I am 99.99% sure that the answer is yes. I have an off peak return ticket that i bought for £98 from London to Liverpool. The trip from London to Liverpool will be on this Saturday, 7 May. Although I have a seat reservation for a specific train, if I want to take an earlier or later train, I can do this, correct? I would just forfeit the seat reservation and take my chances.
Posted by
New York, NY
4071 posts
I certainly would not assume that. If you intentionally bought a ticket that allows you to return at any time on 7 May, then that’s different. Otherwise, if you miss a specific train, you will be charged a very high last-minute fare.
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2600 posts
Yes, you are right.
Off-Peak all day at weekends.
Miss the one you have a reserved seat for, take the next one, or the next.....
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/off-peak-tickets.aspx
Posted by
107 posts
On your ticket is a two digit/letter restriction code. It could be nl or b2, for example. If you go to the Nationalrail.co.uk site and add the restriction code it will tell you when you can, and can’t, use that particular ticket.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34010 posts
It all depends on the restrictions printed on the ticket. I don't know what yours says, but for example if you got the inexpensive London Northwestern off peak period return it may only be valid on LNW trains, not on Avanti West Coast. Conversely if it is an Avanti ticket (the hint is that you say you have a reservation, unlikely on LNW) it may not be valid on other operators.
What does it say on the ticket, specifically in the lower left and lower centre of the ticket? If I had an image (not possible here) I could tell you in a flash.
Otherwise look up the code as mentioned above.
Is this a day return or a period return by the way?
Posted by
OP
Chicago
1334 posts
Thanks all for the help, wow what a day. I had to miss the first train with the reservation because of two hours working with my credit card company, their fraud detection system is insane. Got to Euston and another train was showing canceled. Ended up taking a train to Crewe and then transferred to a London Northwest train to Liverpool Lime.
It wasn’t a day return, I head back to London on 12 May.