MoneySavingExpert.com Cheap Train Tickets Article Discussion

dzug1

stmarcus wrote: »

Hi all,

This is my first ever post on Moneysavingsexpert, so please accept my apologies if I am not following due etiquette.

I am looking to travel from London to Margate on Thursday 30/3 with a return ticket sometime within 10 days. The best price that I can get is £29 return. I can't find any advance tickets for this route for that day or any other day.

Could someone please advise me if I am missing something or is £29-00 the cheapest fare that I can get ? For info, I am travelling on my own to see family over Easter and I don't mind how long the journey takes as long as I can save some money.

Many thanks

No problems.

The train company that runs that route doesn't offer advance tickets so you will never find any. That fare is about what I would expect without looking it up so you are probably right. An off peak (or possibly super off peak) return is what you should be finding.

The alternative is the National Express coach service - not very frequent but can be a lot cheaper.

Shelldean

not sure if this is the right place but if not hope SKS takes pity on me and answers my stoooopid questions.

I've been searching for a cheap fare down to Devon, I've managed to find one for 47.50 which is showing on several sites. Great, but if i book with say cross country (one of the sites I found my fare on) how do i get my sticky mitts on the tickets ???? Collect on day or posted??
Also I'm reluctant to book any train tickets after hearing the radio tonight about possible strike action over easter ( I want to travel Easter Monday) So if i wait until nearer the date and book will I expect to pay more? Even tho one of the tickets I found was adavnce that i could book up to one day before departure. Tho I'm guessing I can only book the day before departure IF there are seats available???

TIA

dzug1

You can collect them at a fast ticket machine at main stations

They will post them to you (but Cross Country charge a fee - other companies don't)

If all the trains you travel on are run by Cross Country themselves I believe they will e-mail them to you to print off. But other operators are not geared up to accept these tickets.

If you wait you may pay more or the tickets may sell out completely. (advance tickets only - off peak ones never sell out and will not go up). It's not so much seats being available or not but tickets at a particular price

Check you have actually found the cheapest tickets - if you have an advance ticket one way and a normal off peak ticket the other, an off peak return (which can be bought on the day) tends to be cheaper

Shelldean

dzug1 wrote: »

You can collect them at a fast ticket machine at main stations

They will post them to you (but Cross Country charge a fee - other companies don't)

If all the trains you travel on are run by Cross Country themselves I believe they will e-mail them to you to print off. But other operators are not geared up to accept these tickets.

If you wait you may pay more or the tickets may sell out completely. (advance tickets only - off peak ones never sell out and will not go up). It's not so much seats being available or not but tickets at a particular price

Check you have actually found the cheapest tickets - if you have an advance ticket one way and a normal off peak ticket the other, an off peak return (which can be bought on the day) tends to be cheaper

Thanks for responding.

I read Martins piece on the main travle page to help me search for my tickets.
I'm only going one way. From wallington (surrey) to Dawlish Warren.
There will be five of us one adult and four children. And we have family railcard

I do have the option of going in the car but as my hubby hasn't got the week off work, it'll mean him driving us down then turning round and driving back again. He will however be bringing us home hence no need for a return.

I seached the following sites.....
Nat express east coast £47.50
Cross country £47.50
Rail easy £90.10
and national rails cheapest fare was over £100.

I thought Martin said Cross country or Nat express didnt charge? or was that just not booking fees??

Hubby reckons it will be a tank of fuel so around £70 so if i can get a fare cheaper than that, it will be a saving for us.

I had decided this morning so long as i got a reasonable saving on the cost of the petrol I'd take the kids by train, however listening to the radio tonight has made me worry. What will happen if I book in advance and they strike??? I guess I'll get a refund but how fast??? I cna't afford to be out of pocket by that much, esp while on holiday.

dzug1

Shelldean wrote: »

Thanks for responding.

I read Martins piece on the main travle page to help me search for my tickets.
I'm only going one way. From wallington (surrey) to Dawlish Warren.
There will be five of us one adult and four children. And we have family railcard

I do have the option of going in the car but as my hubby hasn't got the week off work, it'll mean him driving us down then turning round and driving back again. He will however be bringing us home hence no need for a return.

I seached the following sites.....
Nat express east coast £47.50
Cross country £47.50
Rail easy £90.10
and national rails cheapest fare was over £100.

I thought Martin said Cross country or Nat express didnt charge? or was that just not booking fees??

