A friend and I are planning to meet in Heathrow and travel to Bath in
September for a Sat-Mon Jane Austen pilgrimage before returning to
London.

Last week I practised getting train tickets from Paddington to Bath on
nationalrail.co but had to use fake dates as it was 21 weeks ahead of
time. I was quoted only 17 pounds return each. This week I am trying
to really book and am now being quoted 47 pounds for the same times of
day.

I can live with 47 pounds but could use some of that for books and
coffee. <g> Is that an OK price or should I keep trying?

Marilyn

<[email protected]> wrote:

> A friend and I are planning to meet in Heathrow and travel to Bath in
> September for a Sat-Mon Jane Austen pilgrimage before returning to
> London.
>
> Last week I practised getting train tickets from Paddington to Bath on
> nationalrail.co but had to use fake dates as it was 21 weeks ahead of
> time. I was quoted only 17 pounds return each. This week I am trying
> to really book and am now being quoted 47 pounds for the same times of
> day.
>
> I can live with 47 pounds but could use some of that for books and
> coffee. <g> Is that an OK price or should I keep trying?

What are the exact dates? Saturday travel is popular for these fares,
but it sounds unusual you can't get anything better this far ahead. I'm
getting cheap fares on September 8 and 10. (I haven't checked others.)

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 19:15:37 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> A friend and I are planning to meet in Heathrow and travel to Bath in
>> September for a Sat-Mon Jane Austen pilgrimage before returning to
>> London.
>>
>> Last week I practised getting train tickets from Paddington to Bath on
>> nationalrail.co but had to use fake dates as it was 21 weeks ahead of
>> time. I was quoted only 17 pounds return each. This week I am trying
>> to really book and am now being quoted 47 pounds for the same times of
>> day.
>>
>> I can live with 47 pounds but could use some of that for books and
>> coffee. <g> Is that an OK price or should I keep trying?
>
>What are the exact dates? Saturday travel is popular for these fares,
>but it sounds unusual you can't get anything better this far ahead. I'm
>getting cheap fares on September 8 and 10. (I haven't checked others.)


I'm trying Satuday Sept. 22 at 12 noon returning Monday Sept 24 at
13:00. The national rail site is posting a message that they are having
problems with the site and some features are disabled.

Our planes both arrive at Heathrow at 8:30 so we could possible catch an
earlier train but we feel more comfortable having plenty of time.

Thanks for the help.

<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 19:15:37 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
> _the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> ><[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> A friend and I are planning to meet in Heathrow and travel to Bath in
> >> September for a Sat-Mon Jane Austen pilgrimage before returning to
> >> London.
> >>
> >> Last week I practised getting train tickets from Paddington to Bath on
> >> nationalrail.co but had to use fake dates as it was 21 weeks ahead of
> >> time. I was quoted only 17 pounds return each. This week I am trying
> >> to really book and am now being quoted 47 pounds for the same times of
> >> day.
> >>
> >> I can live with 47 pounds but could use some of that for books and
> >> coffee. <g> Is that an OK price or should I keep trying?
> >
> >What are the exact dates? Saturday travel is popular for these fares,
> >but it sounds unusual you can't get anything better this far ahead. I'm
> >getting cheap fares on September 8 and 10. (I haven't checked others.)
>
>
> I'm trying Satuday Sept. 22 at 12 noon returning Monday Sept 24 at
> 13:00. The national rail site is posting a message that they are having
> problems with the site and some features are disabled.
>
> Our planes both arrive at Heathrow at 8:30 so we could possible catch an
> earlier train but we feel more comfortable having plenty of time.

The weekend before seems OK- it might be that all the fares for those
dates (there are some, but it's patchy) aren't available yet. Try again
in a week, and see. You've nothing to lose. The 47 pound fare will
always be available, after all.

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:16:39 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

><[email protected]> wrote:
>

>The weekend before seems OK- it might be that all the fares for those
>dates (there are some, but it's patchy) aren't available yet. Try again
>in a week, and see. You've nothing to lose. The 47 pound fare will
>always be available, after all.

Thanks, that's what I'll do.

