Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

monkeyarse

So since when did the National Express ticket website join the ranks of !!!! poor ticket sites?
It used to have THE best interface, you could glance at all tickets available that day and select the cheapest : best time ticket, but now its identical to the trainline and is equally terrible..

Are there any other sites out there worth checking?

Livingthedream

monkeyarse wrote: »

So since when did the National Express ticket website join the ranks of !!!! poor ticket sites?
It used to have THE best interface, you could glance at all tickets available that day and select the cheapest : best time ticket, but now its identical to the trainline and is equally terrible..

Are there any other sites out there worth checking?

When NXEC lost their franchise, their old website also transfered to the new nationalised owners and became East Coast Trains. Same style search engine just a new Logo and Colours, also if you had an account with NXEC this also transfered over.

AirlieBird

Since they lost the East Coast franchise. To get back to that interface use one of the following

EastCoast
Southern
LondonMidland
SouthEastern

monkeyarse

Many many many thanks guys.
Many indeed.
I fucking hate that old system.

VIVTS

Just wanted to leave a note that I read the tip about splitting the journey on your train tickets. Instead of getting a London - Newcastle return, I got a London - York return and a York to Newcastle return - same train going out, open return. Was going to cost £266 - I got it for £94.70 - a massive saving of £171.30 for the same journey on the same trains. A BIG THANK YOU!:j

tashmatthews

Could anyone tell me whether Apex Returns will come on sale or if they have for train tickets to London on 10th February and returning on 14th February?

3 adults 3 children 2 infants

Thankyou

KeithP

tashmatthews wrote: »

Could anyone tell me whether Apex Returns will come on sale or if they have for train tickets to London on 10th February and returning on 14th February?

3 adults 3 children 2 infants

Thankyou

Have a look at the Booking Horizons table on the National Rail Enquiries website.
This seems to indicate that maybe the Advance Tickets you are looking for are already available.
On the other hand, maybe not. The Train Operating Companies often release cheaper tickets later... when timetables are finalised w.r.t. engineering works.

BTW... Apex is now an unused term. :beer:

Where are you planning to travel from?

tashmatthews

I need to leave exeter after 4pm and can catch any train home from london to exeter after 4.30pm

Cheapest return I am getting is £200.25 for all 6

which works out at £44.50 each for the adults and £22.25 for the kids

Thanks

Not sure if this is about right, remember the apex returns being £27.50 but it has been a while since I last travelled, lol

KeithP

tashmatthews wrote: »

I need to leave exeter after 4pm and can catch any train home from london to exeter after 4.30pm

Cheapest return I am getting is £200.25 for all 6

which works out at £44.50 each for the adults and £22.25 for the kids

Thanks

Not sure if this is about right, remember the apex returns being £27.50 but it has been a while since I last travelled, lol

Cheap Advance Single tickets are currently available for your outward journey at £54.00 total for your whole party. That is as cheap as it is ever going to get.

But similar tickets for the return leg are not yet available. Probably because weekend engineering works are not yet finalised.

Probably best to keep checking for cheap tickets the return leg on a daily basis.

If I were you I would not buy the outward tickets until at least some cheap tickets for the return leg appear. Its a bit of a risk, but if cheap tickets for the return leg do not appear, then it may be better to buy return tickets rather than singles.

One thing is for certain... get a Family and Friends Railcard.
That will instantly reduce those outbound tickets to £30.60.

Info from East Coast Trains website.

You may be able to save another 10% by buying through First Great Western when the time comes.

John89001

KeithP wrote: »

One thing is for certain... get a Family and Friends Railcard. That will instantly reduce those outbound tickets to £30.60.

Info from East Coast Trains website.

You may be able to save another 10% by buying through First Great Western when the time comes.

And you can get the Family and Friends Railcard at 20% off - £20.80 instead of £26 - until 18 December 2009 by using promotion code East20 here.