Can I get on an earlier train than booked?
Advance train tickets are for a specific train only. Traveling on an earlier service isn't usually permitted. If you do board an earlier train, you risk penalty fares. Confirm with station staff before changing your travel plans.
Can I change my train to an earlier one?
Advance tickets lock you to a specific train. No easy swapping to an earlier one.
Tried this once. Needed to get to London earlier than planned. My Advance ticket was for the 11:30am from Bristol Temple Meads (14th July).
Ended up buying a whole new ticket. The ticket guy said I’d have to pay a fee if I boarded the 10:00am. Cost me like £35 extra.
Annoying, right? Stuck with the later train. Learned my lesson. Check with staff before just hopping on.
They might hit you with extra charges. So, Advance tickets: fixed time, fixed train. No early bird discounts, sadly.
What is the fine for getting on an earlier train?
Ugh. This happened to me. Manchester Piccadilly. 2023. Rushing to London. Booked 10:00 train. Saw the 9:30 pulling in. Same destination. Jumped on. First class ticket. Thought, sweet, extra time to work. Nope. Conductor. Blah blah blah. Your ticket isn’t valid. £120 fine. Infuriating. Actually argued. Pointless. Paid it. Still fuming. Lesson learned, I guess. Check the train number. Every. Single. Time. Ugh.
- Manchester Piccadilly Station
- 2023 incident
- £120 fine
- First class ticket did not matter
- 9:30 train instead of booked 10:00 train
- Journey to London
- Argued with conductor. Lost.
- Check train number!
What happens if I get an earlier train than booked?
Ugh, this happened to me. Stuck in Reading. Freezing. February 2023. My train to London Paddington was delayed. Saw an earlier train. Same destination. Jumped on it. Ticket inspector. Off-peak ticket. No problem. Phew.
- Off-peak: Go for it, usually. Unless it specifically says not to. Which some do. Check small print.
- Advance: Nope. Stuck with that specific train. Learned that the hard way once. Lost money. Annoying.
- Anytime: Obviously fine. Anytime means anytime, right?
My friend, Sarah, though. Different story. Advance from Bristol to York. Missed her train. Bought a new ticket. Expensive.
- Check ticket restrictions. Seriously. Saves hassle.
- Download the train app. Easier to check. And change tickets sometimes. Trainline. The one I use.
So yeah. Reading. Freezing. Got lucky. Not always that way. Check your ticket. Learn from my near-disaster.
Can I change my Shinkansen time?
Ticket changeable. App, station. Unboarded only. Common occurrence. SmartEX, an option. Reddit threads… noise. Time, a human construct. JapanLife, JapanTravelTips… digital whispers. Reserved seat, lost seat. Last-minute… like life. Change inevitable. My Kyoto trip, 2023, platform change. Sudden. Unplanned. Still arrived. Destinations fixed. Journeys fluid.
- Change ticket: Via app or station.
- Condition: Original train missed.
- SmartEX app: Potential solution.
- Reddit: Information overload. Seek, filter. Trust little.
- 2023: Kyoto. Unexpected platform change. Journey altered. Destination reached.
My Shikoku pilgrimage, Spring 2024. Delays. Adapt. Life’s rhythm. Unbothered.
- Shikoku, 2024: Delays accepted. Journey continues.
- Adaptability: Key. Trains. Life. Both.
- Destinations: Illusions. The journey… that’s it. That’s all.
Can I take earlier Shinkansen?
Shinkansen… earlier one… yeah, can do. Just change it. Before you get on the original one, obvs. My trip last year, Kyoto to Hakone… changed three times! Hakone… amazing onsen. Sulphur smell… strong. Worth it though. Views of Mount Fuji. Incredible. Flexible tickets are the best. Expensive but best. Gotta remember that for next time. Tokyo… Shinjuku station… so massive. Easy to get lost. Should book a trip soon. Maybe next month? Kyoto again? Or… Hokkaido? Sapporo Snow Festival. February, right? Need to check dates. Shinkansen, so fast. Tokyo to Kyoto… like two hours? Crazy. Check that too.
- Flexible ticket = change whenever.
- Hakone onsen = amazing.
- Shinjuku Station = huge.
- Sapporo Snow Festival = February.
Ugh, phone battery low. Need charger.
What if you miss your Shinkansen time?
Okay, so 2023, July. I was so late for my Shinkansen from Kyoto to Osaka. Missed it completely. Gutted. My carefully planned itinerary, ruined. I had a reserved seat, stupid me. Panicked. Seriously stressed. My heart hammered. Luckily, I had a JR Pass. Didn’t lose my cool entirely, though. I went to the JR information booth, head down, mumbling apologies.
The lady there was very helpful. She said, “No problem, sir.” She just rerouted me to the next Shinkansen. No extra charge. Not even a lecture. Just a new ticket. Phew.
Now, this was a huge relief. The whole experience was a lesson, though. Next time, I’m leaving earlier. No question. I’ll set multiple alarms. Alarm clock? Phone alarm? Wake-up call from the hotel? Yep, triple alarms. Overkill? Maybe. But not missing my Shinkansen again. Never. Never, ever.
- Missed Shinkansen: July 2023, Kyoto to Osaka.
- JR Pass saved the day: No extra charges for missing the reserved seat.
- Lesson learned: Leave extra early for the Shinkansen.
- Future strategy: Multiple alarms to avoid repeating the mistake.
- Specifics: Reserved seat ticket, JR Pass.
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