How do I find cheapest return train fare from Basingstoke to Liverpool or Chester

shopndrop

My son needs to travel from Basingstoke to either Liverpool, Chester, Runcorn or Crewe or anywhere within about 45 minutes drive from Liverpool (I could pick him up from station). He needs to travel up on 6 December leaving anytime after 4 pm and returning anytime on Sunday 10 December. He does have a Young Persons Railcard. Any ideas where are the best places to look?

maclean2

Hi - a colleague regularly used virgin cross country for a very similar journey from Reading to Manchester and return.

Investigate buying two singles rather than a return.

alanrowell

start reading the sticky at the top of this forum entitled "rail travel: tips on cheap tickets"

pompeyrich

Check HERE, got singles for £8:60 leaving Basingstoke at 16:47 arr Liverpool 21:09, for that price he HAS to travel on the train booked. If he needs to go a bit later then check from Reading as there is more availability from there and just add a ticket from Bas-Read.

You might be a day or two early for the return date as there are no cheap fares showing yet for the 10th, worth trying the site again in a couple of days.

djl

look at a virgin value single I think they apoerate on the route as long as he sticks to the booked trains in should be cheaper

shopndrop

pompeyrich wrote:

Check HERE, got singles for £8:60 leaving Basingstoke at 16:47 arr Liverpool 21:09, for that price he HAS to travel on the train booked. If he needs to go a bit later then check from Reading as there is more availability from there and just add a ticket from Bas-Read.

You might be a day or two early for the return date as there are no cheap fares showing yet for the 10th, worth trying the site again in a couple of days.

Do this mean that there is the possibility that cheap fares might appear for the return part of the journey in the future?

pompeyrich

Yes shopndrop, they release cheap tickets about 12 weeks beforehand, so it may be they will release them for your return date shortly. I looked for tickets for a few destinations for the 10th dec and there were no cheap ones showing, which would make me think they aren't out yet but as the 6th has cheap ones, it should only be a few days til the 10th is available, if that makes sense.

Sometimes they are slow releasing sunday fares due to possible engineering works which may alter the timetables, best to check regularly over the next few days or ring Virgin to clarify things.

shopndrop

Will just keep looking each day. Thanks