Rail Travel: Tips on Cheap Tickets

dzug

ChocolateButterfly wrote: »

Oops sorry I forgot to mention I'm also using a young persons rail card. Could you show me where you have found a £14 single? Thats a great price!

Then take one third off the prices I've given you - £9.25 single

You should be able to find it on any rail website - it's not exclusive to any one of them.

I used http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/ with random dates in about a month's time.

russellelly

Hi,

Can anyone advise how many days in advance Virgin Value tickets can be booked? thetrainline has tickets on sale for when I want to travel (7 June) but only standard fares. I can find the latest you can buy a value ticket, but not the earliest. Obviously I want to get in as early as possible when the cheapest tickets are available. The Virgin part of the journey is from Glasgow Central to Preston (overall from Bishopton to Blackpool North/Central).

I have searched this site and Googled to no avail. Any help much appreciated!

ChocolateButterfly

dzug wrote: »

Then take one third off the prices I've given you - £9.25 single

You should be able to find it on any rail website - it's not exclusive to any one of them.

I used http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/ with random dates in about a month's time.

Thank you for your help, the cheapest I've found is about £20 each way but I'm only able to book about 5 days in advance when I travel and therefore can't always make the most savings. Thanks again.

dzug

russellelly wrote: »

Hi,

Can anyone advise how many days in advance Virgin Value tickets can be booked? thetrainline has tickets on sale for when I want to travel (7 June) but only standard fares. I can find the latest you can buy a value ticket, but not the earliest. Obviously I want to get in as early as possible when the cheapest tickets are available. The Virgin part of the journey is from Glasgow Central to Preston (overall from Bishopton to Blackpool North/Central).

I have searched this site and Googled to no avail. Any help much appreciated!

There is no set date for the cheap tickets to become available. You will sometimes see 12 weeks (or even 'exactly 12 weeks') quoted but that's a myth - 12 weeks is the absolute earliest. Normally it's a bit and often a lot less.

http://www.atoctravelagents.org/ - follow the booking horizons link - normally has information that is fairly up to date

Your date is a weekend - I wouldn't bank on much being available and reckon on part of the journey being by bus.

russellelly

dzug wrote: »

There is no set date for the cheap tickets to become available. You will sometimes see 12 weeks (or even 'exactly 12 weeks') quoted but that's a myth - 12 weeks is the absolute earliest. Normally it's a bit and often a lot less.

http://www.atoctravelagents.org/ - follow the booking horizons link - normally has information that is fairly up to date

Your date is a weekend - I wouldn't bank on much being available and reckon on part of the journey being by bus.

Thanks. Will start checking daily after the 12 week deadline hits. Can change to the Friday if an extra B&B night is cheaper than the difference in train fare!

meinnit

dzug wrote: »

Saver tickets are available for return within one month with off-peak travel only. From Reading they are only available to Waterloo. To Paddington there is a network away break - same price, but only valid for 5 days. If you want to come back from Waterloo within those 5 days, that's OK. £20.90 return.

I beleive the Waterloo peak restrictions are less onerous - you'd need to check though.

Thanks for that! Network Away Break is perfect. Brings the price down slightly from 2 singles! And it can be purchased at the station.

tallhoward

For online rail tickets with no booking charge and no credit card charge go to www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com

scotsgolfpro

i need an open return ticket from edinburgh to london travelling tomorrow (thurs) anybody any ideas???????????

dzug

You really do not want an open return - £252

A saver return is £102.40 - you can travel on any off peak train leaving tomorrow and returning within one month. Just buy it tomorrow at the station, you don't have to book or commit to specific trains.

Providing you can book by 6pm tonight there are plenty of trains with a £32.95 single tomorrow.

Then when you've decided when to come back book another cheap single in advance - they start at £14.

gner_ex

dzug wrote: »

The cheapest option will be advance singles from Virgin. If they have gone, a saver return.

You might find something cheaper on their e-tickets - but you will HAVE to travel into Euston and get a local train out again (Oyster will be cheapest) or risk having to pay the full open fare if you try to get on or off at Watford Junction:

http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/vt/advancePurchase.aspx

Hi, please can I ask why you are advising going to Euston and then back again? Some Virgin trains stop at Watford Jct, and one can either purchase an advance ticket to Watford specifically, or (depending what ticket one has) exit at Watfor subject to break-of-journey rules.

Is your concern that a Virgin Value ticket to Euston won't let the person out at Watford Jct barriers? If so, far cheaper than an Oyster journey to Watford would be a paper ticket from Watford North to Watford Jct at £1.90 (discounted further with a railcard).

Also be aware that Euston-Watford is sometimes cheaper on paper than Oyster (depends on times etc).