Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

Emeralds65

I need to go to glasgow early morning from london, so taking a train that leaves london around 5am. coming back to london from glasgow day after tomorrow. Total is around 147 pounds. This is too much for me. If any body could help me find a cheaper ticket it would be great. I am travelling alone.

Livingthedream

Emeralds65 wrote: »

I need to go to glasgow early morning from london, so taking a train that leaves london around 5am. coming back to london from glasgow day after tomorrow. Total is around 147 pounds. This is too much for me. If any body could help me find a cheaper ticket it would be great. I am travelling alone.

£147 that's a cheap fare seeing that the walk on fare for traveling at that time of day is £306, but try splitting your tickets at Warrington BQ and Preston, should bring the price down a bit.

Or try going via Edinburgh or Manchester, use advance options in your online train search engine and select 'via'

miller

Emeralds65 wrote: »

I need to go to glasgow early morning from london, so taking a train that leaves london around 5am. coming back to london from glasgow day after tomorrow. Total is around 147 pounds.

I assume that fare comes from Virgin Trains site directly combining an advance with a "half-saver" return portion.

Easyjet looks to come in around the same when I looked.

miller

Margey wrote: »

There's a new website called redspottedhanky and they are a new company which offers loyalty points for whn you travel.

Got me thinking about these things in general...

General note on rewards/cashback
South West Trains offer 2.62% cash via topcashback and Southern offer a flat £2.52 although there is some debate about the minimum spend/reliability. Other train companies websites can offer enhanced cashback for travel on their own services e.g. First Transpennine.

The red spotted hanky loyalty points work out at 1% but can be redeemed quicker.

Other website specific offers
Southern have their rainy day guarantee and Super Group offers
Eastcoast have a similar reward scheme
East Midlands Trains offer £1 off their advance fares
Virgin Trains offer "half-saver" fares to go with an advance
First Great Western/South West Trains offer Groupsave online
London Midland great escape for £10
Picking exact seat reservations (Cross Country, East Coast services via their websites)
...etc.

By no means a comprehensive list and pretty confusing, but I would say checking the website of the train operating company most relevant to your journey can be beneficial (see below) to see what offers they have. Then get cashback if there are no website specific offers.

Operator map
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/maps/nationalrailnetworkmapZoom.pdf

e.g. Penzanze to Plymouth is worked by First Great Western and CrossCountry

mr.brightside87

I need to get from Cardiff Central to Northwich on the 21st October after 5pm and coming back on the Monday at around 7am (but has to get in before 12)

I have a young person's card and I am just wondering if anybody can bring the price down from what is advertised on the national rail (£34.35).

I'm going for the Manchester Derby and to see my partner so I need to keep the cost down to be able to enjoy my weekend.

Thanks in advance

Jeff_Bridges_hair

This is what i found but its a late departure on the friday - but that's cheap. Look at splitting at Stockport too




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dzug1

mr.brightside87 wrote: »

I need to get from Cardiff Central to Northwich on the 21st October after 5pm and coming back on the Monday at around 7am (but has to get in before 12)

I have a young person's card and I am just wondering if anybody can bring the price down from what is advertised on the national rail (£34.35).

I'm going for the Manchester Derby and to see my partner so I need to keep the cost down to be able to enjoy my weekend.

Thanks in advance

Well for starters £7.90 single on the 1934 from Cardiff and £15.85 on several trains back.

If you don't want to hang around for that £7.90 fare then what you've found is right and unlikely to be bettered.

mr.brightside87

I don't mind waiting that long really. Just preferred to get back earlier but at that price, I'll stick around.

Thank you very much

chriswindon

hi im going from manchester to glasgow on 21st october about 4pm and returning 24th october around 12:30pm ive been looking at different sites and found it to be about £67 return or £51 on transpennine site and was wondering if there is a cheaper way to get there maybe via a station thanks

dzug1

chriswindon wrote: »

hi im going from manchester to glasgow on 21st october about 4pm and returning 24th october around 12:30pm ive been looking at different sites and found it to be about £67 return or £51 on transpennine site and was wondering if there is a cheaper way to get there maybe via a station thanks

You'll find it the same price at a station and on other sites. I assume TPE is cheaper coz they run the train and won't have to pay anyone else commission on it.

Bus would probably be cheaper though