to take the last train on Christmas Eve?

[Stepawayfromthesink]

Basically we live a long distance from both of our families and to fit seeing both in we need to travel Bristol - Truro on Christmas Eve. To get an earlier train would be more awkward in terms of timing and costs about £70 more too, but the last train of the day works better for us and is cheaper. Am fine with it being packed, rowdy, total lack of seats and chaos etc but am I being ridiculous to consider travelling that late on Christmas Eve? Have never done it before - are we likely to have the train cancelled or a bus replacement or something?

ok unless its late or cancelled then what will you do.

If it's cancelled we'll have to go home and have Christmas on our own which we'd both be gutted about, as we wouldn't see one side of the family until quite a while after, which is why I'm wondering if it's worth risking - but I was trying to gauge how likely it is to be cancelled/have problems.

Do you have to book the specific train, or can you just book for any train on the day?

The latter would allow for snow/leaves/change of plan, so would be safer. If things looked bad, you could then try for an earlier train.

What time is the last train, I'd be happier to risk it at 4pm than 11pm somehow - less chance of the driver not showing up!

If it's cancelled do they just cancel it full stop do you know or would they have to put on bus replacement?

Unfortunately it's cheap because it's an Advance ticket so no using any other train, it'd be that one or none. It does leave at 3.59 funnily enough, to get there just after 8 - so maybe a bit safer than if it was later?

I think you'd probably be OK with that.

I wouldn't bet on them running rail replacement if anything happened, but loads of train companies run later, so you might me able to fudge your way across the network by other means if anything happened.

Even if you ended up 50 miles or so short of your destination, I'm sure someone would collect you from a random outlying station.

I've had the last two trains of the day cancelled on Christmas Eve. I definitely wouldn't chance it.

I've done trains later than that on Xmas Eve from Paddington to Truro and it's always been fine. It's not even that busy as most people have been on the earlier trains and it's mainly those who had had to work until the last minute on Xmas Eve who are stuck on the last train. If the train does get cancelled, then, given the time, you've actually got enough time to get down there some other way if you had to. If it snows, then your travel plans would be mucked up however you travelled and it won't just be you but hundreds of other people's plans who will have been cancelled.

I've been stood in Edinburgh whilst they cancelled all trains and I mange to get the last one. Thankfully I was able to borrow a car when I got there and go pick up poor stranded DH who was meant to be joining me from Edinburgh later in the day. Lots of very upset people on Christmas Eve! This was because of snow which Bristol is probably at less likelyhood of!

You run the risk of starring in a 'heartwarming christmas family drama comedy' stylee film... Before you know it you'll be hitchhiking across a snowy landscape to the sound of 'jingle bells'

I've quite often done the last train off Edinbugh down to the Cross on Christmas Eve, surprisingly civilised. Then on one occasion I cycled from there to Bromley, which was not.

If you have bought a ticket then they will get you there - by taxi if need be (not saying you won't be nicely asked whether you can go home and accept a refund!). Train companies are staffed by people who also spend Christmas with their families and understand you need to get home :)

If it's cancelled due to disruption then they'll resource a taxi/minibus. If it's a last-minute 'planned' cancellation then it'll be a bus.

I've never got the very last one but did leave it quite late last year going from Aberdeen to Edinburgh with son and his cat. We'd been visiting my brother who lives north of Aberdeen but weren't staying for Christmas. On the 23rd there was torrential flooding and no trains were running on the East Coast line between Aberdeen and Edinburgh. We were at my brother's then and were considering having to go north to Inverness and get the Inverness to Edinburgh train as that line was open.
They sorted it out by Christmas Eve. We had contingency plans for my brother to drive us to Dundee and OH to pick us up in Dundee.

I did it years back, from London to Windermere. It wasn't too busy and was actually quite fun, most people were in a festive mood and a few of us had a few drinks, it was like a party.

I travel on the train a lot for work (East Coast) and I haven't had a return journey where there hasn't been a problem in one direction of the other for about 18monhts.

I might just be monumentally unlucky but I am totally hacked off with the unreliability. There is no way in hell I would be travelling on the last train on Christmas Eve.

Yes, itsaboat I agre trains on Christmas Eve can be fun and usually not that crowded.

Most people will take the earlier trains. You should be fine.