Hello all! I was helping a fellow user on HUKD when I had an idea to share all the methods I am aware of to save money on train tickets. There's regularly questions about train tickets, and since I travel by train regularly, but never pay full price because I am really money savvy when it comes to travel, I thought I would create this thread to hopefully help you out!
Links and more info/updates for all of the below will be in comment #1.
1. Railcards
Railcards save you 33% on train tickets, and you can sometimes get discount on buying railcards (RRP is £30). You can also use Tesco Clubcard Points to purchase Railcards to save even more. Remember that you MUST travel with your railcard (I suggest keeping it in your wallet/purse).
2. Split Tickets
On most journeys, it is may be possible to split your ticket to save money. For example, a single from A to B may cost £50, but a single from A to C (a calling point en-route to B) may be £10 and a single from C to B may be £15 meaning the total journey costs £25. Remember that the train MUST stop at the station you split the ticket at.
3. Advance Tickets
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy 2 singles instead of a return, or to book an Advance ticket rather than buy on the day. On most TOC's search engine, you can usually search for all routes for a specific journey (which shows slower routes). This sometimes brings up cheaper tickets, as well as a wider variety of advance tickets available.
Most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of travel, though some TOC's are 24 weeks.
Some websites charge a fee, though TOC's are not allowed to do this. It's best to weigh up the pros and cons of booking from a particular site.
4. Special Offers
Sometimes, TOC's and official ticket sellers (like TheTrainLine and RedSpottedHanky) run promotional offers, and it is always worth looking for these when booking train tickets as they may allow you to save more money. Try and see which promotional offer will save you the most money.
5. Bonus Offers
Some TOC's (like GWR) allow you to earn Nectar Points or other benefits. I find that I earn A LOT of Nectar Points from booking all of my tickets through GWR. Remember that you can book all UK train tickets from any TOC's website, so consider the benefits of booking from each website. Nectar Double-Up is approaching soon as well :smiley:
Virgin Red - 20-30% off West and East Coast Virgin trains services.
6. Tesco Clubcard
As far as I am aware, you can spend Tesco Clubcard points at RedSpottedHanky (£10 = £20) as well as on Railcards, so if you have points burning a hole in your account, then perhaps consider spending them on your train tickets to save even more.
7. Rail Travel Vouchers
Whenever you travel by train and your service is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you are entitled to claim compensation in the form of a cheque or Rail Travel Vouchers. You can then use these to buy train tickets and save even more (or cash the cheque in, effectively saving money on your ticket).
8. The TrainLine Ticket Alert
The TrainLine offer a Ticket Alert service, so if you know the dates you intent to travel, you can enter your email address and the travel information for The TrainLine to then tell you when the cheapest tickets are "on the market".
9. London Underground
The cheapest way to get around on the tube is with an Oyster Card or with a Contactless bank card (both are the same price*).
*You can add Railcard discounts to an Oyster Card, so if you have a Railcard, it's cheaper to get an Oyster Card than use contactless.
10. Megatrain
Megatrain (owned by Stagecoach) do sell train tickets for some routes, though these are usually select off-peak services, and not every day.
Feel free to add your own methods/suggestions on saving money when buying train tickets...I'll add them to the OP! :smile:
Top comments
Eden0032 to colinmckenna
6 Nov 1622#3
Glad you think I copied this, considering I spend the last hour typing this out from personal experience. In fact, if I check my browsing history, I haven't been to MSE in, well, months!
johnjohn44 to colinmckenna
6 Nov 1615#13
even if he did , does that matter?
he spent time to post it here to help others ( which you could have done but couldn't be arsed too)
nice post heat added
Eden0032
6 Nov 1612#1
1. Railcards
Railcards save you 33% on train tickets, and you can sometimes get discount on buying railcards (RRP is £30). You can also use Tesco Clubcard Points to purchase Railcards to save even more.
On most journeys, it is may be possible to split your ticket to save money. For example, a single from A to B may cost £50, but a single from A to C (a calling point en-route to B) may be £10 and a single from C to B may be £15 meaning the total journey costs £25.
Here's some advise on Split ticketing from "ysm1234":
Split ticketing is a lot of times cheaper when one changes trains even though one didn't have to. E.g. London to Newcastle is often cheaper by taking the Grand Central to York and then Virgin to Newcastle. In this example one didn't have to change at York but the direct train would’ve been £64 (when I booked) but changing and waiting 20mins at York brought the total price down to £26. Manchester to London is available from £13 when splitting and changing at stoke.
