Train travel money-saving hacks that you need to know.
Most people don’t know that opting to reach your desired staycation destination by train is one of the most effective ways to make a big savings.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, we have combined five top money-saving travel tips to help the nation get the best possible savings when travelling by train.
Avoid travelling at peak times
Starting with the basics, a great way to save money on train tickets is to avoid travelling during peak times – this is between 6.30-9.30 and 15.30-18.30! Instead, if you are able to travel during off-peak times, you will instantly reduce the price of your ticket. What’s more, avoiding travel during peak times if you don’t need to is often a much more comfortable journey, with quieter carriages and stations.
Split your ticket
Another easy tip to save on your rail travel is to split your ticket for longer journeys. Depending on the stations you are travelling through there might be an opportunity to split your journey up into stages – buying cheaper train tickets if available for each part of the journey.
Split ticketing can require a little bit of research in order to make the biggest savings, but it is well worth it. In its simplest form, you can often just pick a major station on your route and look at separate tickets to split your journey here. These separate tickets are often cheaper than your original route, without actually having to change the journey at all. There are also many great online tools that do this for you, that’ll find you the best savings automatically!
Buy directly from the rail provider
Another super simple tip to save money on your rail travel is to always buy your train tickets directly from the rail provider. This can ensure that you’re only paying for the actual ticket, and not for third party fees. This may only seem like a few quid each time, but if you travel regularly it adds up quickly!
Following this straightforward step is a super-easy way to immediately save on your rail travel tickets. For example, booking directly through West Midlands Railway means you can be sure you are getting a good cost effective deal on your ticket, avoiding hidden charges that other websites may add to your ticket price.
Book your tickets in Advance
Did you know you can save money on your train tickets by booking early? Grabbing Advanced tickets is a great way to instantly save pennies - all you have to do is be prepared and make sure you plan your journeys in advance.
To find the cheapest rail fares online you need to be checking regularly - advanced tickets from us are released every week, up to 12 weeks in advance. So, get yourself organised and book your Advance tickets with us well ahead of your journey, so you can be sure you are getting the best price and deal possible.
If your journey date is less than 12 weeks away, it is still recommended to book your tickets as soon as possible, ensuring you are still able to get the lowest fare available. It really is that simple!
Invest in a Railcard
Again, this may seem like an obvious tip to many, however, you could be saving money on every journey you take just by getting your hands on a Railcard !
Investing in a Railcard gives you not to be missed discounts on your train tickets, with at least 30% off most train fares. There are various options available, costing around £30* per year. Therefore, if you spend more than £90 a year on travel it will save you money in the long run. This is a great way to save money, especially if you are a regular traveller or commuter as your guaranteed savings on almost every ticket!
Just remember to always have your Railcard handy when travelling, as you don’t want to get caught out by ticket inspectors. This has now been made much easier as you have the option to store your Railcard digitally, so all you’ll need to remember is to grab your phone!
So, there you have it – five easy travel tips to help you make a saving whenever you travel by train. Whether you’re visiting a friend, heading on a family day out or commuting to work there’s no reason why you can’t save a pretty penny.
Make the most of our train discounts
Did you know we offer great discounts and savings to make your journeys even cheaper?
GroupSave
If you're travelling in a group of 3-9 people, you can save 1/3 on your train travel with GroupSave .
Kids go to London for £1
Keeping it in the family, did you know our sister over at London Northwestern Railway offers a Family Travelcard , whereby up to four kids can travel to London for just £1!
2FOR1 Offers
Did you know, when you travel by train, you have access to a range of 2FOR1 offers to some of the UK's best attractions?