Cheapest Way from London to Ipswich

[JamieLei]

What is the cheapest way of getting from East Croydon to Ipswich? We're finding it's becoming the most expensive for value part of our (extremely budgeted) short stay in London and Ipswich.

Standard Day Single, East Croydon - London Bridge: £7.40 (Fam. Railcard, 2A 2C, yes I know I'm 17 and illegal!)
Walk across London Bridge and past the Bank of England: £0
Liverpool Street to Ipswich: £18

Sadly 'one' seems to have cracked down on the ol' "use your travelcard to Z6 boundary" by making the advance fare from Shenfield the same price as from Liverpool Street. The advance single from East Croydon is £36, stupidly...

Any ideas that don't involve the Bus or a long winded route through Wimbledon?..

[gavt1976]

You hitchhike all the way to ipswich, or if you are really clever, you could get to ipswich if you be like a kid and paid kids fares.

[Kevo00]

Get yourself a Young Person's Railcard on your own account, or a network travelcard. Might help.

[Ameecher]

'one' do have advance purchase tickets on the mainline that are restricted to certain trains that cost £6, £12 or £18 single. Not sure if they're valid from Ipswich though, may only be Norwich/Diss/Stowmarket that benefits from those.

[JamieLei]

Oh so THATs why the fare to Ipswich is so high!

The 'one' advance fares do not get railcard discounts for some reason (b******...) - which would reduce the fare to £10.80

Edit: damn this filter!

[Kevo00]

Advance fares rarely get railcard discount I belive...

[atomicdanny]

GNER didn't (NXEC don't either) but i know that virgin trains do allow railcard discounts

[JamieLei]

I guess that we were so used to Virgin and CrossCountry that we just assumed every advance ticket had a railcard discount

[hippeebus]

Get yourself a Young Person's Railcard on your own account, or a network travelcard. Might help.

Yeah, or bank with Natwest. They give you one free!

[JamieLei]

I'm already with Natwest since the age of 11!

BUGGER

I want my 5-year "student" railcard!

[Kevo00]

Don't you get one for upgrading your account status to 'student'?

[JamieLei]

Probably not - the deal is there to grab new customers, not to pamper existing ones!

[Kevo00]

I don't know - I remember I got my first mobile phone for free from Barclays many years ago by upgrading my account.

Even if they don't give you a free one, the railcard is well worth the money IMO.

[Dropzone]

You do still get the free railcard if you're upgrading an existing account rather than opening a new one. At least, that was the case when I did it (about a year and a half ago).

[JamieLei]

Ah - I'll see if i can do it next October then. It's £100 worth of railcard so definitely worth it!

[Ameecher]

Ah - I'll see if i can do it next October then. It's £100 worth of railcard so definitely worth it!

Er, no. It's £20 worth of Railcard.

[stupidestfool]

I think it is £100 worth of railcard, as it's a five-year one you get for free

[JamieLei]

And also called a Student Railcard for some reason, rather than a Young Persons

[Kevo00]

Interesting - actually ATOC should do a lot to try and spread word of the railcard, as most young people I know don't have one.

[Parkey]

I think I heard something about railcards going up to £25 this year? Have to renew mine at some point this month.