The problem with using tickety split is it won't bring up the above examples. I'll explain why that is:
Tickety split will only split journeys that appear on national rail. If one searches on national rail "Manchester to London", national rail only brings up Virgin direct journeys therefore tickety split only attempts to split those journeys. This is despite the fact that taking a CrossCountry to Stoke and then a London Midland to London starts at £13 (I've found this £13 ticket when Virgin wanted £80 direct see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/manchester-london-13-train-split-change-trains-works-other-routes-aswell-2490012 ) But ticketysplit won't find the £13 Manchester to London as National rail doesn't bring up that journey, as there are direct faster journeys.
Therefore ticketysplit is very good if one wants to keep changing trains to a minimum but there are cheaper options if one is willing to change trains but these splits have to searched manually.
3. Advance Tickets
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy 2 singles instead of a return, or to book an Advance ticket rather than buy on the day. On most TOC's search engine, you can usually search for all routes for a specific journey (which shows slower routes). This sometimes brings up cheaper tickets, as well as a wider variety of advance tickets available.
Most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of travel, though some TOC's are 24 weeks.
Some websites charge a fee, though TOC's are not allowed to do this. It's best to weigh up the pros and cons of booking from a particular site.
4. Special Offers
Sometimes, TOC's and official ticket sellers (like TheTrainLine and RedSpottedHanky) run promotional offers, and it is always worth looking for these when booking train tickets as they may allow you to save more money. Try and see which promotional offer will save you the most money.
Some TOC's (like GWR) allow you to earn Nectar Points or other benefits. I find that I earn A LOT of Nectar Points from booking all of my tickets through GWR. Remember that you can book all UK train tickets from any TOC's website, so consider the benefits of booking from each website. Nectar Double-Up is approaching soon as well :smiley:
Nectar also sometimes do bonus offers every other week, for example 500 bonus points on your next Virgin Trains purchase. Check the Nectar app for these offers.
Cashback - some TOC's offer cashback with Quidco/TCB, however check the terms and conditions as these can be limited.
As far as I am aware, you can spend Tesco Clubcard points at RedSpottedHanky (£10 = £20) as well as on Railcards, so if you have points burning a hole in your account, then perhaps consider spending them on your train tickets to save even more.
Whenever you travel by train and your service is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you are entitled to claim compensation in the form of a cheque or Rail Travel Vouchers. You can then use these to buy train tickets and save even more (or cash the cheque in, effectively saving money on your ticket).
When it comes to compensation, there are some reasons for delay that are not eligible, however it's always worth trying. Remember that you have to claim within 28 days of travel, and you have to send your tickets off (so don't put them into the automatic barriers!)
8. The TrainLine Ticket Alert
The TrainLine offer a Ticket Alert service, so if you know the dates you intent to travel, you can enter your email address and the travel information for The TrainLine to then tell you when the cheapest tickets are "on the market".
9. London Underground
The cheapest way to get around on the tube is with an Oyster Card or with a Contactless bank card (both are the same price*).
*You can add Railcard discounts to an Oyster Card, so if you have a Railcard, it's cheaper to get an Oyster Card than use contactless.
Sometimes you can purchase a Tube ticket with a train ticket, which does sometimes work out cheaper if you intent to use the Tube a lot (e.g. Brighton to London Zones 1-6 travelcard (with a railcard) is very cheap, compared to a Brighton to Victoria Return).
10. Megatrain
Megatrain (owned by Stagecoach) do sell train tickets for some routes, though these are usually select off-peak services, and not every day.
Feel free to add your own methods/suggestions on saving money when buying train tickets...I'll add them to the OP! :smile:
ysm1234
6 Nov 165#16
I'd like to add some additions to the op.
My numbers correspond to the numbers in the op
1) Railcard discount is a minimum of 33% and not 30% http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/46540.aspx
One can also use a family railcard when a child is under 5. E.g. If one has a family railcard but the oldest child they're traveling with is under 5, it is cheaper to buy 1 adult + 1 child both with a family railcard, and let's say the adult without the railcard cost £100 total journey cost will be reduced to £83 (£67 the adult and £16 the child). http://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/help/faqs/25/
2) Split ticketing is a lot of times cheaper when one changes trains even though one didn't have to. E.g. London to Newcastle is often cheaper by taking the Grand Central to York and then Virgin to Newcastle. In this example one didn't have to change at York but the direct train would’ve been £64 (when I booked) but changing and waiting 20mins at York brought the total price down to £26. Manchester to London is available from £13 when splitting and changing at stoke.
