Saving on season ticket

rockall81

Hi,

I am about to book my expensive season ticket for year. Has anyone found out a way to save when buying a season ticket?

I don't want to travel half the way by car, i am already planning to cycle (Hire/own) inside London.

Let me know if there are anything else.

cosmojohnson

Where are you travelling to/from??

paddyrg

First class may not be as expensive as you imagine, so if you're traveling from somewhere where you have to stand quite often it might be worthwhile - especially if they do free snacks, drinks and wifi in first.

It's kinda moneysaving if you use the lounge, station loos, newspapers etc.

yorkie2

rockall81 wrote: »

I am about to book my expensive season ticket for year. Has anyone found out a way to save when buying a season ticket?

In some cases, it may be cheaper to buy a ticket with a different origin and/or destination e.g. York-Headingley Season gives no more validity than York-Leeds, yet costs more!

In some cases, you get more validity for a cheaper price, e.g. York-Huddersfield compared with York-Penistone!

In some cases, you can get more validity for no more cost, e.g. Rochford-London versus Southend -London (via Rochford) which can be handy for leisure trips at weekends.

Most commuters typically work Mondays-Fridays, and have Bank Holidays off. So it makes sense to ensure your Season always commences on a Monday (or Tuesday if the Monday is a B/Hol), and finishes on a Friday, also taking into account Annual Leave and other Bank Holidays.

An Annual is even cheaper, if you can afford it. Purchasing before the fare rises in early January is recommended, if possible. An annual also saves you money in the former 'Network SouthEast' area for any journey not covered by your Season.

My friend bb21 wrote a guide to getting good value out of Season tickets, a Google search for "5.4 Season Tickets bb21" will find it (sorry, MSE rules won't let me link to it)

Elfbert

If you're going to London it can save a thousand or so not to end your journey at a Zone 1 station.

I used to commute to Shepherd's Bush from Brighton. Was over £1000 cheaper to change at Clapham for the overground than go to Victoria and through the middle.

As you've already mentioned cycling, it can definitely pay to cycle just a little further within London. If I were to do it now I'd jump on a bike at Clapham!

dotdash79

Not sure if you have looked at getting a zonal pass then a season ticket from the last station to either your destination or home.

I travel from Pudsey in West Yorkshire to Rochdale, so I have a Train travel card that covers me from New Pudsey to Walsden (which is the last stop in West Yorkshire) and a season ticket from Walsden to Rochdale. From next week my train doesn't even stop as Walsden but it doesn't have to for this combination to work. This also saves me about 10% of price of a season ticket and gives me free bus and train travel in West yorkshire (train excludes leeds station, but I can just buy a ticket to go through)

rockall81

Just down the reading to London waterloo