Marilyn

<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:16:39 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
> _the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> ><[email protected]> wrote:
> >
>
> >The weekend before seems OK- it might be that all the fares for those
> >dates (there are some, but it's patchy) aren't available yet. Try again
> >in a week, and see. You've nothing to lose. The 47 pound fare will
> >always be available, after all.
>
> Thanks, that's what I'll do.

Also, check megatrain.com, though again, they don't have fares for then
yet, and are more restrictive in terms of trains available, but very
cheap if you can get them. Also, you'd need to leave from Waterloo with
megatrain...

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website
"Abominable, loyal, blind, apparently subservient."
Pres. Carter on Pres. Blair- May, 2007

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:59:30 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:16:39 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
>> _the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>
>> ><[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>>
>> >The weekend before seems OK- it might be that all the fares for those
>> >dates (there are some, but it's patchy) aren't available yet. Try again
>> >in a week, and see. You've nothing to lose. The 47 pound fare will
>> >always be available, after all.
>>
>> Thanks, that's what I'll do.
>
>Also, check megatrain.com, though again, they don't have fares for then
>yet, and are more restrictive in terms of trains available, but very
>cheap if you can get them. Also, you'd need to leave from Waterloo with
>megatrain...

Waterloo is little harder to get to from LHR though, so not much of a
worry. For such a short journey though at least one way wouldn't the
coach be a good option, it's probably quicker than the train via
London and a lot easier.

Jim.

"Jim Ley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Waterloo is little harder to get to from LHR though, so not much of a
> worry. For such a short journey though at least one way wouldn't the
> coach be a good option, it's probably quicker than the train via
> London and a lot easier.
>
> Jim.
>

It's also worth looking at the price of two singles - sometimes they can be
cheaper than a return (the booking page should give the option).

On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 00:37:16 +0100, "Michael" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Jim Ley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>
>> Waterloo is little harder to get to from LHR though, so not much of a
>> worry. For such a short journey though at least one way wouldn't the
>> coach be a good option, it's probably quicker than the train via
>> London and a lot easier.
>>
>> Jim.
>>
>
>It's also worth looking at the price of two singles - sometimes they can be
>cheaper than a return (the booking page should give the option).
>

Someone emailed me about that option today but the singles were more
expensive.

I still have 11 weeks to book but I want to get it crossed off my list.

Marilyn

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:49:44 GMT, [email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:

>On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:59:30 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
>_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:16:39 +0100, [email protected] (David Horne,
>>> _the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>>
>>> ><[email protected]> wrote:
>>> >
>>>
>>> >The weekend before seems OK- it might be that all the fares for those
>>> >dates (there are some, but it's patchy) aren't available yet. Try again
>>> >in a week, and see. You've nothing to lose. The 47 pound fare will
>>> >always be available, after all.
>>>
>>> Thanks, that's what I'll do.
>>
>>Also, check megatrain.com, though again, they don't have fares for then
>>yet, and are more restrictive in terms of trains available, but very
>>cheap if you can get them. Also, you'd need to leave from Waterloo with
>>megatrain...
>
>Waterloo is little harder to get to from LHR though, so not much of a
>worry. For such a short journey though at least one way wouldn't the
>coach be a good option, it's probably quicker than the train via
>London and a lot easier.

I thought of that or start the train journey from Reading.
--

Martin

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>A friend and I are planning to meet in Heathrow and travel to Bath in
> September for a Sat-Mon Jane Austen pilgrimage before returning to
> London.
>
> Last week I practised getting train tickets from Paddington to Bath on
> nationalrail.co but had to use fake dates as it was 21 weeks ahead of
> time. I was quoted only 17 pounds return each. This week I am trying
> to really book and am now being quoted 47 pounds for the same times of
> day.
>
> I can live with 47 pounds but could use some of that for books and
> coffee. <g> Is that an OK price or should I keep trying?
>
> Marilyn

I'm intrigued as to why you are going into Paddington from Heathrow. First
Great Western (the company that operate the trains from Paddington to Bath)
run a coach (bus) from Heathrow to Reading and all the trains from
Paddington to Bath stop at Reading. They sell through tickets covering
both the bus and the train. You also save paying the fare into London.

