Hello! I'm traveling from Gatwick to Cambridge in October. I've downloaded the Thameslink app. Should I buy my ticket now, or wait until the day of?
Once I've purchased on the app, how do I actually get on the train? Is it like France, where you just get on and then show the conductor your phone?
Thanks!
If you buy an Advance ticket it is only £19.20 as against £43.10 for a flexible ticket.
But then you have no certainty over what time your flight will land, or how long immigration will take. So sensible to buy the £43.10 ticket.
You can equally just buy the £43.10 ticket at the station on arrival. Whichever way it is valid on any train that day.
The railway station is within the South Terminal. If you land at North Terminal take the free inter terminal train to South.
Present your ticket to the ticket gates at the station and pass through. If a 'phone ticket lay the phone flat on the gate infra red reader. If a paper ticket bought on the day put it in the gate slot and wait for it to come back out when the gate will open. The overhead signs will tell you which platform you need- there are 7 platforms but in normal circumstances all Cambridge trains leave from Platform 4- do check in case of any alterations.
The guard will probably re-check the ticket on the train.
Hi, isn31c thanks for your reply. When I went to buy a ticket on the app for travel in October, the price £29, not £19.20. Am I buying a different ticket?
Are you traveling at the weekend? There is a super off peak single fare on Saturday & Sunday for £29.90.
Marco, yes, I'm traveling on a Saturday.
Ah well, that explains it. On a weekend the super off peak single can be used on any train. That fare does not appear to exist on a weekday.
If your journey is on Sunday 20 October you will have to cross London from London Bridge to St Pancras by other means (tube/bus/taxi) due to engineering work in the tunnels across London, and on Saturday/Sunday 26/27 October it is a rail replacement bus from Royston to Cambridge due to work on the new Cambridge South station.
Hi, isn31c: I'm traveling on a Saturday, but not on that weekend. On ThamesLink it says there is a direct train on the day I'm traveling.
Yes, each other Saturday in October there is a normal Thameslink route, at least to Cambridge. Other TL routes are affected on the other weekends.
Thank you, everyone! Appreciate the help and info.
