Trains … Scotrail, most likely

A bit more information would be helpful. Such as

1. When are you travelling?
2. Where are you travelling from? (Scotrail does not run trains to London.)

As a brit ,I might buy a ticket a week or two in advance
Dont use Trainline they charge fees,go directly to Scotrail.
I guess most folk walk Fort William to Inverness as the weather is on your back.
That said the train journey from Glasgow to Fort William is easily the most stunning in the UK

Thank you, Badger and Richard, for your replies. And yes, I should have given more info!

Our trip is in mid-May to June 10.

We actually are going from the airport to Oban initially, rather than Glasgow, then (not on the same day) we will be taking a bus to Fort William. Well, that is UNLESS someone here suggests the longer train ride rather than the bus, which goes from Oban to Crianlarich and then a train switch to get us to Fort William. Thoughts? You say, Richard that Glasgow to FW is the most stunning. How about Crianlarich to FW?

Trip as of now: Fly to GLA, head to Oban. Then: Fort William and a bit of a walk, Inverness, Pitlochry, Stirling (these latter two are VERY brief), Glasgow, Edinburgh, York, London.

We aren’t going directly from Edinburgh to London, but we are doing Edinburgh to York and I’m sure I’ll learn which train(s) go there, but again, I take any and all help!

Many thanks for your generous help.

That said the train journey from Glasgow to Fort William is easily the most stunning in the UK

I agree. In fact, I'm thinking of doing it again.

Buy tickets directly from the operating train companies rather than a third party.

From Edinburgh to York it's LNER.

If you are looking to go from Inverness to London....depending on
when.....there are no change options with LNER, or you can take
Scotrail to Edinburgh and then take either LNER or Lumo to London.
Inverness to London is just under 8 hours.

Actually from Inverness we head to Pilochry, then Stirling, then Glasgow, Edinburgh, York, and, finally London.

Thanks!

Yes, I saw that after I finished my post.

Take the train from Oban to Ft. William. It's worth it.

LNER operates the train from Edinburgh to York.

Buy direct from the train operators. Forget the third party sites

Okay … train to Fort William it is. Thanks, Frank!

Scotrail says I can come back later to buy cheaper advance fare tickets, even while they do seem to show prices now.

The key is a capital A on Advance. The cheapest tickets are called Advance and they are for the specific train/time only. They are available usually around 12 weeks out although that time period varies. So look for Advance tix with a capital A - you can even set up an alert when they’re available. They’ll be the cheapest you can buy - but they can only be used on the train/day/time you specify.

Scotrail issue Advance Tickets 8 weeks out. For Oban to Fort William by train you change at Crianlarich with a roughly one hour wait between trains. If it's open use the rather nice station tearoom.
By the way Crianlarich to Fort William is The most scenic stretch, sit on the left hand side of the train.
The prices being shown now are full price, although I don't think there are advance, cheaper, ones on a route like Oban to Fort William.
The much faster and cheaper route for that journey is the twice a day West Coast Motors/City link code shared bus. Book in advance through City link from about 6 weeks out, or on the bus if there is room.
Oban to Crianlarich sit on the right hand side of the train.

If you are doing Inverness to Glasgow or Edinburgh with two brief stops on the same day the most sensible fare is probably an off peak single, as that allows unlimited breaks of journey and total flexibiity to hop on and off at will. A series of Advance Tickets would be too limiting, as those are for specified trains.

I checked The Man in Seat 61's site, and he notes, "Don't fall into the trap! There are several weeks at the extremity of the booking horizon when expensive Anytime & Off-Peak fares go on sale but before cheap Advance fares go on sale. This 'trap' catches out many overseas visitors to the UK, desperate to book train trips months ahead. To see how far ahead booking for major operators is currently open, see www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert."

That link indicates that the latest tickets available now are for travel by 1 March. So I guess you could check in late March for a mid May ticket?

Well the Trainline is wrong, but no surprise there. Booking is open until 8 March on Scotrail, and the end of May on LNER.
Scotrails own web Site says that a weekly batch is released every Thursday

Just an FYI, LNER is offering a £5 credit right now to use on any train ticket if you register on their website and download the app. I did it a few days ago and received the credit.

https://www.lner.co.uk/tickets-savings/perks/

Wow … SO many helpful replies here. I thank you all very much!

I’ve done tons of trains in the EU, but very few in the UK, so I’m learning tons.

Just a few things for any who are wondering: no, we aren’t doing Pitlochry and Stirling as brief stops, but we are doing brief stays (one night each). Just a couple of things planned for those spots.

But anyway, I’m understanding it all much, much more. Great group here!

Oban to Fort William there is no advance fare. Just a £32.30 walk up fare.

