I'm trying to buy train tickets from York-Edinburgh on the East Coast Train website. It gives 3 ways to get the tickets.
Print at home. I don't have paper size it specifies.
Collect at station from a machine. I don't have a chip & pin credit card. Will that be a problem?
Receive by mail. Only available in the UK.
I'm not sure what to do about this. Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
"Print at home". The US uses a non-standard paper size, the rest of the world uses A4. This causes problems in my "day job". The easiest option is to print with "shrink to fit". The difference is only about 5%. So long as the barcode is readable, it should work.
They usually have a test ticket on the website you can print out to check if it works on your printer.
Or, ask your hotel if the tickets can be sent there.
Landscape instead of portrait.
There won't be any problem printing on either 8.5x11 or legal paper.
A4 paper size is basically 8 1/4" by 11 3/4". There is nothing on the bottom 3/4" that will be of any import to the conductor.
Andrea ,
i like to experiment on my travels so i did #1 & #2 on my travels when its possible.
So far I've been able to get my tickets at the ticket machines with only 1 exception in Remagen. But the station was manned and he was able to get the info from my confirmation.
If you have a chance do them both. Getting your ticket from the machine is like using the ones at the airport. just make sure you stay there long enough to get all of the stuff the machine will spit out.
also, just an for your info. The paper size isn't an issue. Its usually the barcode that is.
happy trails.
Thanks for your help everyone. I've printed out the tickets. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the paper size is fine.
I will be buying tickets in a few days from Edinburgh to London. Maybe I'll try collecting the tickets at the station. I'm sure there will be a manned booth there if I have a problem.
Thanks again!!
To agree with Ray, if using the machines in the UK be really sure that all the pieces of ticket have printed and that you have them all before stepping away from the machine. I often see people who have a ticket part left by somebody else, or missing part of their own. The railway companies take the position that there is a sign on each machine advising checking so it is the customer who should have checked and in the absence of those parts a new ticket needs buying.
I don't know how East Coast machines work but for the company for which I work for an Advance ticket it will spit out, one at a time, all on ticket stock, a customer id ticket with name and address, a ticket, a seat reservation ticket, a credit card receipt, and a summary receipt - all this per person so if two together all that all over again but likely combining both seat reservations onto one.
So, for sure, wait until all the churning and clanking and flashing lights finish.
That's why a lot of people prefer to print at home.