The problem with using tickety split is it won't bring up the above examples. I'll explain why that is:
Tickety split will only split journeys that appear on national rail. If one searches on national rail "Manchester to London", national rail only brings up Virgin direct journeys therefore tickety split only attempts to split those journeys. This is despite the fact that taking a CrossCountry to Stoke and then a London Midland to London starts at £13 (I've found this £13 ticket when Virgin wanted £80 direct see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/manchester-london-13-train-split-change-trains-works-other-routes-aswell-2490012 ) But ticketysplit won't find the £13 Manchester to London as National rail doesn't bring up that journey, as there are direct faster journeys.
Therefore ticketysplit is very good if one wants to keep changing trains to a minimum but there are cheaper options if one is willing to change trains but these splits have to searched manually.
4) TPExpress have special offers for advance tickets booked with TPExpress:
50% off with a 16-25 railcard (usually 33%) and 50% off if one is is aged 16-18 or has a jobcentre railcard (see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/50-off-tpexpress-advance-train-tickets-age-16-18-jobseekers-hold-a-16-25-railcard-2492146
Virgin trains have a very good family offer where one chooses the outbound train and is then able to take any train back within a month and surprisingly both the outbound and return are valid in peak times. Manchester to London NO railcard upto 2 adults and 4 children for £95 return. See more details here https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/family-offer
Redspottedhanky and thetrainline charge between £1-£1.50 extra per booking so unless they have an offer or one is using clubcard vouchers on redspottedhanky, avoid both.
5) Download the Nectar app as every second week there seems to be another bonus, last week I had 500points with a Virgin trains east coast booking. Or triple points when booking TPExpress with a 16-25 railcard.
TopCashBack/quidco offer cashback on train ticket purchases but read the T&C's carefully as most TOC's only offer cashback on ticket purchases for their own services and not other TOC's.
6) Clubcard redemption are worth upto 4 times the amount, so look at all the redemptions that are possible before deciding to redeem them for railcard or redspottedhanky which only get you twice the amount. (days out gets you 4x, magazines, ferries, restaurants, hotels, etc 3x, railcard and redspottedhanky only 2x)
7) Very soon one would be entitled to compensation for a delay of just 15mins. Compensation only applies if it was the TOC's or network rail's fault. By trespassing etc they’re not obligated to give compensation but it's still worth a try as many TOC's would still compensate. One has to apply for compensation within 28days, and by law if one requests a cheque, they're not allowed to send a rail voucher.
Before I get an angry response about copying from money-saving-expert, 95% of this is not from money-saving-expert especially the part where I explain what's not good about tickety split.
All comments (113)
Eden0032
6 Nov 1612#1
1. Railcards
Railcards save you 33% on train tickets, and you can sometimes get discount on buying railcards (RRP is £30). You can also use Tesco Clubcard Points to purchase Railcards to save even more.
On most journeys, it is may be possible to split your ticket to save money. For example, a single from A to B may cost £50, but a single from A to C (a calling point en-route to B) may be £10 and a single from C to B may be £15 meaning the total journey costs £25.
Here's some advise on Split ticketing from "ysm1234":
Split ticketing is a lot of times cheaper when one changes trains even though one didn't have to. E.g. London to Newcastle is often cheaper by taking the Grand Central to York and then Virgin to Newcastle. In this example one didn't have to change at York but the direct train would’ve been £64 (when I booked) but changing and waiting 20mins at York brought the total price down to £26. Manchester to London is available from £13 when splitting and changing at stoke.
The problem with using tickety split is it won't bring up the above examples. I'll explain why that is:
Tickety split will only split journeys that appear on national rail. If one searches on national rail "Manchester to London", national rail only brings up Virgin direct journeys therefore tickety split only attempts to split those journeys. This is despite the fact that taking a CrossCountry to Stoke and then a London Midland to London starts at £13 (I've found this £13 ticket when Virgin wanted £80 direct see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/manchester-london-13-train-split-change-trains-works-other-routes-aswell-2490012 ) But ticketysplit won't find the £13 Manchester to London as National rail doesn't bring up that journey, as there are direct faster journeys.