Hubby reckons it will be a tank of fuel so around £70 so if i can get a fare cheaper than that, it will be a saving for us.

I had decided this morning so long as i got a reasonable saving on the cost of the petrol I'd take the kids by train, however listening to the radio tonight has made me worry. What will happen if I book in advance and they strike??? I guess I'll get a refund but how fast??? I cna't afford to be out of pocket by that much, esp while on holiday.

Cross Country are an oddity - they don't charge fees, as Martin says, but they do charge postage.

I'm puzzled that the other sites didn't show that fare - they should all offer identical fares. It's still there (I've just checked on First Great Western - no fee, no postage)

If you book it and there are no trains, you will get a refund. If you book it and are badly delayed you MAY get some vouchers

Shelldean

dzug1 wrote: »

Cross Country are an oddity - they don't charge fees, as Martin says, but they do charge postage.

I'm puzzled that the other sites didn't show that fare - they should all offer identical fares. It's still there (I've just checked on First Great Western - no fee, no postage)

If you book it and there are no trains, you will get a refund. If you book it and are badly delayed you MAY get some vouchers

Thanks again dzug1, I'm not worried about being delayed so long as it doesn't mean we arrive very late at night, cos I'll be alone with the kids. I'm more concerned about possible strike action. If i pay for the tickets today then they strike. I'm going end up going in the car costing another £70 and our spending money is sittin in a rail companys account.

what do you think about the possible strike action? how likely is it to happen? or am i asking the golden question with one?? LOL

Assuming I do book tickets for teh journey I mention which would be the best company to use?
And also you mention them sending out tickets, I presume that won't happen if i book too close to the date of travel.

Sorry for all the questions but i usually get taken every where in the car. But hubby not got the time off work to stay.

pandora205

Hi rail expert money savers. I'm not sure if there is a 'cheap' way of doing this but I wonder what is most reasonable by train.

We are three (myself, DS 18 years and DD 16 years) and are planning to go from Milton Keynes to Glasgow on evening of 14th or morning of 15th August. After a few days, we are going from Glasgow to Edinburgh on 17th morning, then Edinburgh back to Milton Keynes on 19th evening or thereabouts. The kids don't have rail cards but could do, nor do we have a friends and familes, and I'm not yet entitled to a seniors.

Now by air it would cost £200-£300 plus car hire. Can I do it cheaper by rail I wonder?

Thanks for any help.

dzug1

pandora205 wrote: »

Hi rail expert money savers. I'm not sure if there is a 'cheap' way of doing this but I wonder what is most reasonable by train.

We are three (myself, DS 18 years and DD 16 years) and are planning to go from Milton Keynes to Glasgow on evening of 14th or morning of 15th August. After a few days, we are going from Glasgow to Edinburgh on 17th morning, then Edinburgh back to Milton Keynes on 19th evening or thereabouts. The kids don't have rail cards but could do, nor do we have a friends and familes, and I'm not yet entitled to a seniors.

Now by air it would cost £200-£300 plus car hire. Can I do it cheaper by rail I wonder?

Thanks for any help.

Difficult to say - the cheap fares are not out yet and won't be for several months.

Looking at some samples in mid May - £23 a head MKC to Glasgow, about a tenner Glasgow - Edinburgh and £55 Edinburgh - MKC. The return journey could be cheaper via Glasgow as Virgin (on the West Coast) are more generous with cheap fares than Cross Country who run Edinburgh/Brum via the East Coast. So potentially under £70 a head on the same £10+£23 calculation as out. But the £23 fare is not that easy to get - the £55 is. Edinburgh/Glasgow is walkon.

Railcards - a F&F is no good, your kids are too old. They could get a YP each. It begins to show a profit after you would have spent roughly £70 at normal fares

Shelldean

dzug1

Still pondering this one ..... but which company do you recommend buying from?
1st great western?? as they don;t charge booking fees or postage???

annetteh_2

London Midland are doing a Great Easter Rail Sale where you can save up to 70%.

It looks really simple to use: travel off-peak anywhere on the London Midland network for £5 return or £10 return between 2nd - 18th April. The offer is only available online and there's no quota control, so you can travel as many times as you want.

Travel opportunities include: London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Stoke, Shrewsbury, Telford, Lichfield and loads more.

For information about the promotion and T&Cs visit the London Midland website londonmidland.com/sale