Difference between Off-Peak & Super Off-Peak Tickets?

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Yello!

Quick questions for any British train users here, i've had a quick browse about NRE's site, but it doesn't seem too specific.

Basically, i'm travelling from Huddersfield, up here in West Yorkshire, to Chessington South, down in Surry, via Manchester Piccadilly, Euston, Vauxhall, and my favorite part of it all, The Tube. Anyway, i've been on National Railway Enquries, tickets for my journey would be around £88 for a super off-peak return, or or £143 for an off-peak. But what may I ask is exactly the difference, one is super and very cheap, the other is ...not super. But what exactly are the differences, is there something incredibly taxing and extremely limiting I have to follow?

Basically, my plan is to be out of Huddersfield by about 12:00, leave Manchester at 13:00, be in Euston for around 15:20, arrive at Chessington about 16:50*, if the times matter. I always use the West Coast Mainline, thats of course Virgin (woo) which is alright, cause usually the tickets if they do say a limit they do say Manchester, i was wondering if a SUPER off-peak would have other things to make it so SUPER cheap.


Any help is very appreciated, i don't want to get screwed over, or stuck at Euston, or anything ridiculous

Note: Route isn't changable, I always do Huddersfield --> Manchester Piccadilly --> Euston --> Vauxhall --> Chessington South, i'm not changing it now, i'll get lost


* - I didn't actually check exact times, but they're the usual times i usually go around at, so times will be correct to within 30 minutes either way.

[orudge]

I can't answer your question, but you consider £88 return to be CHEAP? Maybe train fares really have gone up a huge amount since I last went on a long-distance train in the UK, but that seems rather expensive to me.

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I never buy advanced, so there is zero chance of a mess up occuring and missing it. I always buy my tickets on the day at the station from the folks behind the counters at Huddersfield station, whether I'm going to York, Hull, Sheffield, or even London, I always buy it on the day

[welshdragon]

One's Cheaper?

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One's Cheaper?

Surely there is a catch to make it cheaper though.

[welshdragon]

Yeah, were you not paying attention to IRC at about 11pm?

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No, not really. I keep forum things on the forum, and IRC things to IRC. They're seperate entities

[Kevo00]

Well, I did a search for tickets today using the East Coast site, which I think superior to NR, and got the route and timings you mentioned as more or less the quickest - you could also go via Wakefield Westgate and Kings Cross, but the time difference is not great. I was also offered the £88 super off peak and the off peak return for £143.60, both, according to the website, appear to have the same off-peak train entitlement and the same rules, Valid on off-peak services by the route and train operator shown. Return travel any day within one month. The super off-peak is clearly just a special offer.

Though as Orudge says you are paying over the odds, and it really is preferable to book in advance so you can get a seat reservation. I entered 16 December instead of today's date and got a price of £53.40 return, I could have done it first class for £119 return, £24 cheaper than the off peak standard class. Also if you are under 26 (which I'm guessing, my apologies if not) then you should have a railcard, especially if you do this journey frequently - your super off peak for today would be £58.35 with a railcard. Wake up and live a little. Go on, you won't miss your trains, or get lost, I promise.

[Badger]

Just did the same as Kev. I agree with all he says. Buy in advance.

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I'm not looking for advance, i've always paid full fare, i don't intend on changing it now

Anyway, back onto subject, Kevo00; So the limits are the same, just ones immensely cheaper, there is no really stupid clause to it I over looked?
I've also always gona the same route each of the 7 times i've been / come back, and it seems pretty quick and I don't see changing it for the slight different using Leeds / Kings Cross (or Wakey Westgate / KX), especially as I prefer Virgin Trains

[Ameecher]

I'm not looking for advance, i've always paid full fare, i don't intend on changing it now

Epic fail.

[Kevo00]

I'm not looking for advance, i've always paid full fare, i don't intend on changing it now

The railways must love you! Its your money to waste though.

[orudge]

To be fair, it's people a bit like Jolteon who help keep the railways alive I guess, just as it's businessmen who buy flexible airline tickets (that cost perhaps 3 times the normal tickets) who help to pay for the rest of us on the planes.

[Ameecher]

But they're on expenses rather than the money coming out of their own pocket!

[MjD]

Super off peak is the new name for the SuperSaver, and as such is not valid on fridays.

MD

[61653]

Basically, i'm travelling from Huddersfield, up here in West Yorkshire, to Chessington South, down in Surrey, via Manchester Piccadilly, Euston, Vauxhall, and my favorite part of it all, The Tube. Anyway, i've been on National Railway Enquries, tickets for my journey would be around £88 for a super off-peak return, or or £143 for an off-peak. But what may I ask is exactly the difference, one is super and very cheap, the other is ...not super. But what exactly are the differences, is there something incredibly taxing and extremely limiting I have to follow?

Basically, my plan is to be out of Huddersfield by about 12:00, leave Manchester at 13:00, be in Euston for around 15:20, arrive at Chessington about 16:50*, if the times matter. I always use the West Coast Mainline, thats of course Virgin (woo) which is alright, cause usually the tickets if they do say a limit they do say Manchester, i was wondering if a SUPER off-peak would have other things to make it so SUPER cheap.

You ought to try a different route, if only for the variety, different scenery etc... Obviously the cost isn't an issue for you, but when I lived in Ormskirk (Preston-Euston) and one one occasion from Huddersfield (to Liverpool) I found that using Advance tickets I could sometimes travel first class for less than it would cost me to travel standard. But i suppose if you can afford it, the flexibility of a turn-up-and-go ticket is useful.

[orudge]

But they're on expenses rather than the money coming out of their own pocket!

That is true.

I would ask you, Jolteon: in your previous travels, have you actually turned up late and missed the train you were intending to get? I'm sure with an alarm clock or two, you can manage to get yourself to the railway station on time, and get your reserved train without too much bother, and it'll cost you a lot less. I would still recommend getting a railcard too.

Ultimately, it is of course up to you. But it does seem a bit silly to insist on not doing the cheaper options because you're afraid you might miss the train or whatever - I'm sure you're perfectly capable and intelligent enough to manage to not miss the train!

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MjD: damn, is that so? I guess I could go on the thursday, return on the monday, instead of friday to monday. (heck, gives me an extra day there too)

orudge: I've so far never been late for a train, although i've never really bothered, as I just buy on the go and there are trains every 15 or 30 minutes, so it doesn't overly matter then.

47434: I'd rather not chance it, being lost is my worst fear. Any stations larger than Wakefield Westgate confuse me. Which reminds me a slight screw up I made at Leeds once. Me: "Where is platform 9?" Leeds Help Desk:"*little wrist movement* there *points to platform directly behind me*" me: "...ah"

End of the day, someone has to pay full fares, or we'd all end up in the s*** with immensely crap trains cause no one can afford to maintain them.

[orudge]

End of the day, someone has to pay full fares, or we'd all end up in the s*** with immensely crap trains cause no one can afford to maintain them.

Or the government could stop wasting so much money with the grossly inefficient system we have at the moment. How much money is wasted on levels of management and bureaucracy with the silly franchise system we have, I wonder? But that's a rant for another thread.

[Dezeero]

*puts on his old Revenue Protection hat*

Even I get confused by todays ticketing, and it might be different up that end of the country, but down south Off-Peak = not before 9am, Super-Off-Peak = not before 11am, though both have technicalities and exceptions