Rail booking and travel is a nightmare

The last time we used the rail service we had to book the tickets online and then go to the station, which was miles away, put a code in a machine and get our tickets printed out; all this had to be done before the day of travel which meant having to make an extra journey to retrieve the tickets. What a faff that was!!

Have not used the rail service recently so I have no idea what to expect now. It does concern me though that technology is excluding people who aren't savvy or don't have the up to date phones etc -where's the accessibility in all that??

CanadianGran

I sympathize with you. I always prefer to have a paper ticket as back up, and fear customer service is going more and more on line, leaving out people with no cell phone, or tech savvy.

The only time I relied on a boarding pass on my cell, my network could not download the form and I ended up being the last person on the plane. Lesson learned! Always have a paper backup.

Always download before you travel.....put tickets into your phone 'wallet' and then screen shot them as a back up

I m not a technophobe at all but I don’t know how I ll manage I don’t travel too much now and usually my daughter books for me
I did travel today was booked for yesterday but of course they were on strike so travelled today and the the trains brakes packed in and we had to limp to another station and then missed all our onward trains ……… Oh dear

I frequently travel on LNER trains and buy tickets classed as "off peak". I have searched the website numerous times but I can't find any specific advice on which times are actually classed as off peak, thankfully I've never been forced to pay extra on the train but the number of options for the same journey is absolutely ridiculous, I pity any foreign tourist arriving here and trying to buy a train ticket

Sorry Fleurpepper, I know you like to sing the praises of other European countries and criticise the UK, but I'm arriving in Austria tomorrow and the whole flippin rail network is going on strike. Drivers wanting extra pay.
We recently travelled to France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Austria - with great ease. So not always true.

I travel to Cornwall regularly and the last few times I have made the booking on my desktop and printed out the tickets on my printer and it worked fine. I really hope this continues to be an option. There is far too much emphasis on these wretched apps these days, what if the phone runs out of charge or just stops working or is stolen?

Book through Red Spotted Hanky and you get real tickets sent by post, or you can pick them up at the station. No problem, no drama.

I am afraid this is a choice a country makes. If you privatise transport, then you get lots of different companies, no integration, and massive prices.

Other countries have made other choices. They have decided that public transport was hugely important, and that it was worth spending money on. European railway networks are expanding, financial incentives given to swap from car or plane travel, and lots of new night routes opening.

A choice. And before someone 'jumps' on me, yes, it IS- political.

When I did pre-book tickets and booked seats a few years ago, I collected paper tickets at the station. Does this service no longer exist?

And the price of tickets are eye watering! A friend & her daughter wanted to go by train from Manchester to Bristol. The daughter went on line and was horrified to find the cost was £152 EACH - and that was only one way - not return. Reluctantly they decided to go by car as £600 was out of their budget. Ridiculous prices.

I've usually booked my train tickets on line and managed to overcome a few obstacles. However, on the advice of several friends, I've recently gone to the ticket office at a nearby suburban station - my small local station is unmanned - and found the lady there exceptionally helpful. A few taps on her keyboard got me a better deal than I've ever had on line - still pricey but better. Annoyingly, there has recently been a move from the Department of Transport to close these ticket offices and many local travellers are up in arms. Those who work there are hoping that now that the cabinet has been reshuffled, that plan might be shelved.

Last time I travelled I booked online but collected my tickets from the machine at the station. It meant I could just put the relevant ticket into the machine at the tube station to cross London.
On a previous occasion with a ticket on my phone, I could not access it. The conductor on the train accepted my email receipt, however, so I was lucky that day.

Booking has been a nightmare ever since the train lines were privatised and split into several, non connecting, private companies. In most European countries, this is not the case. You can book all train and connecting bus travel very simply, with integrated timetables and prices/tickets.

We recently travelled to France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Austria- with great ease.

Diverting slightly, but it’s not only the trains. I booked 4 tickets yesterday for us and two single friends to go to a local event. I’d offered to book at the venue as I was in the area. They had no actual tickets, so they’d be sent by email, but I was told I’d have to print them out as they were having trouble with their entry system recognising the mobile tickets. Not only that, but when I got the email it was just one ticket for 4 people and I’m told we all have to arrive together, which we weren’t actually planning on doing!

And then there are the strikes which have put me off travelling.

As mentioned above save ticket phone then take a photo of it ( screenshot). Save then print. Works for plane boarding passes and Covid health documents too.
Get a Revolut card for swiping on the underground(- minimal loss if you lose it or have it stolen)
We traveled in peak times by train this week- impressed as youngsters all jumped up to let us sit down on every train which we’re full. We’re in late 60’s- dh uses a stick & is a bit wobbly but I’m not!

Chestnut

I haven't booked a train for some time but I always booked through Red Spotted Hanky. You need to set up an account but then you can always book through them. I believe some trains do not have reserved seats.
redspottedhanky.com/

Just to add, if you book in advance then Red Spotted Hanky always send you real tickets in the post. On the website it says:
'Tickets will be processed and dispatched by First Class post within 24 hours of booking. Tickets must be booked at least 6 working days prior to travel.'

I book online with GWR and print tickets from the ticket machine. My phone is too old to support the app for electronic tickets. Even if it could, I'd prefer to have printed tickets.

If I am doing one direct journey I am happy to simply use my mobile phone ticket. If, like next week, I am doing 3 or 4 legs, Plymouth - Paddington - Liverpool St - Colchester, then I prefer to collect my tickets from the machine at the start which I have to do anyway because they are different train companies.
I'm looking forward to going on the Elizabeth Line for the first time, now only an incredible 10 minutes.

If you don’t like your ticket to only be displayed on your phone, you can also screenshot the online ticket and print it out, it will work for the ticket machine at the station. I always print it out as a back up in case my phone gets stolen or lost.

HettyBetty I may copy you and try that except I have a nasty feeling the booking desk has gone at Waverley Station.

Oh goodness. I won't be able to travel by train then as I don't have a phone that'll manage having a ticket.
At the moment I book through trainline and select the 'collect from station' option. Then collect tickets from the machine at the station.

Ayse your grumble is totally justified!

I'm about to book a train to see my son down in the East Midlands next month.
I want to use the vouchers I was given by Cross-country after the dreadful journey last year.
Despite booking in advance and reserving a seat, the return train was so crowded there were women with babies standing in the bit by the door which was where I stood for the first hour.
I managed to prise someone's bag off a seat and sit down but then we stopped dead outside Darlington for 2 hours while a broken down train was moved.
I never did find my reserved seat.

By the time we got into Edinburgh it was very late and I still had to find a bus home.
Others weren't so lucky and were having to change for Dundee.
Do I really want to go through that again?

And there are strikes in the offing.

I sympathize with you. I always prefer to have a paper ticket as back up, and fear customer service is going more and more on line, leaving out people with no cell phone, or tech savvy.

The only time I relied on a boarding pass on my cell, my network could not download the form and I ended up being the last person on the plane. Lesson learned! Always have a paper backup.

When I wanted to book tickets recently I had a look online, got completely baffled, and caught a bus to the station.

There, a very helpful man sorted out the best price, reserved seats and gave me a bunch of actual tickets.

I was so pleased to be able to do it the old fashioned way.