Bridge. This way involve a lot of travel though getting on and off buses and trains. The return ticket though would take you from Montrose back to Carlisle.

Last Saturday whilst trying to find a single to Morar the internet on the PC showed the cheapest tickets were £69. On my android phone they were £125 and when I went to the train station I got one for £51. The chap in ticket office was stumped. They were exactly the same connections. In his words "we're all fishing in the same pond?"

Probably too late for you now John but it always seems cheaper to get a ticket to Mallaig and hop out 1 stop early! For some reason known only to the train companies they do not discount fares to the intermediate stations on the West Highland route.

It always pays to shop around and think outside the box; in 2014 I attempted to get a ticket to Kyle of Lochalsh so the sleeper to Inverness and onward connection seemed to be the most appropriate however the prices broke down as this

1 ticket all the way through (from London) quoted at £124 including sleeper

Advance fare Sleeper to Inverness (£78) + Advance ticket to KoL (£13) = £91

Advance fare sleeper to Aberdeen (£55) + Advance ticket to KoL (15) = £68

Guess which one I went for.....


Oh and the sleeper to Inverness and Aberdeen is the same train, and the connection from Aberdeen to Inverness means a same time departure for KoL too

Thanks for the tip. Perhaps one of the new "universities" should do a degree course in rail fares?