But Inverness to Pitlochry and Pitlochry to Stirling both have advance fares. Stirling to Glasgow just has a walk up £9.50 off peak single. In spite of its name that is valid on all trains.
So you should get from Inverness to Glasgow with 2 stops for about £35 each.
If you buy your 2 Together railcard for £30, and leave Oban on the lunchtime train (not the breakfast time train) all your fares will get 34% off.
So O to FW becomes about £20 each, and Inv- HOW about £22 each

Then another 1/3 off all other trains you might take later in the trip, and your GLA to Oban train leaving after 0930.

Ah, thank you so much isn31c … I will need to get the Two Together for sure! Do you happen to know if it kicks in the minute you purchase it or is it when you first use it? If the former I should wait until we purchase tickets, I think.

The two together railcard is valid for a year. But you can buy your tickets stating that you have the railcard, then buy the railcard at a later date. As long as you have your railcard at the time of travel on each train.
It can either be a digital product, or if purchased on arrival at a station in the UK, a physical product.
It is valid from the date of issue.

Thank you again, isn31c. I will get it later, then, for sure. (But also, at this point, wait for the train tickets as well since it’s pretty darn early at this point!)

there is a promotion running through 28 June for half price tickets, but the dates I need to book have not been released and after 5 calls/texts/emails I have been told to keep checking. There is no plan for when specific dates are released. Frustrating.

there is a promotion running through 28 June for half price tickets, but the dates I need to book have not been released and after 5 calls/texts/emails I have been told to keep checking. There is no plan for when specific dates are released. Frustrating.

They are not half price tickets. This is off peak tickets being valid all day, even at peak times. It is a Scottish government funded initiative.

At peak times that equates to half price. At off peak times there is no change to fares.

There most certainly is a plan to release tickets- weekly every Thursday 8 weeks ahead of travel. That is more than sufficient time for what is mass transit. Timetables are valid until June. After June timetables will be released in due course.

Trains in the UK are not like aircraft or like Amtrak trans continental trains. They do not and can not book full. All trains take ticketing until minutes before departure, which is how most people travel.

You are achieving nothing, but being a nuisance and a distraction to staff by constant calling etc. You must work with the timeframes everyone else does.

Haven’t gotten our tickets yet, of course, as we don’t need to get them this early, but I AM looking at the ordering process for Scotrail and I have another question, this time regarding seating, that I’ll just add to this.

Are there any seats for two where we would sit across from each other with a table, but only us, not four seats? If there are, how do I request that? If there aren’t I think I do the seating they refer to as airplane so we sit next to each other, yes?

I’ve been reading that some people make requests and get something else instead, which I am assuming is because the train is crowded, but I figure it doesn’t hurt to put in a request!

I’m asking about this because for some crazy reason I really got it all wrong on trains in Europe last year: my husband and I ended up sitting back to back! (Thankfully people were kind enough to switch with us so we could be together. We still sort of like each other, even after 48 years. 😉 )

Suggestions, anyone?

@Patty- no there aren't, in standard class. The only full table seats are in bays of 4. But on all Scotrail cars all airline style seats have fold down tables.

Thus you can sit next to each other, but if you want to be facing each other, that has to be on a table of four. Even then you can't request one facing backwards, and one facing forwards facing each other.

In first class on most Inverness to Glasgow/Edinburgh trains there is a single 1 +1 table with seats facing each other, which is just sheer luck if you get it. On the loco hauled Inter7City sets there are several such first class 1+1 tables. In the timetable- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/media/19801/download?inline they are identified by I7C at the head of the column, But substitutions can and do occur, especially after one of those I7C trains collided with a fallen tree in an earlier storm. The engine was badly damaged (probably beyond repair), the tree was almost unscathed!
The train driver/engineer was very lucky.

Incidents like that are why lines are closed in storms like we are having today.

no there aren't, in standard class. The only full table seats are in bays of 4. But on all Scotrail cars all airline style seats have fold down tables.

Thank you for this info. I didn’t see any possibility of first class on the Glasgow to Oban trip, so I’m assuming those don’t exist: I looked at a variety of dates. But of course I may have missed something! The airline style seats would work fine, then, since they do have fold down tables.

Incidents like that are why lines are closed in storms like we are having today.

A wise move, I’m sure. Hope you are staying safe and warm!

Thanks again for ALL your help. You clearly know a great deal about taking the trains, and I’m very grateful.

Oban trains are standard class only, so only airline style seats and bays of 4.

One little trick is that on the 1034 and 1635 from Glasgow, and the 0517 and 1441 from Oban there is the Highland Explorer car. This is mainly for cycles and large baggage, but also has seats. If there are not the full complement of 20 bikes on board (who those seats are meant for) that is likely to be the quietest car on the train.

It should be the front of the 3 cars from Glasgow, the back car from Oban.

One little trick is that on the 1034 and 1635 from Glasgow, and the 0517 and 1441 from Oban there is the Highland Explorer car. This is mainly for cycles and large baggage, but also has seats. If there are not the full complement of 20 bikes on board (who those seats are meant for) that is likely to be the quietest car on the train.

Ooh, thanks so much for that, isn31c!