Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

Wildsurf

I need to get from Leeds to Bournemouth arriving before 18:00 on 17/11 and returning at any time on 18/11. I'm struggling to find anything other than saver returns. Any tips on how to get a cheaper fare?

dzug

Wildsurf wrote: »

I need to get from Leeds to Bournemouth arriving before 18:00 on 17/11 and returning at any time on 18/11. I'm struggling to find anything other than saver returns. Any tips on how to get a cheaper fare?

Various options are worth trying but you'll need to do the looking up yourself.

1 Try megatrain for a trip via London - megatrain to London, then GNER or MML (both of whom I think have changed names.....)

2. Try the split ticket trick - either with savers or to get advance tickets for part of the journey. Birmingham is the obvious choice on the direct route, but just about anywhere is worth a look if you've got the time and patience to try. Main 'problem' is that you will land up with different reserved seats for different legs of the journey.

Wildsurf

dzug wrote: »

Various options are worth trying but you'll need to do the looking up yourself.

1 Try megatrain for a trip via London - megatrain to London, then GNER or MML (both of whom I think have changed names.....)

2. Try the split ticket trick - either with savers or to get advance tickets for part of the journey. Birmingham is the obvious choice on the direct route, but just about anywhere is worth a look if you've got the time and patience to try. Main 'problem' is that you will land up with different reserved seats for different legs of the journey.

Thanks for reply. There is a problem with Cross Country which means that I can't book on line, I think it due to engineering works meaning you can't reserve seats.

In the end I settled for MML to London form Leeds, split ticketing wasn't worthwhile. Then a separate saver return to Bournemouth. Total cost £75 including Underground. As opposed to a saver return of £94.

stikiuk

hey guys i need your expert help.

We are taking our children to see santa @ harrods this weekend, we have hotel and train tickets out booked. But am really struggling to get the return tickets on sunday under £100 !
This is 2ad an 2 chd with a family railcard.
£99.80 is the cheapest i can find Ive tried trainline, virgin, national rail and GNER. We are prepared to change, so am looking if there is a way to split the tickets to get them cheaper.
plz plz plz help. Thnx in advance xx

KeithP

From National Rail Enquiries website -

All fares are for 2 adults and two children.

You can travel from euston to Lime Street First Class for £91.50 for all four of you - Virgin Value Advance First Single C, only valid on 17:35 dep from EUS (arr Lime St 22:36). These will go very quickly!!

Or -
Marylebone to Birmingham New St - £44.70 Cheap Day Single
New St to Lime St - £34.50 Cheap Day Single
These are regular walk up fares, valid on any train, can be bought on the day if nothing better turns up = £79.20

Not looked at Manchester. Try splitting that at New St too.

al_green

How about these (from the trainline):

10:30 East Midlands Trains St Pancras - Sheffield arr 13:41, EMT Advance F ticket £48 (not using F/Railcard), then 14:37 Sheffield - Liverpool arr 16:30, Standard day single with F/Railcard £29.10

Total = £77.10

Don't forget that you may be better searching without the Family Railcard option, as the system won't allow further discount off already discounted (ie advance purchase) tickets

Have a good trip
Al.

lightning15uk

hi all could someone please help we are going away for new year 30/12 - 2/1 from coventry to rye as cheap as possible 4 adults and 2 children we have a family rail card do not mind which route we take as long as the journey doesnt really go above five hours please help

stikiuk

Thnx Al-green and kiethp. I managed to split the tickets and got: Euston to Stafford, Stafford to Manchester, Manchester to Liverpool, total for 4 of us £40.90. :j

hebangsthedrums

Didn't think this warranted its own thread and this looks like the best place...

I have just been offered my first job post uni (subject to references) and it is in Wandsworth. I live near Bedford and my intention is to move somewhere closer at some point perhaps around Feb/March. However in the meantime I will need to commute to and from work.

When I went for my interview the ticket cost [SIZE=-1]£[/SIZE]33(!), but I was looking to make this as cost effective as possible. I anticipate my working hours would be 9-5 and if buying a few weeks together makes it more cost effective I would look to do that. I am 22 and do not have a YPR but would get one if the saving applied and was worthwhile. Also I don't know about season tickets but I may be flexi working so wondered so you buy tickets for set dates or a set number of journeys?

Any help from any rail savvy MSE'rs would be much appreciated, any more info needed just ask

dzug

Season tickets cover you for unlimited journeys for a set period of time - one week, one month or one year are the usual ones.

A YP railcard would save you 1/3rd off daily fares, but not off a season. Say £21 or £22 a day Bedford/Wandsworth return. It will pay for itself in two days.

A weekly season from Bedford is £95 - so is worth it for 5 days travel, but not for 4.

On some lines you can also buy packs of say 10 tickets - but AFAIK yours is not one of them.