breaking return train journey

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How many days can I break for on a return journey? - Train Travel Forum

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I shall be returning from Carlisle to London and need to break my journey at Crewe for a week. How can I find out the validity code before I buy the tickets?

Ask the railway. Whether you can break your journey at all depends on which type of ticket you have.

I doubt there is any ticket that would be better value than two separate ones. Many single journey tickets are valid only for 1 day.

ticket validity codes are listed at http://www.brfares.com

An off peak return would likely be cheaper than off peak singles, but not more than the cheapest one way Advance tickets.

However, you would need three tickets if you were going down the one way path. A single form London to Carlisle, a single Carlisle to Crewe, and another from Crewe to London.

It would probably be cheaper for you to treat the entire journey as three separate trips and buy an Advance ticket for each.

Yes, that is probably true. The only way to be certain is to check the actual prices on your dates.

All very confusing. So can I stop off for a couple of nights in Glasgow on my way to Mallaig using an off-peak return ticket?

I could be wrong, but I suspect that would only be possible on the way back.

This will depend on the type of ticket

You can do a dummy booking and check what conditions attach to the particular ticket chosen

I can't recall ever seeing an off peak return which allows break of journey on the outward portion, but some may allow it, depending on the restriction code.

Unfortunately the rail companies make this information impossible to find.

For anytime returns you can definitely break your journey

For off peak returns you probably cant break your outward journey but may be able to break your return leg

For advance tickets no break is possible.

You will need to ask direcy for your specific journey and ticket, expect conflicting answers as many of the staff also dont understand the rules.

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• Tickets and Travel

What is an Open Return ticket?

Open Return tickets allow you to be flexible on the train you decide to travel back on. There are two different ways to buy Open Return tickets.

• If you started your search by selecting Return journey you'll be asked to choose which train you want to return on, even if the ticket you select is an Open Return ticket.
• If you started your search by selecting Open Return then the same ticket will be offered, but you don't need to select the train you want to return on.

The main benefit of booking a Return, instead of an Open Return is the option of reserving a seat. If you'd like to reserve a seat, search for a Return ticket, if you're not fussed about seat reservations and aren't sure when you're returning, pick an Open Return.

Here are the different types of Open Return tickets available –

Anytime Return - the outward portions of Anytime Returns are valid for five days, including the date on the ticket. You must return within one calendar month of the outward travel date specified. For example, if you bought an Anytime Return for 1st Feb you could wait 'til 5th Feb to make your outward journey.

Anytime Day Return - your outbound and return travel can be on any train on the date specified. For example, if you bought an Anytime Day Return for 1st Feb you would have to take your outward and return journey on 1st Feb.   

Off-Peak Return - your outward journey must be on Off-Peak trains on the date specified, and you must return on Off-Peak trains within one calendar month.

Off-Peak Day Return - your outbound and return journey can be on any Off-Peak train on the date specified.   

Super Off-Peak Return - you can return on any Super Off-Peak train within one calendar month.

If you’re unsure about when you can travel, our  Train Times page clearly highlights whether a train is Peak, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak. 

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• Ticket types and prices

What is an Open Return ticket?

Open Return tickets allow you to be flexible on the train you decide to travel back on. There are two different ways to buy Open Return tickets.

• If you started your search by selecting Return journey you'll be asked to choose which train you want to return on, even if the ticket you select is an Open Return ticket.
• If you started your search by selecting Open Return then the same ticket will be offered, but you don't need to select the train you want to return on.

The main benefit of booking a Return, instead of an Open Return is the option of reserving a seat. If you'd like to reserve a seat, search for a Return ticket, if you're not fussed about seat reservations and aren't sure when you're returning, pick an Open Return.

Here are the different types of Open Return tickets available –

Anytime Return - the outward portions of Anytime Returns are valid for five days, including the date on the ticket. You must return within one calendar month of the outward travel date specified. For example, if you bought an Anytime Return for 1st Feb you could wait 'til 5th Feb to make your outward journey.

Anytime Day Return - your outbound and return travel can be on any train on the date specified. For example, if you bought an Anytime Day Return for 1st Feb you would have to take your outward and return journey on 1st Feb.   

Off-Peak Return - your outward journey must be on Off-Peak trains on the date specified, and you must return on Off-Peak trains within one calendar month.

