Driver or train

[Camsmummy]

Thank you I will have to wait until our dates are released but it shouldn't be much longer as its going up to the beginning of August already.

[Bal]

Originally Posted by Disneybugs107

This is starting to look like a possible option. I didn't realise there was a stop next to the hotel. My next silly question (sorry) is do you get the train from the hotel to the airport the following day or is it cheaper to get a taxi?

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Probably won't make a lot of difference in the long run. I've just checked and it's £2.10 each way on the train, so £4.20 return. It quite literally is about 5 minutes away.

A taxi will probably be the right side of a tenner. If there are four of you, it's probably marginally cheaper.

[elmspenguin]

Originally Posted by Camsmummy

I'm not sure I was just pricing up the options as it's too early to book our dates. I was going to book a return but book on a chosen train if that makes sense? I don't usually travel by train very often so not too sure how it all works.

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Yep makes sense, that way you can get any train if you are delayed when coming back. We have booked advance singles both ways as they have worked out a lot cheaper but we can only get the set trains we are booked on, so coming back if we are over 5 hours delayed we would have to buy another ticket at full price.
If you are booking a return ticket is it cheaper to book it to Heald Green than the airport? If it is I would be book to Heald green return and buy a anytime single from the airport to Heald green when you return and then you are covered from the airport.

[Bal]

Originally Posted by elmspenguin

Yep makes sense, that way you can get any train if you are delayed when coming back. We have booked advance singles both ways as they have worked out a lot cheaper but we can only get the set trains we are booked on, so coming back if we are over 5 hours delayed we would have to buy another ticket at full price.
If you are booking a return ticket is it cheaper to book it to Heald Green than the airport? If it is I would be book to Heald green return and buy a anytime single from the airport to Heald green when you return and then you are covered from the airport.

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It's just a set price. Its a commuter route and all tickets on that route are just open singles. It's £2.10 each way. You can buy same day returns, but obviously they are not much use.

You just either buy it at the station or on the train. You can buy it in advance from somewhere like the East Coast website if you like.

On the Advance Ticket. It is true that technically you should buy a completely new ticket. However if you get a nice conductor, or ticket officer at the Station, they can sometimes offset the cost of the original Advance ticket against the cost of the new open ticket. I've done it before when I missed a train from London back home.

[elmspenguin]

Originally Posted by Bal

You can't book a return on chosen trains. You would buy two single advance tickets for that. It usually works out cheaper doing that, but not always, so do make sure.

I would suggest booking an advance on the way out and an open on the way back as if your plane is delayed you could miss it. The train company won't refund or let you travel on another service because you missed because of a late plane. Although sometimes they do allow you to use the cost of the ticket minus a £10 admin fee per ticket against the cost of a new open. Not worth the hassle. Hopefully your return date and time is off peak as this brings down the cost of open tickets quite a bit usually.

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If they are using transpennine you can book an airport advance single from Manchester Airport and you can catch any train upto 3 hours after your booked train if your plane is delayed but you have to get your ticket signed at the train station at the airport.

You can book a standard return on chosen trains when you book you click on the service you want you travel on and when you go to buy you can chose to reserve seats, you don't have to travel in that train but if you do you will have reserved seats.

[elmspenguin]

Originally Posted by Camsmummy

Thank you I will have to wait until our dates are released but it shouldn't be much longer as its going up to the beginning of August already.

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Which train company will you be using?

[Bal]

Originally Posted by elmspenguin

If they are using transpennine you can book an airport advance single from Manchester Airport and you can catch any train upto 3 hours after your booked train if your plane is delayed but you have to get your ticket signed at the train station at the airport.

You can book a standard return on chosen trains when you book you click on the service you want you travel on and when you go to buy you can chose to reserve seats, you don't have to travel in that train but if you do you will have reserved seats.

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That's good to know about the three hour rule, that's a new one on me! I travel that route all the time... is there somewhere that is posted?

EDIT - answered my own question - tpexpress/special-...ester-airport/

Yes, I realised you can reserve seats when booking a return. My point was there is no such thing as a restricted "advance" return ticket. You book two single if you want Advanced rate.

[Camsmummy]

It is cheaper to book a return to heald green but that doesn't make sense because it's the stop after the airport so you are travelling further.I wouldn't need a single from the airport to heald green as we would be going straight home after landing and not back to the hotel. I'm not sure if the prices will be the same for my dates but we land on August bank holiday Monday so also not sure if it will be a limited service.

[JAF]

We have used the trains to get from our home to Heathrow a couple of times when we have gone for away for more than 2 weeks as it was considerably cheaper than taking the car and parking it. We did have to make a few changes but found it was also much safe than driving back home round the M25 early in the morning when tired from an overnight flight.

[willow]

My cousin drives down from Glasgow to Manchester and on the way back they get a day room at one of the hotels at the airport that way he can get his head down for a few hours before the drive back up.Might be worth a look.