Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

steffee

Argh this is driving me crazy... I booked a ticket to go from Bangor to Bristol Temple Meads (for £25), for tomorrow, but have lost my cashcard since booking. I rung them and they said I can't get my tickets without my card.

A single, to purchase tomorrow (today!) is £63 - £70 depending on the site, so I've been trying to find a way of cutting it down a bit... so far...

BANGOR TO SHREWSBURY
£27.30

BANGOR TO CREWE
£21.10

BANGOR TO WOLVERHAMPTON
£27.60

BANGOR TO BIRMINGHAM
£31.10


BANGOR TO CHESTER
£14.80
CHESTER TO BIRMINGHAM
£13.60

BANGOR TO CHESTER
£14.80
CHESTER TO WOLVERHAMPTON
£12.70

BIRMINGHAM TO BRISTOL
£33.50

I could be picked up in Wolverhampton, or Birmingham, if need be... but is there any way of breaking the journey down better?

dzug

Birmingham to Cheltenham, Cheltenham to Bristol should cut the last leg a bit. Chelt to Bristol is £6.90 cheap day single. Don't know Brum-Chelt off hand but probably about £15.

sophisticated.

This may be something that is obvious to everyone, but I've booked through thetrainline.com loads of times and never noticed...

Underneath timetables there's an option that says "Results are based on the fastest trains. Slower routes with cheaper tickets may be available."

Just cut my tickets from £78 to £16! :beer:

pompeyrich

You could save a bit more by not using the trainline site and booking direct with a train operating company that doesnt charge credit card fees.

scottish_blend

Can anyone give me any tips on cheap rail travel from glasgow to manchester please?

Everywhere I look its coming up at acouple of hundred quid - surely that can't be right?

dzug

scottish_blend wrote: »

Can anyone give me any tips on cheap rail travel from glasgow to manchester please?

Everywhere I look its coming up at acouple of hundred quid - surely that can't be right?

No it's not right. As you don't give any details at all it's difficult to know what you are doing wrong.

A walk on return, buy on the day, valid on any train via Carlisle, is £60 - unless you travel first class you CANNOT pay more than that.

If you book in advance singles start at £15.50 each way - maybe even £10 if you are lucky

Where DID you look BTW? It's easier to give advice as to what could have gone wrong if we know where you started from.

whatatwit

Hi, I wonder if you kind folk can help.
My DD's boyfriend has booked a ticket, travelling one way from Southampton.
When he has looked at it fully, he has to go to Waterloo, then to Euston to then travel North.
He doesn't really want to have to change and use the underground, but another train shown only involves changing at Stockport and then Preston.

Can he change his ticket, or is he stuck with it?
It was booked last week, to travel at the end of May.

Edited to add, I don't know what 'type' of ticket he has...but am I right in thinking that if he splits his journey and gets 1 ticket to Stockport and then another ticket it works out quite a bit cheaper?

dzug

whatatwit wrote: »

Hi, I wonder if you kind folk can help.
My DD's boyfriend has booked a ticket, travelling one way from Southampton.
When he has looked at it fully, he has to go to Waterloo, then to Euston to then travel North.
He doesn't really want to have to change and use the underground, but another train shown only involves changing at Stockport and then Preston.

Can he change his ticket, or is he stuck with it?
It was booked last week, to travel at the end of May.

Edited to add, I don't know what 'type' of ticket he has...but am I right in thinking that if he splits his journey and gets 1 ticket to Stockport and then another ticket it works out quite a bit cheaper?

He can change his ticket but it may involve a £10 fee plus any difference in fare. The exact terms depend on what sort of ticket he has.

As to whether splitting tickets at Stockport would help - no idea. It may do, or it could turn out way more expensive. Splitting tickets is not the panacea it's made out to be - it works on a few routes but not most.

It would be a lot simpler and cheaper for him to stick to plan A.

gner_ex

steffee wrote: »

Argh this is driving me crazy... I booked a ticket to go from Bangor to Bristol Temple Meads (for £25), for tomorrow, but have lost my cashcard since booking. I rung them and they said I can't get my tickets without my card.

Complete rubbish. If your booking is it the system, and ideally if you have your FastTicket reference number, any counter clerk can get into the database and print it off.

I would submit a formal complaint if I were you.

gner_ex

whatatwit wrote: »

Hi, I wonder if you kind folk can help.
My DD's boyfriend has booked a ticket, travelling one way from Southampton.
When he has looked at it fully, he has to go to Waterloo, then to Euston to then travel North.
He doesn't really want to have to change and use the underground, but another train shown only involves changing at Stockport and then Preston.

Can he change his ticket, or is he stuck with it?
It was booked last week, to travel at the end of May.

Edited to add, I don't know what 'type' of ticket he has...but am I right in thinking that if he splits his journey and gets 1 ticket to Stockport and then another ticket it works out quite a bit cheaper?

If this is a flexible ticket, then I would think that it is valid via either route (London is usually the most expensive route). I'm guessing he is headed for either Carlisle or Glasgow? If you can find out the type of ticket and/or the price he paid, we can tell you the route options, and perhaps the prospects to change the ticket.

Dare I ask why he doesn't want to change? The underground ticket will be included and he doesn't have to pay extra for it... if he is travelling at a weekend can you let us know the date, as there may be Underground engineering works to make him aware of.