Therefore ticketysplit is very good if one wants to keep changing trains to a minimum but there are cheaper options if one is willing to change trains but these splits have to searched manually.
3. Advance Tickets
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy 2 singles instead of a return, or to book an Advance ticket rather than buy on the day. On most TOC's search engine, you can usually search for all routes for a specific journey (which shows slower routes). This sometimes brings up cheaper tickets, as well as a wider variety of advance tickets available.
Most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of travel, though some TOC's are 24 weeks.
Some websites charge a fee, though TOC's are not allowed to do this. It's best to weigh up the pros and cons of booking from a particular site.
4. Special Offers
Sometimes, TOC's and official ticket sellers (like TheTrainLine and RedSpottedHanky) run promotional offers, and it is always worth looking for these when booking train tickets as they may allow you to save more money. Try and see which promotional offer will save you the most money.
Some TOC's (like GWR) allow you to earn Nectar Points or other benefits. I find that I earn A LOT of Nectar Points from booking all of my tickets through GWR. Remember that you can book all UK train tickets from any TOC's website, so consider the benefits of booking from each website. Nectar Double-Up is approaching soon as well :smiley:
Nectar also sometimes do bonus offers every other week, for example 500 bonus points on your next Virgin Trains purchase. Check the Nectar app for these offers.
Cashback - some TOC's offer cashback with Quidco/TCB, however check the terms and conditions as these can be limited.
As far as I am aware, you can spend Tesco Clubcard points at RedSpottedHanky (£10 = £20) as well as on Railcards, so if you have points burning a hole in your account, then perhaps consider spending them on your train tickets to save even more.
Whenever you travel by train and your service is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you are entitled to claim compensation in the form of a cheque or Rail Travel Vouchers. You can then use these to buy train tickets and save even more (or cash the cheque in, effectively saving money on your ticket).
When it comes to compensation, there are some reasons for delay that are not eligible, however it's always worth trying. Remember that you have to claim within 28 days of travel, and you have to send your tickets off (so don't put them into the automatic barriers!)
8. The TrainLine Ticket Alert
The TrainLine offer a Ticket Alert service, so if you know the dates you intent to travel, you can enter your email address and the travel information for The TrainLine to then tell you when the cheapest tickets are "on the market".
9. London Underground
The cheapest way to get around on the tube is with an Oyster Card or with a Contactless bank card (both are the same price*).
*You can add Railcard discounts to an Oyster Card, so if you have a Railcard, it's cheaper to get an Oyster Card than use contactless.
Sometimes you can purchase a Tube ticket with a train ticket, which does sometimes work out cheaper if you intent to use the Tube a lot (e.g. Brighton to London Zones 1-6 travelcard (with a railcard) is very cheap, compared to a Brighton to Victoria Return).
10. Megatrain
Megatrain (owned by Stagecoach) do sell train tickets for some routes, though these are usually select off-peak services, and not every day.
Feel free to add your own methods/suggestions on saving money when buying train tickets...I'll add them to the OP! :smile:
colinmckenna
6 Nov 165#2
You could have just put the link to the money saving website you copied this from.
Eden0032 to colinmckenna
6 Nov 1622#3
Glad you think I copied this, considering I spend the last hour typing this out from personal experience. In fact, if I check my browsing history, I haven't been to MSE in, well, months!
oUkTuRkEyIII to colinmckenna
6 Nov 164#5
Why so mad? We all copy and paste from other sites.
johnjohn44 to colinmckenna
6 Nov 1615#13
even if he did , does that matter?
he spent time to post it here to help others ( which you could have done but couldn't be arsed too)
nice post heat added
nathan3007
6 Nov 165#4
How to save money on train tickets- take the bus or drive :smile:
leewills8 to nathan3007
6 Nov 162#8
And don't live in the South East where we are bullied by Southern Rail and are pushed into using the already over conjested road network. Ps I know work from home!
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Opening post
Links and more info/updates for all of the below will be in comment #1.
1. Railcards
Railcards save you 33% on train tickets, and you can sometimes get discount on buying railcards (RRP is £30). You can also use Tesco Clubcard Points to purchase Railcards to save even more. Remember that you MUST travel with your railcard (I suggest keeping it in your wallet/purse).
