that sounds like the group booking discount we got last week to go to london for the day, were not far from brum, it worked out less than the family discount card i had bought for the year to reduce prices , what a waste of money that was lol

It sounds like the Groupsave offer available all over the old BR Network Southeast area, Chiltern were derived from an NSE division as were London Midland who also serve Birmingham.

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/groupsave.aspx

The prices for the kids were £3 each return! Their tube fare alone would have been £4 (without an Oyster card)

It costs more than £3 to get a bus into the middle of Brum and back!

Adults were £22 each.

Good bargain Hi-De-Hi !

I've found my local Station travel centre very helpful too.

But if you're not near one, then I've been recommended to National Express website
http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/
I've just bought a single from Southampton to Birmingham, including tube link, for £15.50
(It is cheaper going via London than direct, but takes longer and with more hassle of course)
And if you need to ring the call centre, it is based in UK.

group offer we got was £1 return per child including the underground ,think the adults were about £16 return inc underground , which i thought was a bargain, again it was anytime after 9.15 am

ellie-meg, your offer is probably the one I gave the link to but you need at least 3 adults before you get the value of the £1 child add ons and then you can only take 4 at that price.

acorncup - your fare is a nationally quote one not specific to NXEC, if you fight your way through the cumbersome enquiry process at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk it will eventually give you links to 17 rail companies (and 2 outsiders who charge a fee) who will sell you that ticket. Although given NXECs financial position they may be glad of the commission!!

Mods -I've just realised this thread is running under "General Holiday..." - wouldn't it be better under "UK"?

Agreed - moved to UK section.

Mark

Well the trip went well. The trains were on time and quick. The tube was fine if a little crowded.

We were taking part in a science exhibition at the Houses of Parliament. The kids (all 14 years old) took the whole thing in their stride as they chatted over canapes and fruit juice with a procession of Cabinet Ministers, MPs and Peers. It was the teachers that were gob smacked by it all!

I'm glad it worked out. It was good that someone pointed out the alternative route. Apart from the price there is also the ongoing problem of reliablity on the West Coast route, not to mention the annoying habit of the trains turning into buses as the weekends!

And anyone living in north east of Birmingham don't forget that there are 4 direct (and quite high quality) services a day from Tame Bridge to Marylebone that break the Virgin stranglehold.