Train Novice needs help, please!

[DrivesLikeMario]

Purchased through southwest site. I did not get megabus/train as I want to get an early start.

 

 

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Okay, then that must be what I'll get too. Thanks for the help!

[Cotswold Eagle]

Megabus operates on a very limited number of train routes. As one of them is Southampton, the service gets mentioned frequently on this board, which might give a false impression of availability generally.

 

As you have discovered, the Dover route is not one of them. The next cheapest tickets will be 'Advance' fares, available from Southeastern 12 weeks before travel, so do not book until then. Advance fare tickets are limited and may not be available on the particular train you want - they are only valid on the specific train time shown on the tickets - but they can offer great savings.

 

You can collect your tickets at anytime from shortly after booking to immediately before travel. If you are in London for any time, you could go to St Pancras and collect your ticket, while becoming familiar with the layout, before the day of travel. This will avoid stress and queuing on the day! St Pancras is a very large station, with numerous ticket machines on the concourse.

 

 

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[Bob++]

St Pancras http://stpancras.com/ has been beautifully restored and is a tourist attraction in it own right. A visit before departure day would be time well spent.

 

This will give you the idea:

Edited March 8, 2017 by Bob++

[Globaliser]

How do I get my ticket 3 months later when I'm at the train station? Do I just go to a ticket machine and swipe my credit card that I used to make the booking?

The train company booking pages are usually pretty explicit about what you need to do. From memory, I think that the Fasticket collection process requires only the booking reference plus a credit card in your name for ID verification and not necessarily the card you booked with. At stations, many ticket machines can print pre-purchased tickets that are being collected - they should be clearly marked.

 

I don't pre-purchase train tickets very often, but I'm pretty sure that at least some train companies offer print at home tickets. If you can get one of these, then you wouldn't even need to worry about remembering to collect at the station, or how to do so.

 

Another thing to remember is that so far as normal tickets are concerned, you often don't have use the actual train operating company's website to book them. Most train operating companies will sell most tickets of most other train operating companies, and it's possible that this may give you a wider choice of ticket collection options - worth having a poke around.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I have looked all over the SE trains website and it is NOT explicit, hence my questions here. I've spent a lot of time looking through their FAQs and even have emailed them (no response). You cannot "print at home" or that would be my first choice. You can have the tickets mailed if you live in the UK, which I do not. I've tried other websites like Megabus, which doesn't apply to my route but will look around for other options like maybe National Rail. Thanks.

[h3rjp]

The ticket reservation system is national so with the (odd exception of vert few ticket machines) you can pick up any ticket, booked with any operator from any machine.

 

As far as I am aware the credit card needs to be the one you paid with - I've never tried it any other way.

 

At any national rail station (not underground) you will see a range of serif services machines. Some will be marked "collect" but the reality is that any machine will print your ticket - so don't panic if the station you pick from doesn't have machines marked "collect".

 

Very simple touch screen, just choose "collect tickets" type in your reservation number, pop your card in and tickets will print.

 

Very large stations like st Pancras will have lots of machines. There will normally be some form of information booth and station staff around. They will be happy to help if you get stuck!

 

 

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[DrivesLikeMario]

The ticket reservation system is national so with the (odd exception of vert few ticket machines) you can pick up any ticket, booked with any operator from any machine.

 

As far as I am aware the credit card needs to be the one you paid with - I've never tried it any other way.

 

At any national rail station (not underground) you will see a range of serif services machines. Some will be marked "collect" but the reality is that any machine will print your ticket - so don't panic if the station you pick from doesn't have machines marked "collect".

 

Very simple touch screen, just choose "collect tickets" type in your reservation number, pop your card in and tickets will print.

 

Very large stations like st Pancras will have lots of machines. There will normally be some form of information booth and station staff around. They will be happy to help if you get stuck!

 

 

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Thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. The National Rail site just sent me right back to the SE website so thank you! Just didn't want to have to figure it out while toting two heavy bags around on my own. Thanks again!

[Alaskanb]

I find the biggest challenge on UK train travel is sorting out luggage. I find it helpful to locate a map of the train to get an idea of luggage storage locations.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I find the biggest challenge on UK train travel is sorting out luggage. I find it helpful to locate a map of the train to get an idea of luggage storage locations.

 

Where did you find that? I've looked all over, Goggled and can't find one. It's the Class 395 Javelin. I'd like to be in the same car as the restroom and I have luggage to store too. A map would help.

[Alaskanb]

Where did you find that? I've looked all over, Goggled and can't find one. It's the Class 395 Javelin. I'd like to be in the same car as the restroom and I have luggage to store too. A map would help.

This is the best that I can find; other sites mention toilets in each carriage and others just one on the train. They are commuter trains. https://loco2.com/trains/javelin

Edited March 9, 2017 by Alaskanb

[DrivesLikeMario]

This is the best that I can find; other sites mention toilets in each carriage and others just one on the train. They are commuter trains. https://loco2.com/trains/javelin

 

Thanks, Alaskanb. I'm pretty sure there's just one toilet for the entire 6-car train from what I've seen on YouTube. There are quite a few videos on this train and others there. According to one diagram I saw, there's a luggage area across from the toilet but I'm not positive on this. I have a feeling I'm just going to have to shove my bags into any place I can. At least it doesn't look like these trains are crowded on weekends at all. Thanks again!