I am going to Cornwall for 2 weeks in August, spending one week near
Truro and the second week near Looe. I am going to buy a return saver
ticket for myself and family from London to Truro. I understand that a
break of journey is allowed on the way back so can I use the return
ticket for both Truro to Liskeard and then, a week later, from
Liskeard to Paddington? 

While I think of it, can someone also tell me if seat reservations are
compulsory/necessary on Saturday services to the West Country? We want
to go in a FGW "quiet" coach (possibly on the 10.00 a.m from
Paddington) but don't want to turn up and find standing room only!

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Alan F.

Alan F wrote:


> I am going to Cornwall for 2 weeks in August, spending one week near
> Truro and the second week near Looe. I am going to buy a return saver
> ticket for myself and family from London to Truro. I understand that a
> break of journey is allowed on the way back so can I use the return
> ticket for both Truro to Liskeard and then, a week later, from
> Liskeard to Paddington? 


Yes, that's quite correct.


> 
> While I think of it, can someone also tell me if seat reservations are
> compulsory/necessary on Saturday services to the West Country? We want
> to go in a FGW "quiet" coach (possibly on the 10.00 a.m from
> Paddington) but don't want to turn up and find standing room only!
> 


Very defintely you should reserve seats, even it is not compulsory. 
However, you may find that you cannot actually specify the "quiet" coach.

No doubt someone with more FGW experience will be able to tell
us.

Charlie

"Charlie Hulme"  wrote in message 
news:1GCye.7331$bh1.4313@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...

> Alan F wrote:
>
>> I am going to Cornwall for 2 weeks in August, spending one week near
>> Truro and the second week near Looe. I am going to buy a return saver
>> ticket for myself and family from London to Truro. I understand that a
>> break of journey is allowed on the way back so can I use the return
>> ticket for both Truro to Liskeard and then, a week later, from
>> Liskeard to Paddington?
>
> Yes, that's quite correct.
>
>>
>> While I think of it, can someone also tell me if seat reservations are
>> compulsory/necessary on Saturday services to the West Country? We want
>> to go in a FGW "quiet" coach (possibly on the 10.00 a.m from
>> Paddington) but don't want to turn up and find standing room only!
>>
>
> Very defintely you should reserve seats, even it is not compulsory. 
> However, you may find that you cannot actually specify the "quiet" coach.


Not saying that you are wrong, but what's the point of having it
if you can't be sure to reserve seats in it?  Madness

tim

> 

On Tue, 5 Jul 2005, tim (moved to sweden) wrote:


> > Very defintely you should reserve seats, even it is not compulsory. 
> > However, you may find that you cannot actually specify the "quiet" coach.
> 
> Not saying that you are wrong, but what's the point of having it
> if you can't be sure to reserve seats in it? 


Because the system will be reserving seats in it for families with 
squalling brats, making it totally pointless.  Sit yourself somewhere 
else, where you'll have no grounds for complaining about the noise, and 
life gets less stressful.  In fact (speaking of travel with virgin WC or 
XC): in coach D (where I last sat) there was no problem: no squalling 
brats - just the occasional sound of a mobile phone ringing, or some 
computer game that was quickly turned down by its owner without being 
asked, whereas in the theoretically "quiet" coach (B) I've literally 
*never* experienced quiet, just permanent noise from start to finish.


> Madness


You might say that.

On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 23:22:22 +0100, "Alan J. Flavell"
 wrote:


>
>
>On Tue, 5 Jul 2005, tim (moved to sweden) wrote:
>
>> > Very defintely you should reserve seats, even it is not compulsory. 
>> > However, you may find that you cannot actually specify the "quiet" coach.
>> 
>> Not saying that you are wrong, but what's the point of having it
>> if you can't be sure to reserve seats in it? 
>
>Because the system will be reserving seats in it for families with 
>squalling brats, making it totally pointless.  Sit yourself somewhere 
>else, where you'll have no grounds for complaining about the noise, and 
>life gets less stressful.  In fact (speaking of travel with virgin WC or 
>XC): in coach D (where I last sat) there was no problem: no squalling 
>brats - just the occasional sound of a mobile phone ringing, or some 
>computer game that was quickly turned down by its owner without being 
>asked, whereas in the theoretically "quiet" coach (B) I've literally 
>*never* experienced quiet, just permanent noise from start to finish.


From previous experience of CRS (as opposed to NRS), you were more
likely to be offered a reservation in the *Family* Coach (Coach E) on a
weekend if you didn't specify a coach when making the reservation
request.

The Quiet Coach, however, is in Coach A in Standard and G in First
Class, and you *should* be able to request that if you buy through
Telesales, and definitely if you book at a station.

HTH,

Barry

-- 
Barry Salter, barry at southie dot me dot uk
Read uk.* newsgroups? Read uk.net.news.announce!

"Alan J. Flavell"  wrote in message 
news:Pine.WNT.4.63.0507052314230.1344@ZORIN...

>
>
> On Tue, 5 Jul 2005, tim (moved to sweden) wrote:
>
>> > Very defintely you should reserve seats, even it is not compulsory.
>> > However, you may find that you cannot actually specify the "quiet" 
>> > coach.
>>
>> Not saying that you are wrong, but what's the point of having it
>> if you can't be sure to reserve seats in it?
>
> Because the system will be reserving seats in it for families with
> squalling brats, making it totally pointless.


surely the tricking system should only reserve people in it
who ask for it.  Families with screaming brats are likely to
realise that they don't qualify, hopefully :-(

tim

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005, tim (moved to sweden) wrote:


> surely the tricking system should only reserve people in it
> who ask for it.


You might think that, but it isn't what happens.


> Families with screaming brats are likely to
> realise that they don't qualify, hopefully :-(


I'm afraid not.  A family with brats carefully selected an unreserved 
table on the rows next to me.  I asked the father whether he had 
deliberately selected the quiet coach.  He asked me what I meant.  I 
pointed to the clearly marked "Quiet coach" sign, and he read it, but 
they did not move. They spent a happy half hour loudly shouting at 
each other to "HUSH".

And within minutes the brats were screaming.

As I say, you have a better chance by sitting anywhere *except* the 
so-called "quiet" coach, in my experience of Virgin.

"Alan J. Flavell"  wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.62.0507061909280.24976@ppepc56.ph.gla.ac.uk...


> I'm afraid not.  A family with brats carefully selected an unreserved
> table on the rows next to me.  I asked the father whether he had
> deliberately selected the quiet coach.  He asked me what I meant.  I
> pointed to the clearly marked "Quiet coach" sign, and he read it, but
> they did not move. They spent a happy half hour loudly shouting at
> each other to "HUSH".
>
> And within minutes the brats were screaming.


But of course as they weren't using mobile phones that was fine :-)

Regards

Jonathan

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005, Barry Salter wrote:


> On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 23:22:22 +0100, "Alan J. Flavell"
>
> > whereas in the theoretically "quiet" coach (B) I've literally 
> >*never* experienced quiet, just permanent noise from start to finish.
> 
> From previous experience of CRS (as opposed to NRS), you were more
> likely to be offered a reservation in the *Family* Coach (Coach E) on a
> weekend if you didn't specify a coach when making the reservation
> request.
> 
> The Quiet Coach, however, is in Coach A in Standard and G in First
> Class, 


Apologies, the reference to coach B as the quiet coach is I think 
valid for Pendos, at least that was so in my experience so far; but 
not for Voyagers.

In the Pendos it is very clearly signposted, but totally ignored by 
those it is most targetted at, as I said.  So there seems little or no 
point in requesting it.

hope that helps