Cheap train tickets – official MSE guide discussion

MSE_Kelvin

Hello there,

Sadly, after 11 years of active service, the original Cheap train tickets thread is now closed, so I've created a new one here specifically to discuss the following guide, which is full of tips and tricks to help you play the train ticket system:

Cheap train tickets

If you've tried the tips in the guide, were you successful? How much did you save? And is there anything you'd add? Let me know below.

Cheers,

MSE Kelvin

zair

SAVED £219.00
Looked for a ticket from Liverpool to Camborne (Cornwall). Trainline price was £257.00. Looked on split My Fare and they came back with a journey that was 1 hour shorter AND only £38.00!!!

yorkie2

zair said:

SAVED £219.00
Looked for a ticket from Liverpool to Camborne (Cornwall). Trainline price was £257.00. Looked on split My Fare and they came back with a journey that was 1 hour shorter AND only £38.00!!!

Yes Split My Fare is good; it doesn't charge a booking fee, and only charges a commission based on a small proportion of the saving.

Also you get one PDF with all tickets in the document, which makes split ticketing no less convenient than a through fare.

It makes no sense for anyone to try do their own 'manual' splitting these days, as it would be impossible to come up with as good results as these websites.

Pathpink

I use a combination of Topcashback and Chiltern Railways to get cheaper tickets with varying cashback rates. Also occasionally they have discounts off the one and 3 year railcards through the Railcard site.

Timalay

If travelling in East Anglia, Greater Anglia can have some great pre-advanced deals.  Last year I got a 1st Class return from Sudbury to Norwich for £24.  I travelled last weekend the same route for £16 (standard).  The only thing is you can only travel at the times you select.

MilesT6060842

Timalay said:

If travelling in East Anglia, Greater Anglia can have some great pre-advanced deals.  Last year I got a 1st Class return from Sudbury to Norwich for £24.  I travelled last weekend the same route for £16 (standard).  The only thing is you can only travel at the times you select.

It is sometimes hard to locate promotional fares on the GA website.  The recent "hare fare" promotion was particularly bad--even on launch day it was hard to locate any fares at the promotional price--there wasn't a way of searching by price, only by train times to get a price quote.  I would have considered travelling at very unusual times to get the price.

GA also offer a regional railcard "Club50" (for over 50's) which can be a better deal than some of the other national railcards (split fare or not) because there is no minimum fare. 

Not all fare splitting websites will allow you to include "regional railcards" into the calculation. (There are several regional cards--abellio TransportUK usually offers a "Club 50" on their franchises, and some other regions work with the operators to create a regional offpeak offer)  

Slightly Off topic joke:  If GA was to withdraw a train service, would that be a Hare Cut?  <sorry>

bluebanana62

Megatrain unfortunately no longer exists, but the "secret fare" function on the Seatfrog app is worth checking out if you can be flexible on travel times.

Currently works for EMR and Transpennine Express. You pick your days and morning/afternoon/evening, then 24 hours before the travel date you get your tickets.

Had a look just now for Sheffield to London, outbound 31st Aug, return 1st Sept, and coming back as £34. All "normal" tickets including split tickets are coming back £90+.

There is also a rebranded version called Superfare for Avanti West Coast.