Off-Peak Day Return - your outbound and return journey can be on any Off-Peak train on the date specified.   

Super Off-Peak Return - you can return on any Super Off-Peak train within one calendar month.

If you’re unsure about when you can travel, our Train Times page clearly highlights whether a train is Peak, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak. 

Please note: Your ticket may be valid on specified operators only.

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What is a break of journey.

Did you know that with many tickets in Great Britain, it’s possible to use one ticket and break up your journey as you wish? Let’s take a look at break of journey, what it means and when you can do it.

In a railway sense, a break of journey is when you interrupt your trip part-way through. For example, if you’re travelling from London to Birmingham, then choose to get off in Coventry and visit some friends for a couple of hours, then this is a break of journey.

If you’re just changing trains or using the facilities at the station, then this isn’t a break of journey. For example, you might have 30 minutes between trains and choose to visit a shop on the station concourse.

How long can a break of journey last for?

You can break your journey for as long as your ticket is valid. For example, if you have a day return , you’d need to complete your journey by 04:30 the next morning.

If you have an Off-Peak Return , then you need to complete your outward journey on the same day. You can break your journey on the way back as many times as you like within one month, so long as you don’t ‘double back’ and keep travelling in the same direction. There’s no requirement to complete your journey on the same day.

An Anytime Return has similar rules, but you can use the outward part of your ticket for five days. An Anytime Single is valid for two days.

Finally, if you can’t reasonably complete your journey within the validity of the ticket, and need to stop overnight, you can do this. However, you need to complete your journey the following day, with no further breaks allowed, other than to change trains.

Which tickets allow a break of journey?

Most flexible tickets allow you to break your journey. This includes all tickets marked as ‘ Anytime ‘. When it comes to tickets that are either Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak , it can vary. You can always break your return journey, but some tickets don’t allow you to do this on your outward journey.

You can find this out by checking which restriction code your ticket has. You’ll find this at the bottom of your ticket if it’s an eTicket:

When you follow the link , it’ll tell you what the restriction code means. If it does not mention breaking your journey, then there aren’t any restrictions.

If there is a restriction, you’ll find it in the notes section, such as here for code 3A :

Can I break my journey with an Advance ticket?

Breaking your journey isn’t possible with an Advance ticket. This is because you need to stick to the trains you’ve booked, and complete the journey in one go.

Remember, changing trains and using the facilities at the station doesn’t count as breaking your journey. If you have a long connection and want to be let through the ticket gates to pop to a shop in the station, you should be allowed to do this.

What if a member of staff writes the date on my ticket?

If you have a paper ticket, staff might mark the date on it. This usually happens if you have a return ticket where the return part is valid for a month. This doesn’t affect how long the ticket is valid for and doesn’t mean that you have to complete your entire journey on that day.

Any markings on the ticket do not change how long it’s valid for.

Is there anything else I should know?

The final thing that we’d recommend doing is booking your rail tickets with Railsmartr . We believe in keeping things simple and making rail travel easy to understand and accessible. Whether you want to know about cheap train tickets or the best First Class trains , we’ve got you covered.

We don’t charge any fees either. No booking fees, and no extra fees if you need to change your plans. Why pay more?

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How long can you break a journey?

• Thread starter dyss
• Start date 21 Jan 2016
• 21 Jan 2016

I am moving to Bristol and will be travelling to Hastings fairly often via London. Ideally I would like to stop off in London to see friends for a day or two on the outward and/or return journey. From some research into the train fares it seems consistently cheaper to get a return ticket all the way from Bristol to Hastings than two separate return tickets for the Bristol>London / London>Hastings portions of the journey. With a ticket for the whole journey, how long can I break the journey before the ticket becomes invalid? As far as I can tell this relates only to Off-Peak tickets as the rules are clear on Advance and Anytime tickets. Many thanks!  

RailUK Forums

Veteran Member

dyss said: With a ticket for the whole journey, how long can I break the journey before the ticket becomes invalid? Click to expand...

Forum Staff

It's better to break the return portion if possible, then you get up to a calendar month!  

Emeritus Moderator

najaB said: The answer's actually in the question - you can break your journey until the ticket becomes invalid. That is to say that the only requirement is that you complete the journey by the 'Valid until' date (though overnight BOJ on last day of validity rules apply). Click to expand...

