So I have pre-booked our train tickets from London to Edinburgh and back again. I already have the tickets in hand.
Question - do we need to validate the ticket at some machine before boarding the train? I nearly missed the validation point when we were in Munich to board public transport. I don't want to make the almost same mistake here.
No. I'm guessing your name, date, and train number are on your ticket.
No - just present tickets when requested.
Cool. Thank you!
No ticket validation in the UK.
Many stations (including London Kings Cross) have ticket barriers, which you have to put your ticket into to gain access to the platform. It returns the ticket unmarked.
Are the tickets print-at-home with a QR code on it, or e-tickets on your phone? If so, show them to the bod at the barrier or scan the QR code if there is a reader below the Oyster reader on the barrier. All platforms at Kings Cross are barriered and only left open occasionally.
If you have a reservation with a long number (something like 8 digits) that is not the ticket and you need to collect it from a machine or window using the same card you used to buy it and that number. Wait for all the tickets to come out of the machine - there will be lots. You need them all. Then put the ticket portions (will say FROM and TO on the upper left corner) in the gate or show them to the bod.
Then when the Train Manager or Ticket Inspector comes through the train they will want to see them again.
No validation in the UK though.....
Are the tickets print-at-home with a QR code on it, or e-tickets on your phone?
That option was available, but because I ordered the tickets with time to spare (having read that ordering ahead of time is way cheaper than day of travel), I had the option to have the tickets sent to me. There ARE a truckload of tickets, but they seem to be actual tickets.
Are they long, rectangular and white, or business card sized, cream with orange stripes across the top and bottom?
Hello Nigel. Would you care to expand on this? The tickets I will be using tomorrow are long, rectangular and white. There is a funny little code box on them. I assumed this was the true ticket. Thanks
This is what Nigel means. Real tickets look like this (photo): http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/05/20EAF22B00000578-2981229-image-a-32_1425583239655.jpg
Credit card size, with orange bands top and bottom. These are a pair of return tickets, "OUT" and "RTN" for the two directions. They have a magnetic strip on the back, which you can use to open the ticket barriers if the station has them.
Ann, that is a true ticket but it does not fit ticket barriers. Instead of you being able to get on the train quickly at barriered stations you will need to get the attention of the human staffing the barrier line for them to let you through after they have read your ticket.
Thank you, Nigel. Glad I don't have just a piece of paper, my age I don't move too quickly anyway. As always I appreciate your kind response. Now....if we can work on the weather for the next ten days!
Everyone is so helpful here, but now I'm a bit confused. We will be traveling on Virgin Train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh. I have a ticket that I printed at home that says "This is your travel ticket". It has a QR code and I printed it on letter size paper.
The ticket says that it can be read by the automatic ticket gates at Virgin Trains stations. But am I reading that I will also need some way to get through the ticket gates at the Tube Station?
Sorry to sound stupid, but the last time I rode the tube in London was in 1969.
morrowbabette,
Your ticket is for the train, not the tube. It is from Kings Cross station, where the train starts - according to your question just above.
If you need to get to the station using the tube from your hotel you will need to either use an Oyster card or a cash fare.
It might be best of your question was in its own thread so that you get the notifications of contributions and aquamarinesteph won't.
I have checked my tickets. They are credit card sized, have orange stripes on the front and appear to have a magnetic stripe on the back. Yay! Thanks again to everyone for their help on our upcoming trip!!
