European Rail Travel - London to Wrexham train?

I wanted to go from London to Wrexham May 20 to 22. I am seeing a friend and attending a support group meeting for the disease I have, arranged around my visit. A friend sent me a link to book quoting fares of 15.50 GBP each way but I am not seeing fares anywhere close to that, I am getting each way fares of no less than 69 GBP and it goes way up from there.

Apparently Wrexham & Shropshire line has ceased operations http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/

and I have checked out the following sites.
http://www.virgin.com/trains
http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/
http://www.thetrainline.com/

Am I doing something wrong or is there some trick to this that I need to know about?

I am wishing I was much more versed on bookings like this!

Apparently Wrexham & Shropshire line has ceased operations http://www.wrexhamandshropshire.co.uk/

They are just a 'train operating company', don't think of it as a line closing.

You say you are getting fares of £69 upwards (which looks like an off peak single for this route), just checking, you do know that the way train fares work a return is usually only a couple of pounds more.

Indeed, the off peak return (which can be an open return - so you can change your return travel time) is only £70 (so effectivly £35 each way, despite the same type of single being £69).

The only fares you will get cheaper than that are discount advance fares (and/or split ticketing).

Are you wanting to travel actually on the Friday (20th) and Sunday (22nd) themselves? Or be in Wrexham for thouse days? What time do you need to be there?

Looks like there are advance fares available on the route from £8 upwards. However I can't see any availability on thouse days.

Deeply discounted advance tickets are subject to allocation restrictions, and advance purchase requirments, are quota managed, etc.
Also, many deeply discounted tickets are frequently only valid for direct (no change of trains) services.

On the outbound, the only Advance tickets I can see are for the direct 18:10 > 20:39 Virgin service for £30.50. [This seems to be the only direct serivce to Wrexham.]
Of, if you want to arrive later and add another hour to your jouney, and two connections: Virgin from London Euston 20:43, connecting Birmingham NS to LMS to Shrewsburry connecting Arriva to Wrexham 00:14 for £17
On the return I can't seen any advance tickets on the Sunday.

Personally, I think you will find it hard to beat the £70 off peak return - especially for easy of use if you are new to the UK.

Apart from some very special promotional fares, all normal fares can be booked on any train operating company site.
I like the interface used on the east coast site myself, others also have this interface:
www.eastcoast.co.uk

Is this the start of the half-term holidays? If so that could well explain why there is nothing cheaper available for those particular days.

Oh my brain can't wrap around all that- its just too much for a simple train ride!!

I think something has to be going on, I know a few days later Obama is going to London and I can tell you I am glad I had already made those reservations for rooms, as I am sure the prices have jumped...

Well... Half term is 30th May. A visit by Obama will have precisely zero effect on UK rail fares - honestly!

There's a major timetable change on 22nd May, and details are still being finalised, so very few seats have been released for dates after that. They're generally release on Friday evenings in bulk, so try again then.

If that fails, there are ways of getting there very cheaply (using slow London Midland services to Crewe) but they're much slower.

[QUOTE=stut;15945687]Well... Half term is 30th May. A visit by Obama will have precisely zero effect on UK rail fares - honestly!
QUOTE]

Yes, I understand that, I was talking about hotel rate in London when I return from Wrexham. The prices around his visit have seemed to jump a little higher, but I am all set on rooms for the entirety of my stay now.

I was able to book for 17 GBP and will wait and drive back to London with a friend. Fares for return were no less than 69 GBP.

Ah, fair enough.

If you do want to get the train back, though, you should be able to get the return half as of this or next Friday, for a similar fare to the one you paid going up.

Well... Half term is 30th May. A visit by Obama will have precisely zero effect on UK rail fares - honestly!


Yes, I understand that, I was talking about hotel rate in London when I return from Wrexham. The prices around his visit have seemed to jump a little higher, but I am all set on rooms for the entirety of my stay now.


An Obama visit will also have zero effect on London hotel prices!

Fares for return were no less than 69 GBP.

But do note that a return was only 70 GBP off-peak. [The 69 figure you quote is for an off peak single.]

For furture reference, and the benefits of others, do not that you could have waited and still bought the off peak fare (it would not have risen beyond 70), in the mean time the fares stut is talking about could have been released.

The loss of Wrexham and Shropshire is a real pity. I took it last year from London to Shrewsbury and was happy to find that lunch was included in the first-class fare (wine was extra), even with a Britrail pass.

It was indeed a lovely service - even in standard.

On the plus side, the parent company (Chiltern) lives on and goes from strength to strength. The carriages from WSMR will be used to strengthen their services from London to Birmingham, which they've managed to speed up to 90 minutes as of the next timetable change. They'll also be introducing a service to Oxford via Bicester.