Top 10 tips and tricks on how to save money on railway fares in Britain
Rail services in the UK have deteriorated in recent years, with fares rising steadily, doubling on some routes.
After a year of strikes, delays, cancellations, weather-related chaos, and staff shortages on the network, regulated rail fares will increase by 4.9 percent from March 3, 2024. Last March, rail fares in Britain rose by 5.9 percent. In the same month, the government canceled its plan to introduce rail passes for Britons to boost domestic tourism, as reported by The Telegraph.
But it is still possible to save on railroad tariffs in this country. There are several options for this.
Railway cards
National Rail offers nine different railcards, ranging from cards for people aged 16-25, 26-30, and over 60, which offer a third off, to the Family & Friends Railcard, which gives a 60 percent discount. The Two Together Railcard can save couples up to £129 per year.
Advance booking
By booking an advance ticket, you can save up to 61 percent on average. Advance tickets are valid only for the specified date and train, but they can save you a lot of money on long journeys. For example, a London Euston - Liverpool Lime Street ticket for mid-March costs from £50 roundtrip compared to £145.40 or even £171.30 at peak times.
Other ticket options
If there are multiple off-peak fares for your trip, the cheapest fare with the most restrictions is the super off-peak fare. Off-peak and super off-peak tickets are valid only on the date shown on your ticket, and off-peak and super off-peak refunds are valid for one month from the date shown on your ticket.
Split tickets
About ten years ago, there was a lot of noise in the media when companies like trainsplit.com, quickly joined by splitticketing.com, ticketysplit.com, and others, started to popularize the idea of a "split ticket", where a passenger pays only for the distance they travel. A "split ticket" is simply a ticket from A to E, in this example divided into five sections: AB, BC, CD, DE.
Consider changing the route
Sometimes it's worth checking out alternative routes for longer trips. For example, Clitheroe-London involves two transfers and costs £77.70 one way.
But the bus fare to Preston is currently £4 due to the extension of the government's bus fare capping scheme, and the Preston-London return ticket is £35 - simply because advance tickets are still available. Figuring out routes and dates is tedious, but it can cost hundreds of pounds if you're traveling with the whole family.
Change your date
Consider traveling on a Friday afternoon or, even better, Thursday evening and returning on Monday. Also, avoid the obvious peak periods: public holidays, school vacations, university breaks, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.
Get a free notification when tickets go on sale
Trainline, the booking website, wants your data. In return, it operates a ticket alert system for specific trips. You will receive an email when advance tickets for that journey go on sale, which are usually the cheapest. Nevertheless, it is better to avoid third-party websites when buying as they usually charge extra fees. Trainline does charge a booking fee, although its webpage on fees is very vague; the page on business accounts indicates a fee of 75p for transactions up to £35.00 and £1.50 for all others, which is most.
Look out for one-time special offers
Sign up for promotional emails from your train company or keep an eye on MoneySavingExpert's bus and train deals page.
Catch a bus
If all else fails, Megabus has tickets in the shortest possible time from London to Liverpool for £7.99. It's 7 hours 55 minutes, with stops at Heathrow, Reading, and Birmingham, but the price is competitive.