Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

johnmcga

Thanks for the reply. Yes, past experience has been you have to book at least a couple of months ahead on East Coast to get significant discounts travelling away for a weekend, but unfortunately this is more of a last minute trip!

I'll probably end up just paying the £121 (it's just me travelling) as I don't think it's worth sacrificing the flexibility of an open return for the small saving.

Just really wanted to make sure there aren't any 'creative' routes that are cheaper!

Thanks again,

John.

miller

johnmcga wrote: »

I'll probably end up just paying the £121 (it's just me travelling) as I don't think it's worth sacrificing the flexibility of an open return for the small saving.

Because of the 50% off Super Off Peak singles (via East Coast website @ £60.20) you would save a quid with 2 of these over the return.

johnmcga

miller wrote: »

Because of the 50% off Super Off Peak singles (via East Coast website @ £60.20) you would save a quid with 2 of these over the return.

Good point, thanks. (And yet another example of the confusing rail ticket system in action. Why on earth should buying two singles be any cheaper than buying one return?)

SHEILA54

Hi

I am taking my granddaughter to Bournemouth on 29th July and returning on 31st July. Normally I use megatrain and pay £1 but I have been waiting for the fares to show for ages for this period. It now seems that they are not doing fares during the Olympics, which is a blow as I am a pensioner. I do have a freedom pass, a Senior railcard and a Family and Friends railcard and would be travelling from West Wickham.

The fares are coming up at £43 for both of us so please is there any way to reduce this?

Thanks

wealdroam

SHEILA54 wrote: »

Hi

I am taking my granddaughter to Bournemouth on 29th July and returning on 31st July. Normally I use megatrain and pay £1 but I have been waiting for the fares to show for ages for this period. It now seems that they are not doing fares during the Olympics, which is a blow as I am a pensioner. I do have a freedom pass, a Senior railcard and a Family and Friends railcard and would be travelling from West Wickham.

The fares are coming up at over £40 for both of us so please is there any way to reduce this?

Thanks

Can we assume your granddaughter is a child?

If you can get to East Croydon station easily, by 119 bus maybe, then an Off Peak Return for the two of you from East Croydon to Bournemouth via Barnham is only £23.90 when using your Family and Friends Railcard.

Valid on all trains on the Sunday and after around 09:30am when returning.

That fare is the total return fare for the two of you.
Around £6.00 each person each way looks like a bargain to me.

ironwelshman

How clever some of you people are, and so generous too. I hope to reciprocate the gesture one day, but for now, I have a train booking dilemma.

Not familiar in booking train fares online, on Monday I need to travel from Swansea to Chesterfield. I need to be there before 3pm and return around 5pm.

I've been trying a few different option, but the cheapest I get is a £107.80 return.

If anyone can guide me in the right direction, or give me some pointers as how to reduce this, I'd be greatful. I could go down my local trainstation in the meantime and purchase a railcard, as the discount, will actually offset the cost of the card, so that's a start I guess, and I am registered with Quidco, but like everyone else, am cash strapped, and am going for a job interview.

Your help is much aprecciated.

Steve_xx

ironwelshman wrote: »

How clever some of you people are, and so generous too. I hope to reciprocate the gesture one day, but for now, I have a train booking dilemma.

Not familiar in booking train fares online, on Monday I need to travel from Swansea to Chesterfield. I need to be there before 3pm and return around 5pm.

I've been trying a few different option, but the cheapest I get is a £107.80 return.

If anyone can guide me in the right direction, or give me some pointers as how to reduce this, I'd be greatful. I could go down my local trainstation in the meantime and purchase a railcard, as the discount, will actually offset the cost of the card, so that's a start I guess, and I am registered with Quidco, but like everyone else, am cash strapped, and am going for a job interview.

Your help is much aprecciated.

Try Megabus, though you would have to go from Swansea to London by bus then onto a train up to Chesterfield using Megabus. You could think about National Express for the return leg, but for the outbound leg on National wouldn't get you there before 3pm unfortunately.

Steve_xx

Also, try playing about with National Express to Birmingham, then train from Birmingham to Chesterfield. On East Midlands Trains site I can see Birm to Chesterfield leaving at 10.03 arr 11.02 for £15 and returning on the 18.39 from Chesterfield to Birmingham, arriving at 19.54 for £11.50.

The Swansea to anywhere leg on the train seems very expensive for some reason.

luckwudaveit

ironwelshman wrote: »

How clever some of you people are, and so generous too. I hope to reciprocate the gesture one day, but for now, I have a train booking dilemma.

Not familiar in booking train fares online, on Monday I need to travel from Swansea to Chesterfield. I need to be there before 3pm and return around 5pm.

I've been trying a few different option, but the cheapest I get is a £107.80 return.

If anyone can guide me in the right direction, or give me some pointers as how to reduce this, I'd be greatful. I could go down my local trainstation in the meantime and purchase a railcard, as the discount, will actually offset the cost of the card, so that's a start I guess, and I am registered with Quidco, but like everyone else, am cash strapped, and am going for a job interview.

Your help is much aprecciated.

My first shot at split ticketing, try this:

Buy a return from Swansea to Cardiff at £7.80, leaving SWA at 0911, into CDF at 1017. Return journey is 2315 from CDF, into SWA at 0049.

A single from CDF to Birmingham New Street at £23.00, 1045 from CDF, into BHM at 1245.

A single from BHM to Chesterfield at £18, 1330 from BHM, into CHD at 1436.

Go and talk your best at the interview, then:

A single from CHD to BHM at £11.50, leaving CHD at 1839, into BHM at 1954.

A single from BHM to CDF at £23, leaving BHM at 2030, into CDF at 2235.

You already have a return ticket for CDF to SWA. It is valid to leave CDF at 2315, into SWA at 0049.

Total cost = £83.30

A few beers, then straight to bed.

Good luck at the interview:D

scooter_chick

Hi, I'm quite good at going to & fro and getting the cheap tickets, but now I have to go in a triangle, and I can't work out if there's a cheap way to do it.

London Waterloo --> Salisbury on Thursday in the evening rush hour
Salisbury --> Winchester on Friday morning (looks like that requires a change in Southampton)
Winchester -- > London on Friday afternoon.

If I get singles with my Gold Card, then at the moment I'm looking at 22.90 + 14.40 + 19.35 = 56.65

Any ideas how I can do it cheaper?

Thanks!