Public transport

At the operator's website (in this case www.northernrailway.co.uk)you can still buy an Off-peak Day Return for today for £23.10 - though you won't get much sightseeing in now! This should also have been on offer at the station booking office.

Maybe you left Royston during peak hours? Or maybe you didn't ASK for a cheap day return? I'm afraid they don't always thrust the cheapest option into your face.

On a recent trip to London, I was offered a seat twice, both times by young people, although I have no obvious 'disability'. I said 'thank you' and accepted happily.

Silver hippy, great to hear that! Nice too hear good things about bus drivers.

We too have a rail card and try to book in advance. Not much use if you have to travel on short notice though!

I use the train regularly, from Manchester Airport to Cumbria, I try to book off peak, three months in advance, I also have a Senior Railcard which gives a good reduction, especually if travelling frequently, I usually get a non reserved seat as the train starts at the Airport, however a few miles down the line in Manchester, the train can fill up easily, leaving no seats and certainly no room for luggage, I love using the train, but I am glad I dont need to get on it half way down the line wouldnt like to stand for a few hours, why dont they put more coaches on these days, they are always needed.Good Luck next time you travel GailJ.

you'd be lucky to find a manned station in my area ,we usually buy on the train ,the odd time we use it,and if its the last train and we're only going a couple of stops the ticket seller never takes the money off us

Never ever turn up at the station and buy a ticket, it costs a fortune.Even if you book on line a couple of hours before it is much cheaper

I am registered blind and also have a heart condition, but because my blind bus pass allows me to travel at any time I usually avoid the crowds.

However a few months ago I had to travel at peak time and got on a bus which was totally packed and standing room only. So I stood with my white stick trying to wedge myslef into the luggage rack to help keep balance. The disabled seats were all full of young people going to work.

Anyway much to my surprise the Bus driver switched off his engine, got out his newspaper and started to read it. A few minutes passed and people were muttering we'll be late for work etc etc and this isn't a rest stop. Eventually one of them shouted to the bus driver asking him what he was playing at and he replied "I'm not moving this bus till one of you "Brass Studs" moves and lets the blind gentleman sit down!"

I've never known people move so fast to offer me a seat, and when I was seated the driver continued!

My DD lives in Letchworth, not that far from Royston and she has some kind of travel card, I am not sure which, she certainly has an oyster card. She goes up to London quite frequently, to the theatre and to visit friends and certainly wouldn't be doing that if it cost her £40, or anything near it for her ticket.

I think, as another GNer said, you need to get online and investigate all the options, from travel cards to advance booking. If you do that you should be able to drastically reduce the cost. Sometimes it is something as trivial as getting the train just before or just after the one you were thinking of travelling on. This weekend someone told me that they could cut the cost of a journey they made regularly from £32 to £6, just be getting a train 20 minutes earlier than the one they usually aimed for.

lol thanks -

Hi GailJ you might not have had any choice on this occasion but off-peak is the only way, that is usually after 9.30 here or try a one-day travel card which includes the buses and tubes off-peak of course. The only problem with sandwiches is that you have got to find somewhere you can sit and eat them, so just depends which bit of London you were in. Good luck next time!

I live near Greenwich, we have a fantastic bus service, the jubilee line, DLR. we can go free on transport in London and where we live too. I haven't gone by train to other parts of England but have friends that travel by coach from Victoria and find it cheap.

We are very lucky to be able to use Chiltern Railways. I just booked a single ticket to Marylebone from north Oxfordshire for Wednesday - the prices varied throughout the day but I didn't mind what time I travelled and got one leaving around lunchtime for £3.65. I do have a Senior railcard.

By the way we have a3year railcard each. Well worth it.

From time to time we go to London, sometimes with grandchildren. Get south eastern service ( NOT southern) from West st Leonards to London Bdge. or CharingX. Leave about 10 am, always get seats on what is often a half empty train. Coming home can be more tricky. Get tickets well in advance so cheaper, ( can get refund if you don't like the look of the weather and don't go). We street park the car, so no fee there.
Usually take packed lunch...eat early on the train, though there's always picnic in St James Park possible.

