London to Manchester Fast & Cheap

greyhound31

I am off to Manchester for a friends birthday on weekend of 12-13th December. I would normally drive due to it being the most cost effective, but would like to look into getting a train.

I would be travveling from Euston to Manchester and on first glances train tickets are around £65 each. I have a Network Rail Annual Gold Card if that helps.

it is just too costly to justify at these prices and I am surprised they are this expensive 3 months in advance.

Anyone got an ideas of reducing this cost?

DKLS

Thats pretty cheap I pay on average £120 rtn from Wakefield To Kings Cross.

Quentin

Wait till the advance fares are released for that time. £11 single is the norm with these.

dzug1

greyhound31 wrote: »

it is just too costly to justify at these prices and I am surprised they are this expensive 3 months in advance.

You shouldn't be - at 3 months in advance ONLY full price tickets are on sale.

The advance ones come out later - sometimes not vey much later, sometimes a lot later, particularly at weekends if there is engineering work.

Virgin have currently released tickets up to 11 December, and to the previous weekend for weekend tickets - so with luck you shouldn't have to wait long for the advance cheap fares. Whether (for weekend travel) they will be as cheap as £11 I'm not sure. With some flexibility on times, maybe.

Sometimes http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/vt/advancePurchase.aspx will give you cheaper fares - but they tend to be last minute (about a month ahead) and last time I checked didn't do weekends - you need to book conventionally for cheap fares then

hewhoisnotintheknow

this is the exact reason i hate trains, total nonsense

Quentin

London to Manchester 12/12/09. Lots of £11 advance fares on now.

No doubt 13/12 return leg will come on any time now.