Train Fares

[Yaffa]

Resending a message I tried to send last week but which doesn't appear to have gone out...

 

I've found that moneysavingexpert.com's section on train travel has a pretty comprehensive guide to  when, how and where to book the different types of cheap tickets.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets
This guide deals mostly with strategy. There is a separate page with the latest train deals:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-coach-train-ticket-deals
Most (though not all) of the cheap deals appear around 12 weeks in advance - and the first resource above has links so you can be notified when this happens.

 

Unlike most sites, for which you pay a huge fee to cancel an advance reservation,  Megabus/megatrain http://www.megabus.com (offering huge discounts on tickets) enables you to change all its bus and train tickets for just a pound (50p rebooking fee and 50p change fee) plus the difference in price between the old and new journeys until 48 hours before a train journey and 24 hours before a bus journey - I've found that very useful when plans change! Unfortunately it only offers a 45 day booking window and a very limited set of routes and times.

 

Yaffa

[edited to correct typos]

Edited April 22, 2015 by Yaffa

[sarahw]

Thanks Yaffa. I have summer school train tickets to book and this is really useful.

[ballettaxi]

Rather than starting a new thread on the topic of Train Fares I thought I'd resurrect this older one. 

 

Earlier this week I had tickets to see the Trocks at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh along with 3 of my sisters in law.

 

On previous outings to various shows in Edinburgh we've all joined the same train but at our various stations along the route.  Some starting the journey at Glasgow Queen Street where the return fare is £26.50 - not ridiculous but certainly adds to the expense of an evening out.  Whereas 2 of us are always the last to join the party and positively gloat in our £12.50 return tickets.

 

This week however, those who would normally join the train in Glasgow decided that they would drive to my station - which is only 15 minutes from Glasgow QS, with a free car park - and join us there.

 

As I arrived at the station early I offered to purchase the tickets for everyone to save them some time.  So, with £50 in my hand I approached the desk.  Imagine my absolute shock when the ticket attendant offered me a ticket - for all 4 of us - for £33!!!  Wow!!!

 

So instead of the total cost of our journeys totaling £78 we all travelled (not quite in luxury as it was a ScotRail carriage) for the tiny sum of £33!!

 

It just proves how much you can save when you know what the offers are - I absolutely didn't know this type of ticket was available and was flabbergasted that the ticket attendant pointed it out to me.  Great Customer Service on his part.

 

Now the bargain hunter in me is wondering how much more I could save if I purchase this type of ticket in advance for our next outing.  I love a new challenge!!

[alison]

Good point - Group Travel starts at 4 people, I believe, and I think comes out somewhere close to the fare for 2 people.  It does of course require you to travel together throughout.  Wonder how much the train fare from Queen Street to your station would be, as an add-on?

[alison]

PS: In case I didn't mention it before, try the Seat61 website for useful advice on all types of train travel, including abroad.

[ballettaxi]

Thanks for the recommendation Alison I'll remember that for next time.  The return fair from Queen street to my station is £17.50 - which is ridiculous for such a shirt journey but with the traffic as it is then they can get away with it.