Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

Livingthedream

Happychappy wrote: »

Hi

Anyone know the cheaest fare from Derby to London on 11th Jan2009 returning on 13th Jan 2009.

£54 seems the cheapest so far.

Thanks HC

Try this;
Out 11th
Derby to Crewe Off Peak Return £15.20
Crewe to London Euston 20:24 £8 Advance single

Rtn 13th
London Euston to Crewe 11:07 £8 Advance single
Crewe to Derby Use return part of Off Peak

Total £31.20

Advance tickets can sell out quickly so buy early and whatever advance train you book you must travel on it, also give yourself plenty of time to change trains at crewe just in case the train is late

dzug1

Livingthedream wrote: »

Try this;
Out 11th
Derby to Crewe Off Peak Return £15.20
Crewe to London Euston £8 Advance single

Rtn 13th
London Euston to Crewe £8 Advance single
Crewe to Derby Use return part of Off Peak

Total £31.20

Advance tickets can sell out quickly so buy early and whatever advance train you book you must travel on it, also give yourself plenty of time to change trains at crewe just in case the train is late

Really? You'd travel 50 miles plus in the wrong direction without first trying for direct advance tickets?

East Midland Trains have not released fares on their London routes for the dates quoted - nor have Megatrain who also run the route on weekdays only. You really need to wait for these before haring off in the wrong direction

Livingthedream

dzug1 wrote: »

Really? You'd travel 50 miles plus in the wrong direction without first trying for direct advance tickets?

East Midland Trains have not released fares on their London routes for the dates quoted - nor have Megatrain who also run the route on weekdays only. You really need to wait for these before haring off in the wrong direction

dzug1 he asked if it was the cheapest, I've proved it it isn't by saving of £22.80 stop being a forum troll and try help out the OP by coming up with a cheaper fare

dzug1

Livingthedream wrote: »

dzug1 he asked if it was the cheapest, I've proved it it isn't by saving of £22.80 stop being a forum troll and try help out the OP by coming up with a cheaper fare

I can't - the cheap fares are not there yet.

On a random date when fares ARE available the cheapest megatrain fare is £5 and East Midlands fare £10 on direct trains.

The cheapest possible East Midlands fare is £8, megatrain can be as low as £1 plus 50p booking fee.

Neither has released cheap fares yet for OP's dates - megatrain do so I think 6 weeks ahead. East Midlands are overdue so I've no idea when they will do it. They are just up to Christmas currently.

So my advice is wait and get a cheaper fare when they are released.

drkazton

Livingthedream wrote: »

Right the cheapest I can get it down to is £15.25 each one way, however, the train leaves Leeds at 08:40 and arrives at 12:08 (thats the earliest cheap train from Leeds) and the cheap tickets for the East coast main line havn't been released for 1st Feb.

Use this Website to see when the Cheap ticket are available, watch National Express East Coast;

http://www.ticketalert.thetrainline.com/

Other considerations could be coach or flying

That works out cheaper that a return

Thanks a lot for the info.

Livingthedream

drkazton wrote: »

Thanks a lot for the info.

Can you please suggest me where can I find those fares, coz on nationalexpresseastcoast website the 0840train is for £32.95 each oneway after online discount.

I use this website;
https://www.buytickets.virgintrains.co.uk/JourneyRequest.aspx

Search the following;
Leeds Heathrow Airport(any)
Single
16th Jan
leave after 0800
Number of passengers
Railcard if you have one

press check availability

Any more help just ask

mr_maniac

Hi everyone,

it's been a while since I made a request on here, but I've got another one

Eastleigh to Cambridge with 16-25 Railcard.... departing Wednesday 10 December (any time of day, just need to arrive by late afternoon/evening), returning after about 5pm on Thursday 11 December :-)

Am I right in suspecting that return tickets might cost more if the journey there and back is not being made on the same day? Regardless, give it your best shot..... :-)

mr_m

PS - the target figure to beat is £36.45 (which is what I've got at the moment using National Rail), and also £42.75, which is what I paid on-the-day when I made a visit to Cambridge one day in July :-) .... I paid just £30.70 overall for a trip to York in October using National Express East Coast advance tickets incidentally :-)

Livingthedream

mr_maniac wrote: »

Hi everyone,

it's been a while since I made a request on here, but I've got another one

Eastleigh to Cambridge with 16-25 Railcard.... departing Wednesday 10 December (any time of day, just need to arrive by late afternoon/evening), returning after about 5pm on Thursday 11 December :-)

Am I right in suspecting that return tickets might cost more if the journey there and back is not being made on the same day? Regardless, give it your best shot..... :-)

mr_m

PS - the target figure to beat is £36.45 (which is what I've got at the moment using National Rail), and also £42.75, which is what I paid on-the-day when I made a visit to Cambridge one day in July :-) .... I paid just £30.70 overall for a trip to York in October using National Express East Coast advance tickets incidentally :-)

The only way I've made a saving was by the way you stated yourself and thats to travel there and back on the same day;
Eastleigh to Cambrigde £29.90 Off Peak Day Return

Just remember with a Off Peak day return you can't travel until after 08:30 (normally 09:30 for Off Peak Ticket)

hope this helps

mr_maniac

Cool, thanks for that - I can't travel on the same day unfortunately - for one thing, I need to be in Cambridge by about 10am on the 11th, so would have to travel during peak-time anyway!!

So it looks like I'll have to pay the £36.45 full fare (which I suspect I'd be able to get on the day?), unless anyone else has better suggestions... are there any Advance fares or discount codes valid for travel on South West Trains or First Capital Connect services?

The only other train company I'd be able to use is National Express East Anglia from London Liverpool Street, but I'd need to get there first!! And it would take rather a lot longer than the suggested route to Cambridge which I've used before; that is: Eastleigh -> Waterloo -> Tube to Kings Cross -> Cambridge :-)

mr_m

Livingthedream

mr_m what you could do is register with First Great Western via the link below which will give you a £5 off any single or return ticket.

http://www.fgw5pounds.co.uk/