Train fares - don't believe the web price

Bob_Bridges

Looking for a day out in London from the South Coast, checked the Southern Trains website (£ 65 ).
Just happened to go past a station today and popped in on the off chance ...same day, same tickets....£ 39

What a rip !

just luck made me go in the station otherwise I'd be out of pocket....

Beware,

Bob

geordie_taxi

i know what you mean i always search loads of rail companys websites to find the best price then i go to the station so see if they can do better sometimes they do :j

best thing about the internet is that you can buy some bargain cheap tickets from ebay so always give that a check :j

Simon11

£39 still seems a rip off price. You have mentioned when or where you are travelling from.

Looking at return from Brighton to London on Wed 10th November, cost of journey comes to only £7.50:j

Leaving Brighton at 9.19am and return train at 8.36pm

If you post your station+date+ times you want I'll see if there's cheaper options. Trains are cheaper if you spend abit of time learning about it:D

Stigy

As Simon said (no pun intended...), you can get stupidly good deals online, although generally speaking the cheaper the ticket the more resrictions that'll apply to it! (Also, for a day out in London, you're best off with a travelcard for all Zones, which will obviously be quite expensive as well as limited on deals etc!). You might be able to save money on getting something like a Megatrain, with prices starting at just £1, although the trains are heavily restricted and you need to be on a set train in a set coach (subject to severe service disruption of course!). This might work, then buying a travelcard once in London? (all zones TC costs £7.50 when bought within any of the London Zones 1 to 6). If you want a standard ticket on a weekend I'd imagine you'd pay around £20 (assuming by south coast, and Southern trains, you're travelling from somewhere like Brighton). Prices will differ on a weekday though, and the earlier you depart your origin, the more expensive the fare. Also, bear in mind that although much cheaper, a Super Off-peak ticket is now restricted to allow departure from a London Terminal not between 1600hrs and 1900hrs.

Bear in mind Travelcards wil be more expensive but allow travel all around London on tubes, buses, trains and trams. Obviously a Megatrain or similar will only act as a single journey! If you give us more details we can probably be more specific with prices etc!

Livingthedream

Just to add what Stigy and Simon have said, but if you do buy from the Southern Rail website you can get 25% discounts on advance tickets and then there's their Daysave ticket which gives unlimited travel on the southern network for £10 Off peak.

Bob_Bridges

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Journey done - cheaper than web prices - but isn't it about time something was done to make ticket pricing fully open, transparent and fair.

All the best, bob

Stigy

Bob_Bridges wrote: »

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Journey done - cheaper than web prices - but isn't it about time something was done to make ticket pricing fully open, transparent and fair.

All the best, bob

I agree that ticketing is extreamly complicated if you don't know what you're looking for, and I'm sure it could be simpler, even though the operating comapnies have simplified them already believe it or not!

Glad it all went well, how much did it cost in the end and what ticket did you get?