Any train promotion codes out there?

jamesbrownontheroad

elaine373 wrote: »

As above says, I am desperate to find a cheaper fare for 2 adults and 3 children, travelling from Birmingham new street on october 26th to hayle, cornwall.We are returning on the 30th oct. Cheapest i can find is 221.45 and i just wondered if it was any cheaper? I would be so grateful for any help.

I presume that you are using a Family & Friends Railcard? £221.45 is indeed the cheapest available fare for your journey that day (Off-peak Return with the Family & Friends Railcard).

In situations like this, when no Advance fares are available, it's time to start searching for cheap split-ticket combinations. Your journey would require a single change in Exeter or Plymouth, so I tried searching for two Off-peak returns: Birmingham - Exeter and Exeter - Hayle. That works out as £133.65 and £60.50, total £194.15.

EDIT:

You can shave another few pounds off by splitting the journey into three sets of off-peak returns. All fares below are Off-peak returns for 2 adults, 3 children with a Family Railcard.

Birmingham New Street - Bristol Temple Meads: £79.60
Bristol Temple Meads - Exeter: £42.60
Exeter - Hayle: £60.50
Total: £182.70

If you are a novice to split ticketing, here are some points to note. Using a combination of tickets like this is fine as long as your train calls at those stations. You can buy these tickets on the day, and you don't need to get off or change at the intermediate stops defined by your tickets.

2nd EDIT:

For added comfort between Birmingham and Exeter / Plymouth you might like to try and get on board one of CrossCountry Train's refurbished HST125 trains, which have more carriages, more luggage room and more comfort than that sh!tbox Voyagers that Virgin ordered when they had the franchise. They are scheduled to operate the 0812, 0912, 1112 1312 departures southbound from Birmingham New Street and the 1221, 1321, 1521, 1721 departures northbound from Plymouth on weekdays until the December timetable change.

Alternatively, for less platform-changing and general family travelling stress, note that there is one train every weekday that offers a direct Birmingham New Street - Hayle connection: southbound dep. Birmingham New Street 1712 arr. Hayle 2230; northbound dep. Hayle 0952 arr. Birmingham 1526.

mintymoneysaver

We're looking to travel to London on Thurs 29th Oct and return Sunday 2nd Nov. Not too fussed about times, but it's two adults and two children. Cheapest I've found is to buy a £26 railcard and then I can get it for £95 so £121 in all. Can anyone see any way of me getting it cheaper than this?

jamesbrownontheroad

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

We're looking to travel to London on Thurs 29th Oct and return Sunday 2nd Nov. Not too fussed about times, but it's two adults and two children. Cheapest I've found is to buy a £26 railcard and then I can get it for £95 so £121 in all. Can anyone see any way of me getting it cheaper than this?

Depends. Perhaps if you tell us where you are travelling from?

KeithP

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

We're looking to travel to London on Thurs 29th Oct and return Sunday 2nd Nov. Not too fussed about times, but it's two adults and two children. Cheapest I've found is to buy a £26 railcard and then I can get it for £95 so £121 in all. Can anyone see any way of me getting it cheaper than this?

I can find cheaper tickets, but I'm probably not looking at the same journey.

Where are you travelling from?

mintymoneysaver

:rotfl:That might help, mightn't it! Liverpool....

Livingthedream

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

is to buy a £26 railcard

Get a Family and Friends Railcard for £19.50 25% discount

Here

Livingthedream

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

We're looking to travel to London on Thurs 29th Oct and return Sunday 2nd Nov. Not too fussed about times, but it's two adults and two children. Cheapest I've found is to buy a £26 railcard and then I can get it for £95 so £121 in all. Can anyone see any way of me getting it cheaper than this?

Just to help you a bit more, if you don't mind a change of train and a slower journey to London then try this;

Use the NXEC website do your search Liverpool LS to London and your dates, once your fare options are shown, on the left side of the screen click 'show slower routes' then tick 'via london midland trains only' then update. Your new fare details will give the whole journey for £34 (2x £17 advance Singles) or £37.40 Super Off Peak Return which is more flexible.

You can buy the tickets of the NXEC website, however, you can only travel on London Midland Trains Only

dzug1

jamesbrownontheroad wrote: »

EDIT:

You can shave another few pounds off by splitting the journey into three sets of off-peak returns. All fares below are Off-peak returns for 2 adults, 3 children with a Family Railcard.

Birmingham New Street - Bristol Temple Meads: £79.60
Bristol Temple Meads - Exeter: £42.60
Exeter - Hayle: £60.50
Total: £182.70

.

Haven't checked it out recently, but an additional split BNS - Cheltenham Spa, Cheltenham Spa - Bristol Temple Meads always used to save a bit. Apart from Summer Saturdays (or engineering work), all trains call at Cheltenham

mintymoneysaver

Livingthedream wrote: »

Just to help you a bit more, if you don't mind a change of train and a slower journey to London then try this;

Use the NXEC website do your search Liverpool LS to London and your dates, once your fare options are shown, on the left side of the screen click 'show slower routes' then tick 'via london midland trains only' then update. Your new fare details will give the whole journey for £34 (2x £17 advance Singles) or £37.40 Super Off Peak Return which is more flexible.

You can buy the tickets of the NXEC website, however, you can only travel on London Midland Trains Only

Am I reading that right? £37.40 all in for all 4 of us? If so that would be fantastic! Off to check the train times now....

Livingthedream

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

Am I reading that right? £37.40 all in for all 4 of us? If so that would be fantastic! Off to check the train times now....

Hopefully, you've found the train times/prices, if your having any difficulty then post back, I'm sure somebody on the forum will help. One last thing the London Midland Super Off Peak Return is a walk on fare and therefore available at that price now and on the day of travel, if you need to just ask for it by name at the railway station.