Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

bluepricey

hi do you now if i buy a family and friends railcard on the internet can i use it straight away looking to go to london on sunday and it works out cheeper with this card but only need it on sun thanks in advance

dzug1

bluepricey wrote: »

hi do you now if i buy a family and friends railcard on the internet can i use it straight away looking to go to london on sunday and it works out cheeper with this card but only need it on sun thanks in advance

You have to have the card with you when you travel. Whether it would arrive before next Sunday is hard to say (does the website say anything?)

At worst you can buy it at the station, assuming it has an open ticket office on a Sunday

bluepricey

thanks think i'll go to the station tomorow and buy one there

IM

IM wrote: »

I'm looking to book Manchester to Euston 1st class* for February - down Thursday morning, back late afternoon on the Sunday - and I'm confused from scanning (but not reading all 1,300+ posts…:eek: ) this thread, as to when is the best time to book.

First off, is it 12 weeks, 3 months or 90 days before? And does this relate to the return leg?

Secondly, if it's actually some random point later than 12 weeks, that the cheapest tickets are uploaded to the websites, how do I know when to 'blink' (i.e. how to spot the lowest they are going to get).

Cheers

IM

*It's a big birthday, and we're Eurostar-ing to Brugges on Nectar points.

I'm confused now…

I've been waiting for Advance fares to become available, and they have been for the journey south, for a couple of weeks - I've been holding on for the return journey on the Sunday.

Today, the Virgin website is showing Advance fares for the Monday onwards, but not the preceding weekend.

Currently, I can get Manchester-London on Thursday 19th February for £34.00 (1st class), and London-Manchester on Monday 23rd February for £46.50 (1st class) - both Advance tickets.

For the Sunday 22nd when I actually need to travel, the only fares listed are Off-Peak Standard (£65.10) or Anytime 1st Class (£193.50)

Is this an attempt to get me to do the £15 upgrade to 'Weekend 1st'? If it is, I'd still be looking at paying £80+, and in any case, I'm not presented with the option if I do a dummy booking.

Should I just book the south-bound singles, and hold out for Advance fares to come up over the next few weeks - or am I stuck with buying an Off-Peak Standard + upgrade?

GarethEvans_3

im looking to book a train juroney from cardiff to london this weekend. I rang up national rail and the cheapest they said they can do it is £57! going on the sat and back on the sunday. surely thats a bit steap. i travel weekly to birmingham from cardiff for work for a tenner.

bigbullyweedave

tycumagain wrote: »

Anybody know when Megatrain will update their travel dates ?
Seems to have been stuck on upto 12/01 for ages ?

Just happened last night! :T

cheers from Mrs. BBWD (using the mister's account )

Livingthedream

GarethEvans wrote: »

im looking to book a train juroney from cardiff to london this weekend. I rang up national rail and the cheapest they said they can do it is £57! going on the sat and back on the sunday. surely thats a bit steap. i travel weekly to birmingham from cardiff for work for a tenner.

That's the walk on fare, as you have left it late the advance tickets ain't much better, however, megabus do returns from £20 if you don't mine traveling by coach

http://www.megabus.com/uk/

Livingthedream

IM wrote: »

I'm confused now…

Today, the Virgin website is showing Advance fares for the Monday onwards, but not the preceding weekend.

Sometimes the train companies don't release their cheap Advance Singles for the Weekends until the preceding week this is due to the fact that there might be engineering works that weekend and they might have to cancel trains.

You could get the cheap outward now and hope that as it gets nearer the time cheap Advance tickets appear. As one thing is for certain the off peak single price won't change but as it gets closer to the time the cheap outward ticket price will go up and finally disappear.

If you do decide to take a chance keep checking or use a ticket alert service like the one below to warn you of cheap releases

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

74jax

I'm sure it's been posted on here but I've had a quick look and can't see it so thought I'd mention it again.

All train tickets on the East Coast route are going for 5.00 single for travel in the New Year. I've book return to London from Newcastle in Feb for 10.00 each and some others too.

Apparently it's a birthday special.

link is www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/birthday

sweetsoul

Hi

Taking ankle biters to see Santa in London this Sunday. Don't normally use the train so wondered if anyone could give me advice on the cheapest option for 2 adults and 2 children under 12. By the way one of adults has a student card, will this be useful?

Any advice would be appreciated as have not found the ticket office very helpful.

Thanks