New ticket for extra long weekend breaks launched by Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway (GWR) has launched a new train ticket for customers to make the most of their summer with a longer weekend away.

The service’s new ‘Long Weekender’ train fare is for routes to and from the wider Bristol area and South Wales with more than 60 per cent of ticket savings and an extra day away for flexibility.

Maidenhead, Slough and Twyford customers can depart on a Friday or Saturday and return anytime on Monday while saving more than half the cost of a peak Anytime return.

GWR said Sundays have become busy for train services, with more people choosing to travel over the weekend, and changes in work patterns have seen commuter journeys fall compared with pre-pandemic levels.

The ‘Long Weekender’ is a cheaper return journey for those who no longer need to be in an office five days a week.

GWR Sales & Marketing Director Amanda Burns said: “Changing customer patterns have provided a clear opportunity for us to expand our leisure offers, particularly on a Monday.

“We’ve been working closely with destination management organisations like Visit Bristol, Visit Bath and Visit Cardiff to help promote the Long Weekender and they are really supportive of this ticket.

“This offers great savings if you’re heading for rest in the West, either staying at a hotel or B&B, or visiting friends and family. And if you need to catch up on those work emails on the way home on Monday, you can do so from the comfort of the train.”

The Long Weekender is available on routes to and from Reading including:

• Chippenham – £59 return
• Gloucester – £59 return
• Castle Cary – £69 return
• Westbury – £69 return
• Bath Spa – £69 return
• Bristol Temple Meads – £69 return (also includes Bristol Parkway)
• Hereford – £89 return
• Cardiff Central – £99 return
• Carmarthen – £109 return
• Swansea – £109 return
• Barnstaple – £109 return
• Exmouth – £109 return
• Exeter St Davids – £109 return

To book a Long Weekender ticket, search for return journeys starting or finishing at Maidenhead, Slough or Twyford with any of the above-listed stations.

If the search entry starts on a Friday or Saturday and returns on a Monday, the ‘Long Weekender’ fare will be available in the ‘Return tickets’ section on the results page.

The booking process will ask for an outbound and return train time but customers can travel on any service on the permitted travel days.

Visit https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/ways-to-save/long-weekender for more.