EXTENDED: You've got another week to add your travel & holiday deals questions for expert MSE Oli as part of the latest Ask An Expert event.
Cheap Train Fares guide discussion
This discussion has been closed.
Latest MSE News and Guides
MoneySavingExpert
Chair, Martin Lewis · Editor, Marcus Herbert
Replies
I though Virgin accepted railcards at any time on their own trains?? Or is that only some railcards?
An Oyster - either tube or bus - is likely to be cheaper than an inclusive ticket as long as you don't make extra journeys in London
So an Off Peak Return from Rugby to Euston with railcard costs £22.30 and can be used on any train.
That should help with your sums.
Don't forget there is likely to be large fare increases in January. If you buy a season ticket before then, of course you'll get this year's prices. But buying walkup tickets is a different matter.
To expand on that...
Assume travelling five days a week = £110 approx.
Even at fifty weeks, that's only £5500. But remember the fare increases due.
Yes you can use the £22.30 fare on the 07:29 service with a valid Railcard, which must be produced when travelling on the services stated otherwise the ticket is will not be valid.
This means that
52 weeks per year x 5 days in a week = 260 days
-8 Bank hols
-25 holidays
227Working Days
Open Return £22.30 x 227 = £5062.10
Oyster Card:
Euston to Bond Street - £1.80
Bond Street to Euston - £1.80
£3.60
£3.60 x 227 working days = £817.20
Open Return £22.30 x 227 = £5062.10 +
£5879.30
So is this cheaper than a season ticket? I know prices will increase in January but is it still going to be cheaper?
Thanks
or are we better sticking to the likes of the trainline, tp express etc
Stick instead to one of the train operating companies.
However, having said that, East Coast Trains have recently started charging a postage fee.
There maybe others, so check.
We are going from Hull to Cardiff for the Millenium Magic Weekend, (admittedly our prices are not yet up for our weekend, we go 12/2/11)....so what i am doing is (5/2/11) Hull to Manchester Piccadilly £9.50pp or £26.80 for 4 adults 1 child with FFRailcard, so we saved on that one, but then Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central £26.80pp or £152.25 for 4 adults 1 child with FFRailcard, making it £142 for 4 adults and £10.25 for child, or 1 adult £32 with 1 child £16....£48??
We have definately got the cheapest fare from Hull on the saturday and unfortunately we can only travel on the 9:30am from manchester to be in Cardiff in time for our rugby game.
We also have a disabled passenger with wife, an OAP and another adult equalling 9 of us altogether, Im tearing my hair out slightly atm but need to know what Im doing before the dates are released.
Haven't even started looking at the return for the Monday yet :eek:
Iam seriously grateful in anticipation for any help or advice offered
Another way round it is to get a Devenport (DPT)- Dockyard (DOC) child CDS at 35p in your basket, make sure the date for this ticket is BEFORE the date of your journey. Postage will then be free, rather than £1. Total saving 65p (but, hey, it's the principle that counts!) this is worth it if you are travelling on East Coast using an Advance ticket that is 10% off, when booked on their website.
Otherwise, as you say, use London Midland!
See http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html to determine the date the relevant companies are selling Advance tickets (and reservations) for. ATW do GroupSave on some routes. It is worth checking a thetrainline powered site (TransPennine Express should do, with no fees) to see if GroupSave is available (4 adults for the price of 2 for an Off Peak Return). GroupSave may not be available for a Manchester-Cardiff ticket but if you split tickets, it might be. If the OAP has a Senior Railcard, they get 1/3 off, but if not then they can get money off with the F&F railcard anyway (up to 4 adults can - 2 named adults + 2 random ones!). Also a Disabled holder can take one adult on their railcard. Hope the above advice is useful but if you need further advice you could try http://fares.railforums.co.uk/
maybe try looking 12 weeks before you want to travel as thats when the cheap ones will be released
It is for 1 Adult and 1 child with a family railcard and need to be in Newcastle for around 2.30pm and would like to leave Newcastle around 11am on the 25th please.