2. Split Tickets
On most journeys, it is may be possible to split your ticket to save money. For example, a single from A to B may cost £50, but a single from A to C (a calling point en-route to B) may be £10 and a single from C to B may be £15 meaning the total journey costs £25. Remember that the train MUST stop at the station you split the ticket at.
3. Advance Tickets
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy 2 singles instead of a return, or to book an Advance ticket rather than buy on the day. On most TOC's search engine, you can usually search for all routes for a specific journey (which shows slower routes). This sometimes brings up cheaper tickets, as well as a wider variety of advance tickets available.
Most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of travel, though some TOC's are 24 weeks.
Some websites charge a fee, though TOC's are not allowed to do this. It's best to weigh up the pros and cons of booking from a particular site.
4. Special Offers
Sometimes, TOC's and official ticket sellers (like TheTrainLine and RedSpottedHanky) run promotional offers, and it is always worth looking for these when booking train tickets as they may allow you to save more money. Try and see which promotional offer will save you the most money.
5. Bonus Offers
Some TOC's (like GWR) allow you to earn Nectar Points or other benefits. I find that I earn A LOT of Nectar Points from booking all of my tickets through GWR. Remember that you can book all UK train tickets from any TOC's website, so consider the benefits of booking from each website. Nectar Double-Up is approaching soon as well :smiley:
Virgin Red - 20-30% off West and East Coast Virgin trains services.
6. Tesco Clubcard
As far as I am aware, you can spend Tesco Clubcard points at RedSpottedHanky (£10 = £20) as well as on Railcards, so if you have points burning a hole in your account, then perhaps consider spending them on your train tickets to save even more.
7. Rail Travel Vouchers
Whenever you travel by train and your service is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you are entitled to claim compensation in the form of a cheque or Rail Travel Vouchers. You can then use these to buy train tickets and save even more (or cash the cheque in, effectively saving money on your ticket).
8. The TrainLine Ticket Alert
The TrainLine offer a Ticket Alert service, so if you know the dates you intent to travel, you can enter your email address and the travel information for The TrainLine to then tell you when the cheapest tickets are "on the market".
9. London Underground
The cheapest way to get around on the tube is with an Oyster Card or with a Contactless bank card (both are the same price*).
*You can add Railcard discounts to an Oyster Card, so if you have a Railcard, it's cheaper to get an Oyster Card than use contactless.
10. Megatrain
Megatrain (owned by Stagecoach) do sell train tickets for some routes, though these are usually select off-peak services, and not every day.
Feel free to add your own methods/suggestions on saving money when buying train tickets...I'll add them to the OP! :smile:
Top comments
he spent time to post it here to help others ( which you could have done but couldn't be arsed too)
nice post heat added
Railcards save you 33% on train tickets, and you can sometimes get discount on buying railcards (RRP is £30). You can also use Tesco Clubcard Points to purchase Railcards to save even more.
16-25 Railcard
Two-Together Railcard
Family And Friends Railcard
Senior Railcard
Disabled Persons Railcard (£20)
Network Railcard
Free 16-25 railcard with O2 Refresh (student offer) - thanks "cchopps"
10% off any Railcard with code SEARCH10 - thanks "psychobitchfromhell"
2. Split Tickets
On most journeys, it is may be possible to split your ticket to save money. For example, a single from A to B may cost £50, but a single from A to C (a calling point en-route to B) may be £10 and a single from C to B may be £15 meaning the total journey costs £25.
Tickety Split (to search for ticket splits for your journey) - Full Version
Tickety Split (to search for ticket splits for your journey) - Mobile Version
Here's some advise on Split ticketing from "ysm1234":
Split ticketing is a lot of times cheaper when one changes trains even though one didn't have to. E.g. London to Newcastle is often cheaper by taking the Grand Central to York and then Virgin to Newcastle. In this example one didn't have to change at York but the direct train would’ve been £64 (when I booked) but changing and waiting 20mins at York brought the total price down to £26. Manchester to London is available from £13 when splitting and changing at stoke.
The problem with using tickety split is it won't bring up the above examples. I'll explain why that is:
Tickety split will only split journeys that appear on national rail. If one searches on national rail "Manchester to London", national rail only brings up Virgin direct journeys therefore tickety split only attempts to split those journeys. This is despite the fact that taking a CrossCountry to Stoke and then a London Midland to London starts at £13 (I've found this £13 ticket when Virgin wanted £80 direct see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/manchester-london-13-train-split-change-trains-works-other-routes-aswell-2490012 ) But ticketysplit won't find the £13 Manchester to London as National rail doesn't bring up that journey, as there are direct faster journeys.
