travelmad478

I'm planning to book myself and three friends on this train for an INV-LON journey next summer. Looking at the new website, I'm getting a price of GBP 125/person for a standard sleeper one-way. I took this train about 4-5 years ago and don't recall the price being so high (Seat61, which may be well out of date, quotes a price of GBP 85, and I think that's what I paid back then.) Is there a way to get that price down? None of the other UK rail booking websites are letting me book a trip that far out, and I'm a bit leery of the service we need getting sold out.

rcspeirs

You won't find cheaper tickets than what's on the operators website.
The previous operator (First) occasionally ran promotions, making the sleeper very cheap. I've not seen any such promotions by the new operator. In any case, the promotional fares were always for off season, I wouldn't expect bargains in the summer months.

Gagravarr

Advanced Purchase train tickets generally only go on sale in the UK around 3 months (90 days) out. Generally weekday trains go on sale then, weekend ones can take a week or two longer if Engineering work plans aren't quite finalised. With the sleeper running overnight, it too is more likely to be affected by engineering works, so again I wouldn't expect to see "normal" price tickets until then

I've just done a search on the Caledonian Sleeper site for a random midweek date in November. I'm seeing £85/person for a Standard Sleeper Berth (Twin)

My hunch is that they're charging a premium for people booking a very long way off, when they don't yet know the exact train details.

I'd suggest you wait until nearer the time to book

UKtravelbear

Standard industry practice is not to offer seats for sale more than 12 weeks in advance (on a rolling basis) but individual companies can (and do) offer their own services for a longer time frame but with the proviso that they can be changed once the Network Rail engineering plans are finalised (which they have to do 13 weeks in advance for scheduled work).

That is why you can see prices on the sleeper website and none of the other operating companies.

Depending on your circumstances you could see if buying a rail card e.g. 2 together, senior or family & friends might bring the price down.

Rail card details here . Note you do not have to have the physical railcard to buy the discounted fares in advance but you will when you actually travel and you can buy them on arrival in the UK.

travelmad478

Thanks all. I think I will roll the dice and wait for the 12-weeks-out date to arrive.

I looked at Monday 30 November (we are traveling on a Monday) and got a price of £100/person, which goes down to £66/person with the use of two Two Together railcards. The railcard idea is excellent and I'll use it--thanks UKtravelbear! I didn't know anything about those.

continentalclub

Note that you can buy your railcard-discounted tickets without having a valid railcard. As long as you have acquired the latter by the time that you travel, you're fine.

Also note that all sleeper fares are fully-refundable up to noon on the day of travel. Summer services are often busy owing to the (erroneous) presumption of better weather, and there's also a halo effect from events such as the Edinburgh Festival with visitors incorporating a tour further North.

The new 12 month booking horizon also allows for the first time, practically-speaking, tour operators to include a sleeper journey in a larger itinerary. While this may be good for overall demand, in the short to medium term it's not unmitigated good news on the basis that there are no more carriages available and the existing ones are dropping to bits by the day.

My advice, if you can afford to tie up funds, would be to book your four berths now, with the railcard discount, to protect your position at £82.50 per person, and check back for better deals closer to the time. If you don't, I would not be surprised to see the service that you need to be on go full before you get to 12 weeks out.

travelmad478

Yes, I noticed that. It may be a bit of a production to come up with a UK address that the railcards go to--I have three friends in the UK who could fulfill this role, and I'll be seeing at least one of them before I take this train journey, but it will still be something of a feat of organization to get the railcards to end up in my hands.

Thanks, this is good advice and I think I will take it. I didn't realize that the fares were so easily refundable. One question: if I already have a booking, and I'd rather not cancel it before making a second one to get a cheaper fare, is that allowed? (On Amtrak in the US, it's not--you can't have two reservations for the same person on the same itinerary.)

Gagravarr

Isn't there a £10 admin fee on refunding non-advanced-purchase tickets?

They announced back in February that they're buying 4 new 16 coach sleeper trains + spares from CAF, due for delivery in 2018 all being well. So, the old ones shouldn't be around too much longer!

big_mac

You can buy it in person at the station.
http://www.twotogether-railcard.co.u.../where-to-buy/

As mentioned, you will pay £10 per ticket for doing this. It seems that they are only refundable up to noon the day before travel, and you have to get the tickets to them (probably by post) by that time.
There is no mention at all of 'print at home' tickets in their terms and conditions.
Yes.