train offers? going glasgow to london in july

my_definition

Hi guys,

I’m going to London Monday to Friday in July and was advised to wait to book train fares 6 weeks in advance as that is when the best offers are about. However, I’m struggling to find any good deals and reluctant to pay £50+ per ticket each way as it eats into my small budget. Does anyone know of any special offers about just now? I’ve been looking at cross country trains and virgin for the last couple of week but I’m now past the 6 week guide so I’m getting concerned.

Thanks

Simon11

Hi

Who told you 6 weeks? You've been given bad advice

The cheapest tickets are sold 12 weeks before departure for all train operating companies. Once they run out at the cheapest level, they get bumped up to the next ticket band and so on.

Advance fares NEVER go down and there are not going to be any special offers- appart from 16-25 discount cards, family cards, ect

So therefore buy them asap. Book with Virgin trains website for your journey from London to Glasgow. The cheapest tickets are usually the off peak services which are generally very early/late services or during the middle of the day.

Assuming you wish to leave on 19 and 23rd July? The cheapest fare I can find is £17.50 each way, so total £35 however these are at very unpopular times!


ps you can also use the following website you help find the cheapest tickets http://www.farefinder.virgintrains.co.uk/

Good luck;)

my_definition

thanks i got the advice from another money saver who found that cheap tickets appeared almost exactly 6 weeks from the dates she wanted. I believe she read the 6 weeks thing on here somewhere. The £17.50 ones on the way back stop in crewe for 6 hours overnight and unfortunatly the ones on the way out dont arrive until nearly midnight or i would have just got them. I think im just going to have to bite the bullet - atleast i got a good deal on the hotel. Thanks for the link

dzug1

The 6 weeks sounds like Megatrain - it was that in the past, though they seem to vary it these days. They don't do London Glasgow anyway.

12 weeks is also an overgeneralisation - I've read many accounts of people being panicked in to buying full price tickets at 12 weeks when by waiting a day or two or sometimes a week or two they could have bought them much cheaper. But I suspect you've left it too long.

A walk on off peak return is £108 ish - so if you are finding £54 each way that's what you are being offered. Virgin are less generous than they used to be.

It may be worth trying East Coast - they take slightly longer but can have cheaper fares with a discount on their own website

my_definition

thanks,

ive managed to get a virgin train to birmingham via megabus and from birmingham to london for £46.50 for 2 just need to look at the way back now. i may have waited a wee bit too long but as i said i got a good deal on the hotel and they way downs been ok. might stop over night on the way back and stay with family