Established Member

You can't break your journey at all on an Advance ticket  

IanD said: You can't break your journey at all on an Advance ticket Click to expand...

dyss said: ....the rules are clear on Advance and Anytime tickets..... Click to expand...

• 22 Jan 2016

yorkie said: Agreed. To add to what dyss said earlier..... it's clear you can not break your journey on an Advance and you can on an Anytime. For the benefit of anyone who isn't sure, breaking your journey doesn't mean changing trains; it means exiting a station except under certain circumstances (see Break of journey for details). The rules for the outward portion of Off Peak tickets are unclear as we need to know the origin and destination to be certain, but you generally can break your journey, and for any restriction to apply you must be told about it when you buy the ticket . Click to expand...

Journey £91.50 1 adult, 0 children OUT 07:38 (Fri 22 Jan) Lancaster to London Euston Direct RETURN Any valid train. Please check the ticket terms for validity Click to expand...

£91.50 1 Adult(s) Full Fare (£91.50 each) Travel is allowed via any permitted route. Flexible ticket only valid at specific off-peak times of the day. Click to expand...

Thanks for all those replies. I have done a bit more digging in the ticket buying process and seen this in Ticket Type T&Cs. Can anyone decipher this for me?? It seems to contradict itself... (bearing in mind this route goes through London so you technically have to break the journey anyway to get onto the underground. I just want to break it for longer than just to get from one national rail station to another!) Also what does the "Not applicable" mean at the end? That you can or can't break the return journey? Under "Conditions": If the route shown on the ticket has a + or † symbol then the ticket includes the cost of travelling between certain London Stations (e.g. between Liverpool Street and Paddington) by either London Underground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or Thameslink services as appropriate to the route of the journey being made. Tickets will only be accepted by London Underground and DLR up to the last day of validity of the ticket and until 04:29 the following day. Other than to change trains, a break of journey at intermediate London Underground or DLR stations is not permitted. Then a bit further on under "Break of Journey" Outward: A break of journey is permitted unless otherwise indicated by a restriction shown against the ticket's Restriction Code. Overnight break of journey - if the journey cannot be completed in this time, the ticket may be used to continue the journey on the following day. Unless otherwise indicated in the relevant restriction code, time restrictions applyas from the initial origin station on both days. The appropriaterestrictionsfor the actual day on which travel isbeing undertaken apply (for example, it may be that if day 1 is on Sunday, no restrictions apply, but on day 2, the Monday-Fridayrestrictions apply). All travel must be completed by 04:29 in the morning after this second day. Return: Not applicable. MANY THANKS!  

dyss said: Thanks for all those replies. I have done a bit more digging in the ticket buying process and seen this in Ticket Type T&Cs. Can anyone decipher this for me?? It seems to contradict itself... Click to expand...

dyss said: Also what does the "Not applicable" mean at the end? That you can or can't break the return journey? Click to expand...

MarlowDonkey

dyss said: I just want to break it for longer than just to get from one national rail station to another! Click to expand...

MarlowDonkey said: I think what they are saying is that you cannot use the National Rail Ticket as a Zone 1 Travelcard. Unless on the connections part of an Advance ticket and probably not even then, you could arrive Liverpool Street in the morning and leave Paddington in the afternoon, but any travel within London is at your own expense. You can travel from Liverpool Street to Paddington via Oxford Circus, but not leave the Underground at Oxford Circus to spend the day shopping. Click to expand...

dyss said: (bearing in mind this route goes through London so you technically have to break the journey anyway to get onto the underground. Click to expand...

dyss said: I just want to break it for longer than just to get from one national rail station to another!) Click to expand...

dyss said: Under "Conditions": If the route shown on the ticket has a + or † symbol then the ticket includes the cost of travelling between certain London Stations (e.g. between Liverpool Street and Paddington) by either London Underground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or Thameslink services as appropriate to the route of the journey being made. Tickets will only be accepted by London Underground and DLR up to the last day of validity of the ticket and until 04:29 the following day. Other than to change trains, a break of journey at intermediate London Underground or DLR stations is not permitted. Click to expand...

dyss said: Then a bit further on under "Break of Journey" Click to expand...

