Please sign in to post.

UK Rail Seat Reservations

This week I am traveling the North West of England on a Rail Rover Ticket.

That by the way is fantastic value at £80.35 railcard fare for 7 days travel, so a bit under £11.50 a day. Today for instance I am going from Cumbria to Liverpool, on to Shotton then back home via Warrington.
So I have been reserving seats 'on the fly' using the GWR website, a system that works brilliantly.
On Tuesday for instance I booked a seat at 1445 on the 1612 Liverpool to Carlisle train. That service broke down 20 minutes later on it's southbound journey. So at 1550 on a local train to Wigan I booked another seat on the 1626 Avanti train from Wigan.
That train was already well into its journey from London, and I didn't know you could book seats on Avanti trains after their journey had started but you can.

At Wigan the seat was there, correctly booked. I had to evict some poor soul who thought they had found a vacant seat at Euston!

Today I booked my Avanti seat an hour before travel, after the train had left Glasgow. And there it was when I boarded.

So an excellent scheme.

Posted by
631 posts

Which ticket is this, Stuart, and which site? I’m headed for Skipton tomorrow

Thanks!

Posted by
9324 posts

Betsy,

It is a North West 7 day rover, but there is also a 4 day in 8 version.

This week I have been on it on Phase 2 of a Cathedral trail to Blackburn, Manchester, Chester, Bradford, Durham (excess fare from Hexham), Liverpool (today) and Ripon (tomorrow).

Buy it either from the clerk or the machines at any Northern station.

Durham yesterday was unplanned, but had very personal reasons. I was meant to go to Dewsbury for a friend, who I gently let down.

Posted by
631 posts

Stuart, thanks!

The Cathedral trail sounds like fun !

Betsy, It is a North West 7 day rover, but there is also a 4 day in 8
version. This week I have been on it on Phase 2 of a Cathedral trail
to Blackburn, Manchester, Chester, Bradford, Durham (excess fare from
Hexham), Liverpool (today) and Ripon (tomorrow). Buy it either from
the clerk or the machines at any Northern station. Durham yesterday
was unplanned, but had very personal reasons. I was meant to go to
Dewsbury for a friend, who I gently let down.