I used to travel from Somerset & now Devon to Yorkshire to visit DM. I have a Senior Railcard so save 1/3 off fare. Last journey was in December, cost with Railcard reduction was £96 plus taxi between Manchester Piccadilly & Manchester Victoria.

When I visited DM in May I drove there as she has now sold her car (88 & poor eyesight), she lives in a small village with limited buses, no shop, no pub. Cost of petrol £80 & convenience of my car to go out exploring & lunches.

I used to live & work in Surrey just outside Greater London, at times I had to travel into London for courses & meetings, luckily my station was only the 3rd one from the start of the journey so I could always get a seat. Hate using the tube, buses in London are much better.

Freedom pass applies to any-one living in Greater London of Pensionable age, used to be 60 but now in line with increase which will plateau at 66 in 2021

mcem. Thank you. No I didn't complain. Just so pleased and relieved to get home that I dropped in a chair and unwound. That was last Monday (15th) so I think I've left it unreasonably late. Also......I'm ashamed to say I'm lazy enough not to want hassle - even for financial gain. Tempted but lazy...... Again, thank you for the thought, mcem. Appreciated.

Book the seat and ticket in advance! We don't go to London much now (lived there many moons ago!)but always pre-book tickets as it's cheaper and you can book a seat so can sit down. Now have the advantage of a senior railcard (there must be some perks for being over 60!!)

If you go by train regularly its worth getting a senior railcard - you can only travel off peak but its much cheaper and less crowded. And you can use your bus pass in LOndon so avoid the underground. Try googling 'train line' in advance to check times and prices and even to buy your ticket in advance. Its also much cheaper to buy your ticket much earlier (ie weeks before you travel) if possible.
I know some of this might not be possible in your case, but at least by checking fares online you'd have been prepared with the right amount of money, or the packed lunch.
I think it's shocking that people did not offer you a seat - I have found that they often do, even in London. Im not disabled so I must look particularly old!1

Kim have you complained?
A friend was traveling from Milton Keynes to Perth and a late arrival meant missing a connection. The help she'd prearranged was not provided and the next available train did not meet the 1st class conditions so she was actively encouraged to complete a complaints form.
She received an apology and compensation and was treated very courteously.

I noticed that the Wick to Inverness train was cancelled this morning. Next one? 4 1/2 hours! I think a few people would have been upset. And they wonder why the numbers travelling on this line is reducing.

now you kept THAT quiet EVERYONE in GL gets free travel?

Have to say I find train travel pretty acceptable and civilised in the main. I do the Edinburgh/London regularly but I do book well in advance and I have a railcard. HOWEVER...... I had one horrendous journey last week from the Midlands. First train running late caused me to miss my connection. Not at all unusual methinks but....... trying to seek advice from a small UNMANNED station was unbelievable. I had to speak then listen into a minute grille in a wall on a platform whilst trains chuntered through at close proximity AND constant overhead announcements were being made. Huh! I did the unthinkable and used a bit of initiative only to be told that my ticket was not valid for the trip. I took three lots of DIFFERENT advice on the 'rules' and then chose the one that suited me best. I asked the lady in question to print me out an official schedule. On subsequent trains the conductors all queried my authenticity but I tried I tried explaining and then showed the printout and they shrugged and moved on. Amazingly, I only arrived home 2 1/2 hours late. Of course, also lost my seat reservations. Mmmmmmmm........ I'll try sticking to one-train journeys in future or at least huge connection gaps. Blimey. I was truly OK with the original delay. Rubbish happens. The lack of addressing the problem was quite shocking. How would tourists with perhaps an English language limitation cope?

agree

GailJ - was the course at short notice? Usually you can get a much better price by booking with one of the on-line ticket companies if you have some notice that you need to travel. Fortunately I no longer have to travel from Dover to London for work as I took early retirement two years ago now but I used to hate it too - fighting for a seat on the journey home was horrible.

I have every sympathy GailJ. On Friday I had a meeting in London at 0930 so had to brave the rush hour on the tube. I used to do it in my 20s but in my 60s it was awful. I did get offered a seat eventually after 3 stops but there was no way I could even get to a seat when I first got on - I was jammed against the door. I walk with a stick when I'm out but it means nothing in the rush hour. Hell on earth!