Cheap Train Fares guide discussion

AnorakNerd

So I can buy 1 ticket. But I can choose the train only if I use RailEasy.

Any other hints before I make my way to a booking office?

Thank you forumites for your comments so far.

yorkie2

AnorakNerd wrote: »

So I can buy 1 ticket. But I can choose the train only if I use RailEasy.

Other sites might allow you to add extra interchange time, but Raileasy is pretty easy. The site I linked to will NOT charge a fee (it only charges a fee if it identifies a cheaper "split ticket" option, and even then it's only a percentage of the saving).

AnorakNerd wrote: »

Any other hints before I make my way to a booking office?

A booking office can also add extra interchange time

King_Drax_I

I will never again use the Trainline to buy rail tickets.

Granted, I bought an advance return, for which no refunds are normally possible. However, this was a genuine documented medical emergency that caused cancellation of my trip, and in the past, with a similar problem, Great Western have been lovely and sympathetic and refunded me my fares.

But despite all my explanations, Trainline were today completely inflexible and furthermore it sounds as if they have an Indian call centre so nobody spoke with particularly intelligible accents.

I make two journeys a year to London and until now have used Trainline every time, but of course this does not count for anything with these guys. Most companies would at least have a sympathetic side, but these guys did not, at least not today. One 'supervisor' even said he'd 'go and see what [he] could do', and then left me hanging for 30 minutes and in the end I hung up and tried again, with the same null result.

There is no point in being a loyal customer at all, and will not be using them again.

wealdroam

King_Drax_I wrote: »

I will never again use the Trainline to buy rail tickets.

There is no point in being a loyal customer at all, and will not be using them again.

I struggle with the idea that anyone could become a loyal customer of thetrainline... if for no other reason than thetrainline always charge fees which are easily avoided by shopping elsewhere.

King_Drax_I

wealdroam wrote: »

I struggle with the idea that anyone could become a loyal customer of thetrainline... if for no other reason than thetrainline always charge fees which are easily avoided by shopping elsewhere.

Fair point. I just hadn't researched alternatives since they were working well enough for me. *Were*

yorkie2

Officially Advance tickets are not refundable, however if you buy them from the same train company you are travelling with, there is a greater chance of discretion.

You can change the tickets (at any ticket office) to travel on an alternative date, for an admin fee of £10 (plus any difference in fares, if applicable).

mrsp1987

I needed to book some tickets to London for next week and checked to see if there were any cash back offers from the top website for train line. Only for new customers. However, I did find one called Tr@ingenius so I used them and got 2.2% cash back.
Pretty pleased with myself. I was looking at paying up to and over £100 for a return from Telford to Euston but I did some checking and found a cheaper option than what the ticket splitting websites could find for me.
I checked single tickets going from Birmingham New Street to Euston and found 2 trips for £18 that suited me. Granted they are the 2hr + journeys not the super quick ones. Then I bought a day return from Telford to Birmingham which is always the same price for £12.40. So my return trip to Euston is less than £50. Add in a fiver for car parking at the station and w zone 1 tube journeys at the other and it's still cheaper than the cheapest one offered from the splitting websites.

Browntoa

I've spotted a new one , reverse the direction of off peak day returns , London to home £12.60 rtn , change to home to London £10.70


its worked fine using the return ticket first , they will even sell them the "wrong" way round at the station , the staff were not aware this happened either

wealdroam

Browntoa wrote: »

I've spotted a new one , reverse the direction of off peak day returns , London to home £12.60 rtn , change to home to London £10.70


its worked fine using the return ticket first , they will even sell them the "wrong" way round at the station , the staff were not aware this happened either

Unfortunately, the OUT ticket is only valid when the RTN part remains unused.

From The National Rail Conditions of Carriage (see page 11):

17. Using a return ticket

A return ticket (including a two-part return ticket) is only valid for the outward journey shown on that ticket if the ticket is completely unused. You may not use the outward part of a return ticket after you have used the return part.

Browntoa

but they don't actually know