As others have noted there are cheap single fares so you could buy a single
Heathrow to Bath and a single Bath to Paddington if you want to go back to
London.

On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:23:33 +0100, "Graham Harrison"
<[email protected] > wrote:


>I'm intrigued as to why you are going into Paddington from Heathrow. First
>Great Western (the company that operate the trains from Paddington to Bath)
>run a coach (bus) from Heathrow to Reading and all the trains from
>Paddington to Bath stop at Reading. They sell through tickets covering
>both the bus and the train. You also save paying the fare into London.
>
>As others have noted there are cheap single fares so you could buy a single
>Heathrow to Bath and a single Bath to Paddington if you want to go back to
>London.
>

I hadn't considered that.

So we could take, on one through ticket, the coach to Reading from
Heathrow and then switch to the train to get to Bath? I assume the
trains and coaches in the same general area?

I live in an area with no trains so I adore travelling in them when I
get a chance.

Huge thanks to everyone being so helpful.

Marilyn

On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:07:02 -0300, [email protected] wrote:

>On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:23:33 +0100, "Graham Harrison"
><[email protected] m> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm intrigued as to why you are going into Paddington from Heathrow. First
>>Great Western (the company that operate the trains from Paddington to Bath)
>>run a coach (bus) from Heathrow to Reading and all the trains from
>>Paddington to Bath stop at Reading. They sell through tickets covering
>>both the bus and the train. You also save paying the fare into London.
>>
>>As others have noted there are cheap single fares so you could buy a single
>>Heathrow to Bath and a single Bath to Paddington if you want to go back to
>>London.
>>
>
>I hadn't considered that.
>
>So we could take, on one through ticket, the coach to Reading from
>Heathrow and then switch to the train to get to Bath? I assume the
>trains and coaches in the same general area?

Coach picks up at the various Heathrow terminals and drops you off
immediately outside Reading railway station

http://www.railair.com/
>
>I live in an area with no trains so I adore travelling in them when I
>get a chance.
>
>Huge thanks to everyone being so helpful.
>
>Marilyn




Keith, Bristol, UK

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:23:33 +0100, "Graham Harrison"
> <[email protected] > wrote:
>
>
>>I'm intrigued as to why you are going into Paddington from Heathrow.
>>First
>>Great Western (the company that operate the trains from Paddington to
>>Bath)
>>run a coach (bus) from Heathrow to Reading and all the trains from
>>Paddington to Bath stop at Reading. They sell through tickets covering
>>both the bus and the train. You also save paying the fare into London.
>>
>>As others have noted there are cheap single fares so you could buy a
>>single
>>Heathrow to Bath and a single Bath to Paddington if you want to go back to
>>London.
>>
>
> I hadn't considered that.
>
> So we could take, on one through ticket, the coach to Reading from
> Heathrow and then switch to the train to get to Bath? I assume the
> trains and coaches in the same general area?
>
> I live in an area with no trains so I adore travelling in them when I
> get a chance.

Well, if you really want to ride the train, this is your solution. Otherwise
you can catch a bus/coach at Heathrow that will take you directly to Bath
with no transfers.

Marianne

On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:07:02 -0300, [email protected] wrote:

>On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:23:33 +0100, "Graham Harrison"
><[email protected] m> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm intrigued as to why you are going into Paddington from Heathrow. First
>>Great Western (the company that operate the trains from Paddington to Bath)
>>run a coach (bus) from Heathrow to Reading and all the trains from
>>Paddington to Bath stop at Reading. They sell through tickets covering
>>both the bus and the train. You also save paying the fare into London.
>>
>>As others have noted there are cheap single fares so you could buy a single
>>Heathrow to Bath and a single Bath to Paddington if you want to go back to
>>London.
>>
>
>I hadn't considered that.
>
>So we could take, on one through ticket, the coach to Reading from
>Heathrow and then switch to the train to get to Bath? I assume the
>trains and coaches in the same general area?

The coach stop is outside Reading Station.

--

Martin