It's no secret: UK train travel is NOT cheap! But there are ways you can save more. Here are the top UK Train Travel Myths Costing you Money, based on my 25 years of traveling the UK by train (I have actually never driven in the UK- I've always taken the train!)
For more UK train travel tips, click here.
Booking earlier = More savings
You don't always save more if you book earlier: advanced tickets are released in batches, with different pricing strategies- pricing can vary by route, demand and operator.
If your travel dates aren't fixed, it's worth checking train fares on different dates- operators may (or may not!) lower prices closer to the travel date if they are trying to sell more tickets.
Closer destinations are cheaper
This is a a theme on this post- but the train fare always depends. I have been charged £40 for an under 1 hour journey versus £6.60 for an over 1 hour journey!
Off Peak is always after 930 am
Different operators, days of the week, routes, even and direction of travel will have different definitions of off-peak: making a mistake can cost you up to £50 for a single journey AND the risk of penalty fines!
East Midlands Railway, for instance, has a peak window from 4.35pm to 6.47pm for Monday to Thursday- during this window, only Anytime tickets are valid. But not on Friday!
So always check!
The Train Staff always have the Answer
I have asked different train staff questions about the validity of the same train ticket (e.g. whether I can travel at a different time) and gotten different answers!
The UK imposes for those traveling with the wrong ticket (even unknowingly) so if the train staff in question has given you the wrong advice, you're going to be left out of pocket!
Always check the train operators website to be sure.
You Need to Change Trains to Split Tickets
Under the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, at the time of writing, you can split your ticket at any station your train passes through, even if you don't alight the train.
Splitting the ticket can save you money (but not always)- I usually check both Splitmyfare and National Rail to compare prices. (I am not an affiliate of Splitmyfare by the way!)
Return tickets always offer better value
2 advance singles can sometimes cost less than the price of a return if you're willing to commit to specific trains. (Return offers you flexibility.)
Any questions about train travel in the UK? Let me know in the comments!