dyss said: Outward: A break of journey is permitted unless otherwise indicated by a restriction shown against the ticket's Restriction Code. Overnight break of journey - if the journey cannot be completed in this time, the ticket may be used to continue the journey on the following day. Unless otherwise indicated in the relevant restriction code, time restrictions applyas from the initial origin station on both days. The appropriaterestrictionsfor the actual day on which travel isbeing undertaken apply (for example, it may be that if day 1 is on Sunday, no restrictions apply, but on day 2, the Monday-Fridayrestrictions apply). All travel must be completed by 04:29 in the morning after this second day. Return: Not applicable. MANY THANKS! Click to expand...

Verified Rep - FastJP

It's worth noting that not all guards are aware of the validity of overnight (or longer) breaks of journey. They will often mark your ticket with a date, intending to show that the ticket's validity has ended on that date. This is, of course, nonsense. A guard marking a ticket with a date doesn't change the ticket's validity, it just means it was used for a section of the journey on that date. I queried this with a Northern guard in the summer (those who were on the Cumbrian coast train may remember), who was adament that the return portion of my Off-Peak 1R didn't allow an overnight stop. As it happened, I was going home the same day, so no issue, but I sent a "comment" to Northern about it anyway, pointing out that it was at odds with their web site (although I was comparing their Anytime Return text, so not strictly the same). Anyway, I got a nice letter in reply acknowledging that I could stop overnight if I wished, and one of their one-day rovers, which led to a good day out in the Autumn.  

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Anytime Train Tickets

Discover Anytime Train Tickets with Avanti West Coast. If you're spontaneous & can't be tied down to specific train, the Anytime ticket is perfect for you.

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What is an Anytime train ticket?

Our most flexible type of train ticket does exactly what it says on the tin: allows you to travel at any time. You can jump on any train on your route at any time, so there’s no need to worry about catching that early train. This type of ticket also allows you to break your journey at any station along the route so you can hop off and explore if you see somewhere you like the look off. Then just pick up where you left off when you’re ready! Anytime single tickets are valid for up to two days after purchase. Anytime return tickets are valid for up to five days after purchase for your outbound journey. The return portion of your ticket is valid for up to a month.

If you don’t like to be tied down to specific routes and times, the Anytime train ticket is for you. It’s:

Fully flexible

Available on all of our services

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How can I book an Anytime train ticket?

You can book your ticket online, through the Avanti app, or at the station in advance or even on the day of travel. Once you’ve booked your tickets, you can pick them up from one of our ticket machines, or you can download it straight to your phone as either an m-ticket or an e-ticket for no-fuss travel.

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There are no restrictions on our Anytime tickets so you can use them to travel at any time of the day. Hop on the first train of the day, or catch a later one after a long, leisurely brunch - the Anytime ticket is designed to fit in with your life. Remember, you can break up your journey when you have an Anytime ticket, making it the perfect choice for sightseeing, taking an overnight trip, or simply seeing where the day takes you.

When can I use an Anytime return train ticket?

You don’t need to use your Anytime ticket immediately after booking and you don’t need to specify dates when booking. Anytime return tickets are valid for up to five days after purchase for your outward journey, and the return part of your journey is valid for up to a month.

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Texas mother arrested after allegedly leaving young children alone to take a cruise

A Texas woman was arrested after allegedly leaving her children at home alone to take a cruise.

Lakesha Woods Williams, 29, left her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter by themselves in their Houston apartment to go on vacation on April 4, according to a criminal complaint.

She is charged with abandoning a child with intent to return.

Deputies with the Harris County Constable’s Office made a wellness check on Tuesday following a call for service. A witness told them that neighbors in the complex were concerned about the safety of two kids left on their own in one of the units. The witness said other residents had seen Williams leaving with bags and luggage and did not see her come back.

“The apartment was in complete disarray and had trash and left-over food all over the unit,” the document said. There was a “very potent smell of urine” inside as well.

“No adults were present supervising the juveniles, and none appeared to have been present since the Defendant’s departure,” the document continued. Deputies also found a camera in the apartment that Williams used to watch and talk to the kids during her trip, and her son had a phone he used to text her.

The document did not specify which cruise line Williams sailed with or where she went. “Deputies tried contacting the Defendant to make the scene, but she was not cooperating and was switching up her story on her whereabouts,” the document said.

