Cheapest rail tickets?

andygb

I would just like to know which ticket sites folks on here find the cheapest for rail tickets.

KeithP

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets

and trainsplit.com

nickcc

Cheapest one I used couple of weeks ago was trainline, even with the small handling fee it was half the price of others, it was only two days before travel so maybe that's why.

Voyager2002

nickcc wrote: »

Cheapest one I used couple of weeks ago was trainline, even with the small handling fee it was half the price of others, it was only two days before travel so maybe that's why.

By all means use Trainline to find low fares, but those fares will also be offered on the website of the relevant Train Operating Company.

nickcc

Voyager2002 wrote: »

By all means use Trainline to find low fares, but those fares will also be offered on the website of the relevant Train Operating Company.

Sorry but that's incorrect. Both crossrail and GWR were almost double for the same journey, if I'd booked a week earlier then the price would have been the same as trainline. The only problem that I experienced with trainline was their advice regarding self service ticket collection as it turned out that you can just collect your tickets from the station booking office, trainline email stated that tickets have to be self service which was incorrect.

elverson

Trainline don't sell any tickets which you can't get elsewhere.

nickcc

elverson wrote: »

Trainline don't sell any tickets which you can't get elsewhere.

But not at the same price. You can buy rail tickets at many places but in my case trainline were cheaper. I realise that some members of this forum have a real downer on trainline and those who use it but in my case they worked out cheaper and after all this is a money saving forum.

KeithP

nickcc wrote: »

But not at the same price. You can buy rail tickets at many places but in my case trainline were cheaper. I realise that some members of this forum have a real downer on trainline and those who use it but in my case they worked out cheaper and after all this is a money saving forum.

Please can you quote an exact example.

When comparing like for like, the trainline will charge more than a train operating company - card fees, postage fees, booking fees, etc.

elverson

They only have access to the same fares as the TOC websites, but also charge a booking fee which most of the TOCs don't. So there are no tickets which are cheapest on the Trainline website.

Voyager2002

nickcc wrote: »

Sorry but that's incorrect. Both crossrail and GWR were almost double for the same journey, if I'd booked a week earlier then the price would have been the same as trainline. The only problem that I experienced with trainline was their advice regarding self service ticket collection as it turned out that you can just collect your tickets from the station booking office, trainline email stated that tickets have to be self service which was incorrect.

OK, so there was a 'glitch' with the booking system used by Crossrail and GWR. I expect that if you had telephoned either of these TOCs they would have been able to sell you the tickets at the fare you found on TrainLine, or that the same fares would have been offered by another TOC.

By law, all fares available on any booking channel must be offered on all booking channels (with a small number of exceptions). Sadly, some TOCs seem to be ignoring this law now.

glennevis

I use the Virgin Trains fare finder site. I can be flexible about when I travel and can view 5 services per page and it is easy to navigate through the dates looking for cheap fares.


https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/best-fare-finder