Train Tickets Under £5

David333

I'm trying to book a train ticket for next month. I've spotted an advance purchase one which is £3.95 available on the National Express website (on the First Great Western website it's £11.80). Obviously I'd like to buy it as soon as possible but National Express are telling me on the website that I have to spend more than £5. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks!

Bogof_Babe

Do you not need a return ticket as well?

David333

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Do you not need a return ticket as well?

I'm only going one way... .

Bogof_Babe

Oh well in that case you're stuck, unless you can think of another journey you might wish to take, or anyone in the family or a friend needs one.

When I get an Advance day return from Southport to Chester it is £4.40 so I also buy a ticket (£3.20) to visit my mum another day. I don't think there is any way of avoiding the minimum spend for booking online.

David333

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Oh well in that case you're stuck, unless you can think of another journey you might wish to take, or anyone in the family or a friend needs one.

When I get an Advance day return from Southport to Chester it is £4.40 so I also buy a ticket (£3.20) to visit my mum another day. I don't think there is any way of avoiding the minimum spend for booking online.

Does that mean that those tickets are impossible to purchase...?

Bogof_Babe

Basically yes, unless you can make it up to the minimum spend. Someone on another thread was looking at buying a 60p child's ticket to somewhere or other, simply because it was the cheapest ticket in the whole system, not because he had any intention of using it.

If you search around for anything £1.05 or slightly over, you will still get your own ticket for a fiver, which is probably lots cheaper than the walk-on fare.

David333

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Basically yes, unless you can make it up to the minimum spend. Someone on another thread was looking at buying a 60p child's ticket to somewhere or other, simply because it was the cheapest ticket in the whole system, not because he had any intention of using it.

If you search around for anything £1.05 or slightly over, you will still get your own ticket for a fiver, which is probably lots cheaper than the walk-on fare.

I've booked another ticket which I may or may not need so I've got my cheap ticket and hopefully if I use the other one then I shall have saved much money. Thanks for your help. It's really frustrating that the tickets are offered but not actually available...!

Bogof_Babe

If it's any consolation I wasted an £11 ticket today, 'cos my husband had decided to drive up for the weekend, and I came home with him! It's the one drawback of buying Advance to get the cheapies - if your plans changed you can't do much about it. Well you can get a refund, but there is a £10 charge, and when the ticket was less than that or only slightly more there's nothing to gain.

Happy travelling! Oh and you do get a reserved seat with most journeys.

David333

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

If it's any consolation I wasted an £11 ticket today, 'cos my husband had decided to drive up for the weekend, and I came home with him! It's the one drawback of buying Advance to get the cheapies - if your plans changed you can't do much about it. Well you can get a refund, but there is a £10 charge, and when the ticket was less than that or only slightly more there's nothing to gain.

Happy travelling! Oh and you do get a reserved seat with most journeys.

No consolation whatsoever ;-) It does feel good to save quite a lot of money though; I'm tempted to just take the train regardless of whether I need to to make the most of my money-saving... .

robt_2

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Oh well in that case you're stuck, unless you can think of another journey you might wish to take, or anyone in the family or a friend needs one.

When I get an Advance day return from Southport to Chester it is £4.40 so I also buy a ticket (£3.20) to visit my mum another day. I don't think there is any way of avoiding the minimum spend for booking online.

There is no such advance ticket - that is the standard price available on the day at the station. It is the same price to Liverpool as to Chester.

Bogof_Babe

Yes I know, sorry it's the way I put it. What I meant is that I buy the ticket 'in advance' on the web, as I link it in with other travel arrangements. Saves having to root around for change for the ticket machine on the day!

Apols to anyone I might have mislead. I shouldn't have capitalised the A in advance.

p.s. It's a bargain isn't it?