Public transport & cycling

Got a question about finding the best value way to travel in the UK? This board covers buses, coaches, trains, ferries, cycling and more.

Sutton - avoiding driving on the M25
Hey everyone I've started a new job which involves travelling to the office once a month on a Monday to Sutton, London. The first time I went I drove to Stanmore, tube to Victoria and then a train to Sutton. I am wondering if there is another more efficient way of getting there - maybe a train station I can drive to then…
Tube discussion/ticket validity Oyster/contactless
I have sometimes heard announcements on the tube where there is a significant delay/disruption that "your ticket will be valid on local buses or alternative routes". I can see how this works for a single paper ticket, but clearly this does not work by default for oyster/contactless for bus alternative after a broken tube…
Flixbus or Megabus?
I'm travelling from Manchester to Bristol in a few weeks. Trains are over £100 (even with split tickets), Megabus is £40, and Flixbus is £25. I'd much rather go on the train but at these prices the coach is more tempting. I've used Megabus before, but not Flixbus. Is Flixbus any good?
Cheap train tickets using The Trainline.com
I don't know if this works on other journeys but it a train from Adlington (Lancs) to Salford Crescent costs £7.60 on trainline.com. A ticket from Adlington (Lancs) to Deansgate, which is one stop further, is £3.60, over a 50% saving. I presume there are popularity algorithyms at work. I presume getting off early isn't…
Rail fares in England to rise by less than 9% in 2024 – here's what we know
Rail fares in England WON'T go up by 9% next year, the Government has announced. While the new fares are yet to be confirmed, any increase would come into force in March 2024. Read the full story: Rail fares in England to rise by less than 9% in 2024 – here's what we know If you haven't already, join the forum to reply.
Processing fee for Delay Repay
West Midlands Trains seem to charge a processing fee for any Delay Repay. Is this actually legal? I would not get my 25% back if it is.
Arriva charged my account via NFC even though I presented a return ticket
I took a bus journey last Wednesday and paid for a return ticket. I paid using google pay NFC. Upon my return journey, I scanned my return ticket. The next day I noticed two charges appeared on my account. one for the return ticket I bought and then another for slightly less. I have contacted my bank and they told me the…
Stagecoach Industrial Action
Hi, Please can I ask for any advice on is it possible to claim back my unused travel pass during the Stagecoach Manchesters Industrial Action on the 11, 12, 13, 14 August. I pay via direct debit for a monthly pass. Thank you in advance for any help.
TfL plans to stop the paper One Day all zones Travelcard (and Travelcard add-ons to rail tickets)
https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/travelcards for the consultation I would suggest you provide an opinion to keep the travelcard (for what it is worth) Paper travelcards are something of a niche product these days. The concept is a paper ticket, available on the day, covering zones 1-4 (anytime pricing) or 1-6 (peak and…
TFL hopper fare
So you I know the unlimited travel with an hour, but does it apply twice in a day. So I make a hopper journey to destination then few hours later same route back. So would that be two fares(with four buses) or does it stop after first time and just reach the daily ca, because technically it should cost me price of two…
How soon do train companies have to announce any engineering works over New Year?
I'd like to book a short New year trip/package in the UK but I don't drive (and wouldn't drive long distances even if I could). I much prefer train travel and have a senior railcard but don't want to risk choosing a destination only to find that I can't get there and so lose money on my booking.
How to cut costs of weekly trains between Manchester and London
I'm a newbie to this and was wondering whether anyone had any tips to keep the cost down of a weekly trip between Manchester and London, leaving about 9am Monday morning and returning late Tuesday evening on Avanti trains. It's a non-negotiable (trust me, we've tried) commute for work until a new job has been found, so it…
Rail strikes trainline booking
I have recently had the unfortunate experience of dealing with the trainline customer service people. Booked tickets for 11 of us to go to Manchester. Had to use 2 bookings as you can only book a limited amount of seats in one booking. Paid £1.99 fee per booking. Trains are on strike so I assumed we would get a full…
Heated body-warmer or jacket.
Help please. My D.H is a postie. He reaps the benefits of working outside in Spring,Summer and most Autumn. However come Winter once cold it’s difficult to warm up . Can anyone recommend a lightweight heated body-warmer or jacket please?. Preferably under £30. Thank you in anticipation.
Train delays – official MSE guide discussion
Hello there, After eight years of active service, the original Train delays thread is now closed, so I've created a new one here specifically to discuss the following guide:Train delays If you've used the guide, how did you find it? Was it useful in getting your money back? And do you have any tips you'd add? Let me know…
Asked to see train ticket but had only been to the Platform not on a train.
This happened to me a while back but have thought about it recently. Where I live is a busy main station to other areas of the country but it doesn't have ticket barriers. Last year I accompanied my student daughter to the platform as she was returning to her digs in Edinburgh and I helped her with bags, then waved her…
Summary of Train and Tube strikes July 2023
I needed to create a summary for some travel planning I was doing, thought it would be useful to share --happy to take corrections, have used several news sources which give inconsistent answers and there isn't an official TfL list for tube strikes that I can find (some operators have posted rail strike days to their…
unfair train penalty
Can someone advise me of where do I go from here. Long story short- I travelled to airport for a funeral. We boarded the train, phone died as we left in such a rush and when approached at the gate- of course I didn't have tickets. I wasn't worried as I put the appeal against with proof of purchase through Paypal( receipt)…
My son needs a season ticket. Falkirk - Edinburgh
My 18yr old son has just secured his first job. He needs to travel from Falkirk to Edinburgh for the next 4yrs. Has anyone had any experience with season tickets? The advice on here seems to be season tickets down south not Scotland. My next-door neighbour thinks if he has a Santander account he'll get a discount. Advice…
Boundary of zone 6 border on route from London Waterloo to Bournemouth
I need to buy an advance train ticket from the boundary of zone 6 to Bournemouth as I have an Oyster 60+ card. Can anyone tell me from which station the ticket should be? I can't specify 'boundary of zone 6' when I buy online. thanks