The Houston Fire Department was called to ensure the children “were in good health and not malnourished,” and Child Protective Services reported to the scene before releasing the children to their aunt.

An attorney for Williams was not listed.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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U.S. issues travel warning for Israel with Iran attack believed to be imminent and fear Gaza war could spread

By Debora Patta , Tucker Reals

Updated on: April 13, 2024 / 12:38 PM EDT / CBS News

Tel Aviv  — Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize within just hours — the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital.

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that a major Iranian attack against Israel was expected as soon as Friday, possibly to include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country. Sources have told CBS News the retaliation could include attacks carried out both by Iranian forces, and proxy groups around the region that it has been funnelling additional arms to for weeks.  

The officials said it would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of that magnitude, and while they held out the possibility that the Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to be imminent. 

Asked Friday how imminent he believes an attack is, President Biden responded, "I don't want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later." The president urged Iran not to move forward, saying his message to Tehran was: "Don't."

Tehran has not indicated publicly how or when it will return fire, so it's unclear how far Iran's leaders will go. If they decide to carry out a direct attack on Israel, there's fear it could blow Israel's ongoing war against Iranian ally Hamas up into a much wider regional conflict.

With the Iranian retaliation expected at any time, the U.S. State Department on Thursday warned Americans in Israel not to travel outside major cities, which are better protected from incoming rocket fire by the country's Iron Dome missile defense system. The latest guidance noted that travel by U.S. government employees in Israel could be further restricted with little notice as things develop in the tinderbox region.

"Whoever harms us, we will harm them," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday as he visited troops at an Israel Defense Forces airbase. "We are prepared … both defensively and offensively."

On Saturday, all U.S. embassies in the Middle East were put on high alert and required to hold emergency action committee meetings. Diplomats in Lebanon and Israel were specifically told not to travel to certain areas within those countries.

Sima Shine, a security expert and former official with Israel's national intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News it was a dangerous moment for the region, and the "most worried" she has been. She said anxiety over an all-out war was likely just as high "on both sides, in Israel and in Iran."

If Iran does choose to strike Israel directly, it could involve a complex missile and drone attack similar to the one Iranian forces launched against a Saudi oil facility in 2019 .

"They will try to do it on the military or some military asset," Shine predicted. "But the question will be the damage. If there would be many injured people, killed or injured … I think it has the potential for a huge escalation."

Shine stressed, however, that she still believes neither side actually wants a regional conflict.

U.S. "really trying to avoid war"

The U.S. sent a senior general to Israel this week to coordinate with the close American ally on any response it might make to an Iranian attack. Speaking Friday on "CBS Mornings," America's top military officer said, "we're really trying to avoid war."

"This is part of the dialogue that I have with my counterparts within the region, to include the Israeli chief of defense, who I talked to yesterday," said Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., adding that the U.S. military was "doing things not only to prevent a war, but at the same time, one of my primary things is to make sure all the forces in the region are protected."

"My role, as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is to plan and prepare," Brown said. "That's one thing we do very well."

Brown's Israeli counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, "completed a comprehensive situational assessment on the readiness of the IDF for all scenarios," Israel's military said Friday. 

"The IDF is very strongly prepared, both offensively and defensively, against any threat," Halevi was quoted as saying in the statement. "The IDF continues to monitor closely what is happening in Iran and different arenas, constantly preparing to deal with existing and potential threats in coordination with the United States Armed Forces." 

The IDF said the visiting U.S. general, Central Command chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, was taking part in the IDF's situational assessment.

The dilemma for Iran, said Israeli expert Shine, is to figure out how to deliver its promised response to Israel's attack in Syria, but in a way that does not lead to further escalation. Likewise, Shine said Israel could choose to show restraint when it responds to whatever Iran eventually does.

If either side gets the balance wrong, the consequences for the region, and even the world, could be dire.

Weijia Jiang, David Martin, Margaret Brennan and Olivia Gazis contributed reporting.

• Middle East
• Benjamin Neta​nyahu

Debora Patta is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in Johannesburg. Since joining CBS News in 2013, she has reported on major stories across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Edward R. Murrow and Scripps Howard awards are among the many accolades Patta has received for her work.

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