Therefore ticketysplit is very good if one wants to keep changing trains to a minimum but there are cheaper options if one is willing to change trains but these splits have to searched manually.
3. Advance Tickets
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy 2 singles instead of a return, or to book an Advance ticket rather than buy on the day. On most TOC's search engine, you can usually search for all routes for a specific journey (which shows slower routes). This sometimes brings up cheaper tickets, as well as a wider variety of advance tickets available.
Most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of travel, though some TOC's are 24 weeks.
Some websites charge a fee, though TOC's are not allowed to do this. It's best to weigh up the pros and cons of booking from a particular site.
4. Special Offers
Sometimes, TOC's and official ticket sellers (like TheTrainLine and RedSpottedHanky) run promotional offers, and it is always worth looking for these when booking train tickets as they may allow you to save more money. Try and see which promotional offer will save you the most money.
GWR 50% off for 16-25 railcard holders
TPExpress 50% off for 16-25 railcard holders and jobseekers - thanks "ysm1234"
Virgin Trains Family ticket offer - thanks "ysm1234"
5. Bonus Offers
Some TOC's (like GWR) allow you to earn Nectar Points or other benefits. I find that I earn A LOT of Nectar Points from booking all of my tickets through GWR. Remember that you can book all UK train tickets from any TOC's website, so consider the benefits of booking from each website. Nectar Double-Up is approaching soon as well :smiley:
Nectar also sometimes do bonus offers every other week, for example 500 bonus points on your next Virgin Trains purchase. Check the Nectar app for these offers.
Cashback - some TOC's offer cashback with Quidco/TCB, however check the terms and conditions as these can be limited.
Virgin Red - 20-30% off West and East Coast Virgin trains services.
6. Tesco Clubcard
As far as I am aware, you can spend Tesco Clubcard points at RedSpottedHanky (£10 = £20) as well as on Railcards, so if you have points burning a hole in your account, then perhaps consider spending them on your train tickets to save even more.
Exchange Tesco Clubcard Points for RedSpottedHanky vouchers (doubled up)
Exchange Tesco Clubcard Points for Railcard vouchers
7. Rail Travel Vouchers
Whenever you travel by train and your service is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you are entitled to claim compensation in the form of a cheque or Rail Travel Vouchers. You can then use these to buy train tickets and save even more (or cash the cheque in, effectively saving money on your ticket).
When it comes to compensation, there are some reasons for delay that are not eligible, however it's always worth trying. Remember that you have to claim within 28 days of travel, and you have to send your tickets off (so don't put them into the automatic barriers!)
8. The TrainLine Ticket Alert
The TrainLine offer a Ticket Alert service, so if you know the dates you intent to travel, you can enter your email address and the travel information for The TrainLine to then tell you when the cheapest tickets are "on the market".
9. London Underground
The cheapest way to get around on the tube is with an Oyster Card or with a Contactless bank card (both are the same price*).
*You can add Railcard discounts to an Oyster Card, so if you have a Railcard, it's cheaper to get an Oyster Card than use contactless.
Sometimes you can purchase a Tube ticket with a train ticket, which does sometimes work out cheaper if you intent to use the Tube a lot (e.g. Brighton to London Zones 1-6 travelcard (with a railcard) is very cheap, compared to a Brighton to Victoria Return).
10. Megatrain
Megatrain (owned by Stagecoach) do sell train tickets for some routes, though these are usually select off-peak services, and not every day.
Feel free to add your own methods/suggestions on saving money when buying train tickets...I'll add them to the OP! :smile:
My numbers correspond to the numbers in the op
1) Railcard discount is a minimum of 33% and not 30%
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/46540.aspx
One can also use a family railcard when a child is under 5. E.g. If one has a family railcard but the oldest child they're traveling with is under 5, it is cheaper to buy 1 adult + 1 child both with a family railcard, and let's say the adult without the railcard cost £100 total journey cost will be reduced to £83 (£67 the adult and £16 the child). http://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/help/faqs/25/
2) Split ticketing is a lot of times cheaper when one changes trains even though one didn't have to. E.g. London to Newcastle is often cheaper by taking the Grand Central to York and then Virgin to Newcastle. In this example one didn't have to change at York but the direct train would’ve been £64 (when I booked) but changing and waiting 20mins at York brought the total price down to £26. Manchester to London is available from £13 when splitting and changing at stoke.
