Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

bdmum1

Hi

Hope someone will be kind enough to help.

I'm trying to book a journey, preferably from Warrington to London Euston(although could at a push leave from Wigan / Liverpool / Manchester).

Leaving 9am onwards on 11/12 returning 4pm onwards 12/12. (If for some reason it makes a big difference to the train fare we could make it a two night stay leaving on 10th).

Two tickets required, best I can come up with on Virgin / Trainline is £119.40 for 2. Can't manage to find any usable discount promotion codes.

Any help getting this price down would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

tubechallenger

I'd suggest you hold on - the advance singles haven't yet been released by Virgin for these dates by the looks of things!

Tom

hogshead

How far in advance do Virgin release the tickets, does anyone know?

tubechallenger

In experience generally about 8 to 12 weeks ahead on weekdays, can be up to 6 weeks at weekends due to engineering works. GNER already have singles available for those days so it'll just be a case of waiting I'm afraid.

orangeblossom_08

Hi, I need some help figuring out the best train fares for a London-Manchester same-day return ticket.
I will be in London next month and would like to do a day trip to Manchester [the requisite pilgramage to Old Trafford! ]
The best fare I seem to be able to get is from Virgin Trains - £64. I'm not familiar with the English rail system and would really really appreciate if someone can let me know if ths is the best fare I can get? Or is there a better way around it? I'm a student on a budget and coming from where I am, the ticket is going to cost me a whopping $300 (!!!) in my own money after the currency exchange.
Thanks for your help!

tubechallenger

It depends which days you are travelling - you'll find that Virgin generally won't have released the cheap fares for before any football game at Old Trafford.

The cheapest fare you can get is £59 - this is a Saver Return ticket and the restrictions are as such (Monday - Friday only, any train at weekend):

DEPART: LONDON EUSTON
Between 0915 and 1514 (inc.) and at or after 1812.

ARRIVE: LONDON EUSTON
At or after 1100

The £59.50 fare is a direct route train on Virgin - however, in order to bring down the cost a bit you have another option, which is changing once or twice and going via Chesterfield on Midland Mainline. The cost of this would be £57.50. These fares are all known as "walk-on" fares.

However, Virgin offer airline-style advance purchase fares on most of their trains but as I said earlier they are unlikely to release any for Old Trafford games. You would be best off booking your ticket on https://www.virgintrains.co.uk and purchasing a "Saver Half Return" in one direction, and a Virgin Value advance single in the other direction. A Saver Half Return costs £29.75 on this route and the Value singles are as cheap as £12.50 so something to look into.

p1an0player

What about split ticketing, especially as it is a day return.
I would suggest looking into the cost of a day return on Chiltern Railways London Marylebone to Birmingham, then a cheap day return Birmingham to Stoke, then a cheap day return from Stoke to Manchester.

However, this would mean changing trains and stations in Birmingham and it would be a long journey.

Otherwise the coach will offer a cheap price!

blackanchorage

orangeblossom_08 wrote: »

Hi, I need some help figuring out the best train fares for a London-Manchester same-day return ticket.
I will be in London next month and would like to do a day trip to Manchester [the requisite pilgramage to Old Trafford! ]

You can get very cheap tickets from London to Manchester and back on weekdays from http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/vt/advancePurchase.aspx

Regards, Roger

orangeblossom_08

Hi Roger
Many thanks for the tip/link. Only thing is - i can only make it on a weekend (either Sat or Sun). Any ideas?
*I can't believe the HUGE difference in prices between a weekday and a weekend! It's crazy!

tubechallenger

You're best off looking for some advance 'virgin value' singles then...