Thanks for all your help with the trains!

Turns out, the train that I had tickets for was cancelled, and the next train didn't come for another hour. Wouldn't have made that connection if I hadn't changed my plans.

If the train you are booked on is cancelled you normally travel on the next service. However, you highlight a point that if doing a cross-London connection on more than one rail ticket that the whole journey must be covered for this to be strictly valid, ie one or other of the rail tickets has to cover the underground transfer. If there is a 'hole' between them then it becomes two journeys.

If you are saying that you had an advance ticket for a train that was cancelled and you didn't actually use this ticket at all (as you travelled earlier on a different ticket) you are in luck as you can get this refunded. Also you should get a refund for delays of an hour; less in many cases.

There have been plenty of cancellations on GWR recently for a number of factors, far too complicated to go through ...

The cancellations on GWR at the moment are because they are having a new fleet of Inter City Express Trains being delivered and they are not training the drivers quickly enough in how to drive them.

It is more involved than that. Additional blockades from Network Rail meaning timetables aren't generated early enough for rosters. Insufficient number delivered of new trains and 100+days late, but forced by web of contracts to cascade the old ones leading to stock shortages. New trains being more prone to faults. Shortage of mechanics and others working on unfamiliar stock. Sunday working not covered by contract so any local or national event can cause shortage on a particular weekend. Last Sunday it was Fathers' Day; next week it could be the England WC match - in the past it has been someone's retirement BBQ.

GWR is very much a case of jam yesterday and jam tomorrow but not jam today. Through July there is nearly a month of disruption round Oxford where the station will be closed or partly closed.

There are lots of very helpful posters on most of these travel websites. Our favorite is www.tripadvisor.com because they list specific cities and towns in each country rather than just a country. I hope someone has steered you to www.seat61.com for the absolute best website for train and ferry travel worldwide. We use it every year to make smart, inexpensive connections, mostly across Europe.

Yes, George, I do use other sites like TripAdvisor and The Man in Seat 61. But it was the posters on this forum who gave the most detailed and helpful information about possible train delays and cancellations and how to plan my trip.

Regarding the refunds, I did already get a refund from Virgin Train East Coast for the entire cost. I think they made an announcement while we were on the train. GWR didn't mention refunds, so I'll research that today.

Thanks again, all!

I should add that the Severn Tunnel is currently closed (for 3 weeks) until July 9th while they electrify the line. London to south Wales trains are being diverted and anybody going from say Newport or Cardiff to Bristol is being bussed across the Severn Bridge. To cap it all, Ed Sheeran has 4 sell out concerts in the Principality Stadium in Cardiff this week. Last Friday, it was the Rolling Stones in the stadium and the M4 was jammed all the way back from the piece point at the Newport Tunnel to the Severn Bridge.

Sundays are the worst for cancellations on the GWR.

PS. If you are eligible for a refund due to late running/cancellations, do not put your tickets into exit machines at stations. Tell a member of staff at the barrier that you need to retain the ticket to claim a refund.