The problem with using tickety split is it won't bring up the above examples. I'll explain why that is:
Tickety split will only split journeys that appear on national rail. If one searches on national rail "Manchester to London", national rail only brings up Virgin direct journeys therefore tickety split only attempts to split those journeys. This is despite the fact that taking a CrossCountry to Stoke and then a London Midland to London starts at £13 (I've found this £13 ticket when Virgin wanted £80 direct see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/manchester-london-13-train-split-change-trains-works-other-routes-aswell-2490012 ) But ticketysplit won't find the £13 Manchester to London as National rail doesn't bring up that journey, as there are direct faster journeys.
Therefore ticketysplit is very good if one wants to keep changing trains to a minimum but there are cheaper options if one is willing to change trains but these splits have to searched manually.
4) TPExpress have special offers for advance tickets booked with TPExpress:
50% off with a 16-25 railcard (usually 33%) and 50% off if one is is aged 16-18 or has a jobcentre railcard (see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/50-off-tpexpress-advance-train-tickets-age-16-18-jobseekers-hold-a-16-25-railcard-2492146
Virgin trains have a very good family offer where one chooses the outbound train and is then able to take any train back within a month and surprisingly both the outbound and return are valid in peak times. Manchester to London NO railcard upto 2 adults and 4 children for £95 return. See more details here https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/family-offer
Redspottedhanky and thetrainline charge between £1-£1.50 extra per booking so unless they have an offer or one is using clubcard vouchers on redspottedhanky, avoid both.
5) Download the Nectar app as every second week there seems to be another bonus, last week I had 500points with a Virgin trains east coast booking. Or triple points when booking TPExpress with a 16-25 railcard.
TopCashBack/quidco offer cashback on train ticket purchases but read the T&C's carefully as most TOC's only offer cashback on ticket purchases for their own services and not other TOC's.
6) Clubcard redemption are worth upto 4 times the amount, so look at all the redemptions that are possible before deciding to redeem them for railcard or redspottedhanky which only get you twice the amount. (days out gets you 4x, magazines, ferries, restaurants, hotels, etc 3x, railcard and redspottedhanky only 2x)
7) Very soon one would be entitled to compensation for a delay of just 15mins. Compensation only applies if it was the TOC's or network rail's fault. By trespassing etc they’re not obligated to give compensation but it's still worth a try as many TOC's would still compensate. One has to apply for compensation within 28days, and by law if one requests a cheque, they're not allowed to send a rail voucher.
Before I get an angry response about copying from money-saving-expert, 95% of this is not from money-saving-expert especially the part where I explain what's not good about tickety split.
All comments (113)
Railcards save you 33% on train tickets, and you can sometimes get discount on buying railcards (RRP is £30). You can also use Tesco Clubcard Points to purchase Railcards to save even more.
16-25 Railcard
Two-Together Railcard
Family And Friends Railcard
Senior Railcard
Disabled Persons Railcard (£20)
Network Railcard
Free 16-25 railcard with O2 Refresh (student offer) - thanks "cchopps"
10% off any Railcard with code SEARCH10 - thanks "psychobitchfromhell"
2. Split Tickets
On most journeys, it is may be possible to split your ticket to save money. For example, a single from A to B may cost £50, but a single from A to C (a calling point en-route to B) may be £10 and a single from C to B may be £15 meaning the total journey costs £25.
Tickety Split (to search for ticket splits for your journey) - Full Version
Tickety Split (to search for ticket splits for your journey) - Mobile Version
Here's some advise on Split ticketing from "ysm1234":
Split ticketing is a lot of times cheaper when one changes trains even though one didn't have to. E.g. London to Newcastle is often cheaper by taking the Grand Central to York and then Virgin to Newcastle. In this example one didn't have to change at York but the direct train would’ve been £64 (when I booked) but changing and waiting 20mins at York brought the total price down to £26. Manchester to London is available from £13 when splitting and changing at stoke.
