Quote:
Originally Posted by swisstrains
For day trips why are National Rail walk-on single fares so expensive when compared to the equivalent return fares?
My wife and I are keen walkers and there are many places within a 10-12 mile radius of our local station that would make excellent starting points for a walk back home.
To give some examples of what I mean the cheapest available single fare to Chester is £5.30 but the equivalent return is only £5.60. The cheapest available single fare to Lostock Gralam is £9.20 whilst the return is only £11.20. Although farther afield another possibility is Altrincham but once again the cheapest single ticket costs £9.50 against a return fare of only £10.20.
I suppose National Rail would argue that the single fare is the correct price and that you are getting a fantastic discount for buying a return but I find it very hard to think that way myself.  |
Since both you and your wife are interested in walking, a number of possibilities suggest themselves – some more sensible than others !
1. one of you goes outwards by train and returns walking, the other walks outward and returns by train. The one who goes by train outwards buys a return ticket, and hands it over to the other when they meet somewhere along the walk.
2. if it is possible to get a period return ticket, then do two walks, one in each direction on different days
3. buy a return ticket, and when you reach your destination, sell the return half to someone who wants to make the journey in the opposite direction. [ obviously you will be more likely to find someone at Altrincham than Lostock Gralam ! ]