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EDF Energy to cut bills for some by £30 this winter – Martin Lewis welcomes move but says 'it's not a game-changer'
EDF Energy will cut bills by £30 for some 260,000 of its customers who get the Government's Warm Home Discount this winter.
Martin and MSE among organisations calling for energy social tariff as millions expected to struggle with bills this winter
The Government must urgently introduce an energy social tariff to prevent millions of households from falling into fuel poverty this winter, consumer organisations including MoneySavingExpert have said.
Train strike refund rights as Northern, Southeastern, Thameslink and more set for week of disruption
Rail users in England, Scotland and Wales face disruption over the coming week as workers across multiple train operators, including Northern, Southeastern, Thameslink and more, take strike action and refuse to work overtime.
Mortgage rates fall as Bank of England unexpectedly holds UK rates – so should you fix?
Interest rates on fixed mortgage deals have been edging down over the past few weeks with some five and 10-year fixes now at below 5%. Mortgage experts have told MoneySavingExpert.com that further cuts are possible in the short-term after the base rate was held at 5.25% this month, following 14 consecutive rises.
Water bills to rise by less than planned from April 2024 as firms hit with £114 million penalty – here's what we know
Some water bills in England and Wales could rise by less than planned from April 2024, as 12 water companies have been hit with a collective £114 million penalty for missing targets on pollution, leaks and customer service.
Octopus Tracker energy tariff – could it save you £100s on your energy bills?
The Octopus Tracker tariff is not right for everyone, but if you're willing to regularly keep track of daily price changes, it could mean big savings.
Ocado shopper? Christmas delivery slots are launching this week – here's what we know
Ocado is opening up its first round of Christmas delivery slots this week.
Last chance: Stock up on standard first-class stamps before prices rise by 14% next week
You've got just days left to stock up on first-class stamps before prices rise by 14%. From 2 October, the cost of a first-class stamp will be hiked to £1.25 – but if you buy stamps at their current price this week, you'll still be able to use them later.
'Unfair' standing charges need to go: MPs back Martin's and MSE's calls for energy bill overhaul
Energy standing charges unfairly penalise households on lower incomes and those looking to cut their usage, a cross-party group of MPs have said in a new report published today.

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