Train journeys from devon to skegness?

Question

I have recently purchased a car from skegness but i live in exeter in devon. Problem is it will cost me over £100 in petrol to get there and then get two cars back (to include the one i am travelling in to get there) does anyone know any train journey options that could save me money?

Answer 1

look at national express bus

Answer 2

Train will work out cheaper! Go to the nationrail website, it's very helpful.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Answer 3

You can go by coach for £42, it will take 12 hours one way

Answer 4

You don't say where in Devon, so I've checked from Plymouth. A Saver return from there is going to cost you £116 and the journey will take nearly 8 hours. Most require you to travel into London Paddington, then underground to King's Cross, then a train to Grantham where you change for Skegness. There is one train - the 12.25 from Plymouth which requires a change at Birmingham New Street and Nottingham. That arrives in Skeggie at 7 minutes past 8 in the evening. You don't say when you are travelling, but if it is far enough ahead you may be able to get some cheaper deals - and don't forget that sometimes two singles are cheaper than one return, as may be buying separate tickets for different parts of the journey.

Answer 5

So you want a one-way rail fare from Exeter to Skegness, assuming you'll be driving back.

The cheapest route is Exeter St Davids - Birmingham New St - Nottingham - Skegness (avoid routes through London!). Doing a search on www.nationalrail.co.uk shows up a cheapest through adult fare on this route of £82.50 for next Friday 29th February (it may be worthwhile buying a Young Person's Railcard to get a third off). Total journey time between 6h20 and 6h55 depending on connections. Standard Open Single fare via London is £161.

It may be possible to get cheaper fares by buying tickets in stages, e.g

Exeter - Bristol £8 advance purchase (there's 1 train with a £4 fare if you book enough in advance)

Bristol - Birmingham £26.50

Exeter - Birmingham £44

Birmingham - Nottingham £11.80 (£7 on some trains if booked enough in advance)

Nottingham - Skegness £17.40

Those stages fares (£8 + £26.50 + £11.80 + £17.40 = £63.70) are calculated on the same starting train and connections as the £82.50 through fare - 0823 from Exeter St Davids on 29/2/08. Trying for dates further in the future may well show up even cheaper fares, as the cheaper fares disappear as the tickets are sold. You may have to move seats on the train depending on any reservations on the tickets, but buying tickets in stages is a perfectly acceptable method of saving money, so long as the train is actually scheduled to call at the stations where the tickets are valid between.