Cheap Train Fares guide discussion
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No special powers - just foresight. Those £13.50 tickets will still be available - but not for your date. They've sold out.
Has he a young person's railcard? That will reduce the cost of most of his journeys.
You could try split ticketing - Didcot is the most likely place, maybe Swindon. Just make sure the train stops there. Possibly London as well if it's a day return.
I could do with your expert help in finding "cheap" rail-tickets from Glasgow to London Waterloo. It has been MANY MANY years since we last travelled by train, and cannot believe how expensive it now is!! Best I've got return is about £260 (from home station which is close to Glasgow).
Our dates of travel are Friday 11th February returning on Tuesday 15th February. Can travel at anytime really, but preferably very early on the Friday and mid afternoon / early evening on the 15th if it's an option.
We don't have a railcard, but presumably could buy one if it makes a massive difference (do you buy these things?)
There are 2 adults, 1 x 17 and 1 x 13 year old.
Very much welcome and appreciate any assistance.
You are trying to book TOO EARLY. (I wish I had a fiver for every time I've written that)
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html will be useful to you.
And a Family and Friends railcard is probably going to save you money on this journey. Check it out while you are waiting for the cheaper fares to come out.
Have you read that article?
One of the early paragraphs explains this very topic.
If you check the link I gave about once a week starting about 12 weeks ahead you'll get enough notice to buy cheap tickets - they rarely sell out immediately on release, particularly if you are flexible on ti,es.
You don't need the railcard when you book online - just when you travel.
The child will get 60% off, and the adults 34% off tickets. This is less than the £26 cost of the annual card (but look out for special offers between now and February - they're sometimes half price (example - now closed)!) if you book online you won't need to buy the Railcard until the day you travel. But don't forget to buy a Railcard before you travel!
If you want a fully-flexible ticket, an Off Peak return ticket with a Railcard is valid on ANY Virgin Train at any time. The price of this is £71.55 (adults) + £20.60 (child) total £235.25 return for the group.
However you will get much lower fares (potentially around £70 return for the group!) if you can book a specific train at a less popular time, when Advance single fares become available (see booking horizon page linked to above). This option is very cheap providing your plans do not change and you adhere to the T&Cs. However if you do not get the train specified on your ticket, you will be charged for brand new tickets. If you forget to bring the railcard you would also be charged for brand new tickets. The cost of replacement tickets on board the train is up to £379.40 for a one-way journey for the group (or you could pay to the next stop and re-book en-route). Advance fares are a good deal but only if you do not want flexibility. And make sure you don't lose your railcard!!
Looking at Advance tickets, there are £13.85 tickets back on the 20:25 from CDF to HML. But getting there is a little trickier. The only good price I can find is leaving HML at 0737 (is that too early?) which gets you on the 0915 from Paddington, arriving CDF 1123 for just over £18.