The problem with using tickety split is it won't bring up the above examples. I'll explain why that is:
Tickety split will only split journeys that appear on national rail. If one searches on national rail "Manchester to London", national rail only brings up Virgin direct journeys therefore tickety split only attempts to split those journeys. This is despite the fact that taking a CrossCountry to Stoke and then a London Midland to London starts at £13 (I've found this £13 ticket when Virgin wanted £80 direct see more details here http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/manchester-london-13-train-split-change-trains-works-other-routes-aswell-2490012 ) But ticketysplit won't find the £13 Manchester to London as National rail doesn't bring up that journey, as there are direct faster journeys.
Therefore ticketysplit is very good if one wants to keep changing trains to a minimum but there are cheaper options if one is willing to change trains but these splits have to searched manually.
3. Advance Tickets
Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy 2 singles instead of a return, or to book an Advance ticket rather than buy on the day. On most TOC's search engine, you can usually search for all routes for a specific journey (which shows slower routes). This sometimes brings up cheaper tickets, as well as a wider variety of advance tickets available.
Most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of travel, though some TOC's are 24 weeks.
Some websites charge a fee, though TOC's are not allowed to do this. It's best to weigh up the pros and cons of booking from a particular site.
4. Special Offers
Sometimes, TOC's and official ticket sellers (like TheTrainLine and RedSpottedHanky) run promotional offers, and it is always worth looking for these when booking train tickets as they may allow you to save more money. Try and see which promotional offer will save you the most money.
GWR 50% off for 16-25 railcard holders
TPExpress 50% off for 16-25 railcard holders and jobseekers - thanks "ysm1234"
Virgin Trains Family ticket offer - thanks "ysm1234"
5. Bonus Offers
Some TOC's (like GWR) allow you to earn Nectar Points or other benefits. I find that I earn A LOT of Nectar Points from booking all of my tickets through GWR. Remember that you can book all UK train tickets from any TOC's website, so consider the benefits of booking from each website. Nectar Double-Up is approaching soon as well :smiley:
Nectar also sometimes do bonus offers every other week, for example 500 bonus points on your next Virgin Trains purchase. Check the Nectar app for these offers.
Cashback - some TOC's offer cashback with Quidco/TCB, however check the terms and conditions as these can be limited.
Virgin Red - 20-30% off West and East Coast Virgin trains services.
6. Tesco Clubcard
As far as I am aware, you can spend Tesco Clubcard points at RedSpottedHanky (£10 = £20) as well as on Railcards, so if you have points burning a hole in your account, then perhaps consider spending them on your train tickets to save even more.
Exchange Tesco Clubcard Points for RedSpottedHanky vouchers (doubled up)
Exchange Tesco Clubcard Points for Railcard vouchers
7. Rail Travel Vouchers
Whenever you travel by train and your service is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you are entitled to claim compensation in the form of a cheque or Rail Travel Vouchers. You can then use these to buy train tickets and save even more (or cash the cheque in, effectively saving money on your ticket).
When it comes to compensation, there are some reasons for delay that are not eligible, however it's always worth trying. Remember that you have to claim within 28 days of travel, and you have to send your tickets off (so don't put them into the automatic barriers!)
8. The TrainLine Ticket Alert
The TrainLine offer a Ticket Alert service, so if you know the dates you intent to travel, you can enter your email address and the travel information for The TrainLine to then tell you when the cheapest tickets are "on the market".
9. London Underground
The cheapest way to get around on the tube is with an Oyster Card or with a Contactless bank card (both are the same price*).
*You can add Railcard discounts to an Oyster Card, so if you have a Railcard, it's cheaper to get an Oyster Card than use contactless.
Sometimes you can purchase a Tube ticket with a train ticket, which does sometimes work out cheaper if you intent to use the Tube a lot (e.g. Brighton to London Zones 1-6 travelcard (with a railcard) is very cheap, compared to a Brighton to Victoria Return).
10. Megatrain
Megatrain (owned by Stagecoach) do sell train tickets for some routes, though these are usually select off-peak services, and not every day.
Feel free to add your own methods/suggestions on saving money when buying train tickets...I'll add them to the OP! :smile:
he spent time to post it here to help others ( which you could have done but couldn't be arsed too)
nice post heat added
http://www.railcard.co.uk/portal/?utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KEQjwqfvABRC6gJ3T_4mwspoBEiQAyoQPkbhwYQ8JRFqyo4TXpIIjbnvVh2laCk9_40ntWHCBkDAaAteV8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds