We learned last week that train fares could rise by 5.8% next year – there’s no sugar-coating this, but there are ways you can drastically cut how much you spend.
Here’s how far ahead you should buy tickets to get the best price…
Train tickets are normally released around 12 weeks in advance, but this is not a good time to buy.
Initially, you may only see more expensive Off-Peak and Anytime tickets – but within a week or two, the much cheaper Advance fares go on sale, and that’s when bargain-hunters should pounce.
So, around 10 weeks in advance is a good rule of thumb for a chance at some of the best deals.
But Mark Smith, who set up The Man In Seat 61 blog to help people save money on rail travel, says purchasing any time before your day of travel is advisable – he’s seen a £30 or £40 Advance fare inflate into a £68 Off-Peak one-way or a £184.70 Anytime.
Save by splitting your journey
Smith also advises travellers to consider split ticketing if you’re forced to travel at peak times.
For example: If you’re going from London to Manchester at 5pm on a Monday, instead of getting a peak ticket all the way, buy a peak Anytime ticket to Milton Keynes and then an Off-Peak from Milton Keynes to Manchester.
Split ticketing also works for many journeys where “fare anomalies” have arisen. This is when a route might be overseen by several different pricing managers – so if a ticket from A to B, and another from B to C, cost less than one from A to C.
An example might be this: instead of getting a ticket from Torquay to Scarborough, look if it is cheaper to get a ticket from Torquay to Birmingham, then up to Scarborough. If you’re willing to put the time in, you might be able to save even more if you buy tickets from Torquay to Bristol, then Bristol to Birmingham, then Birmingham to York, then finally on to Scarborough.
“This can save you quite a lot of money,” Smith says.
There are websites to do this for you, such as ticketysplit.co.uk and trainsplit.com.
Remember all the railcard options
Another tip Smith offers is to look at railcards – they’re not just for the young and elderly.
The Network Railcard can help people of any age save a third off tickets in London and the South East. And it’s worth checking the map of the area covered by this card – it applies further south and west of London than you might think, as well as in some areas north of the capital, too.
Nationally, there’s also a Family and Friends railcard, and the Two Together railcard – which saves you money whenever you and a friend or partner travel together.
