Tips & tricks for cheap train tickets

[Diddums]

We're moving on the 30th of December to Milford, so for the first time in my life, I'm going to need to pay £lol for the privilege of suffering delays, cancellations, leaves on tracks, etc.

Looking for anything to help soften the blow, anyone aware of any tips to get the cost down, work schemes, discount codes, cashback etc?

Cheers!

 

[dowie]

Season ticket loans from employers (usually interest-free AFAIK) can spread the cost.

Discounts tend to either be from paying upfront for longer periods like a year vs a month vs a week vs daily.

If flexible hours then commuting at off-peak times could save $$$, likewise if not using a zone 1 to [whatever] season ticket because of hybrid working/mostly working from ome then plan routes to avoid changes. For example, for me the tfl journey planner almost always seems to recommend changing to the tube at London Bridge but if I'm going to Kings Cross I can instead get the Thameslink without tapping in and out, so I can go to Kings Cross and back over 2 journeys instead of 4... which means like £6-something instead of £9.60 for the day. If you're doing that sporadically over a bunch of days then that's maybe £300 saved annually by ignoring the app/website suggested route.

Lastly discount cards - need to be old, young, a veteran, on benefits or disabled then you can get a photocard entitling you to 1/3 off rail fares IIRC.

 

[petridish]

Basically Dowie covers it all above.

One other thing that certainly used to be a thing but may not be any more was looking at spilt tickets. E.g if journey from A to D stops at stations B and C on the way you could buy tickets for A to B, B to C and C to D separately and sometimes knock quite a lot off the ticket price. Then just ride A to D as normal.

I think there used to be a website that would work it all out for you but never used it myself. Try searching for split tickets and the rail company you'll use and you might have some luck.

Also look up the delay repay schemes. If and when you are delayed you can claim a portion of the ticket price back fairly easily once you're set up. Just takes a little bit of admin to write down how delayed you were on what day and take a pic of your ticket.

 

[200sols]

Looking for anything to help soften the blow

Spoiler: This

 

[Derek W]

I'd probably use a removal company rather than try to move house using a train.

 

[sigma]

Go via coach instead.

 

[Freakbro]

Lastly discount cards - need to be old, young, a veteran, on benefits or disabled then you can get a photocard entitling you to 1/3 off rail fares IIRC.

Not that I use trains that much but when I looked the network railcard just needs you to be over 16 for 1/3 off fares, for £30 a year. I assume this would work for the routes diddums wants?

Network Railcard - London and South East | National Rail - Network Railcard

Save up to a third on leisure travel within London and the South East with a Network Railcard. Only £30 a year - Buy it here.

www.network-railcard.co.uk

 

[sad099]

Not that I use trains that much but when I looked the network railcard just needs you to be over 16 for 1/3 off fares, for £30 a year. I assume this would work for the routes diddums wants?

Network Railcard - London and South East | National Rail - Network Railcard

Save up to a third on leisure travel within London and the South East with a Network Railcard. Only £30 a year - Buy it here.

www.network-railcard.co.uk

I believe thats for off peak only though, so no good if using to travel to work (assuming peak travel)

You can look at flexi tickets - useful for travelling 8 times over a 4 week period, so useful if you go in twice a week

 

[Freakbro]

I believe thats for off peak only though, so no good if using to travel to work (assuming peak travel)

Ahh, I thought there would be a catch!

 

[Sudden]

Why did you choose Milford out of curiosity? I think I'm in a similar position to you at the moment (living in Putney and looking to move a bit further afield sadly given more space in the next year or so), so will start looking for place inspiration

 

[Diddums]

Why did you choose Milford out of curiosity? I think I'm in a similar position to you at the moment (living in Putney and looking to move a bit further afield sadly given more space in the next year or so), so will start looking for place inspiration

We just liked the area and we get a LOT of house for our money. We looked at loads of areas and ruled a few out as they were a bit pants, and then let the house be the deciding factor.

I had a lot of great input from the folks here in this thread I started for this exact purpose:

Commuter towns to London

Looking for a new place outside of London, so I can get a bit more bang for my buck. So far I've shortlisted: Redhill - not the best area but not awful either Crawley - prefer this to Redhill but a bit more asspensiff Anyone else got any suggestions pls? Cheers

forums.overclockers.co.uk

 

[dowie]

Not that I use trains that much but when I looked the network railcard just needs you to be over 16 for 1/3 off fares, for £30 a year. I assume this would work for the routes diddums wants?

Network Railcard - London and South East | National Rail - Network Railcard

Save up to a third on leisure travel within London and the South East with a Network Railcard. Only £30 a year - Buy it here.

www.network-railcard.co.uk

Oh interesting, that looks good, seems similar to the national railcard schemes for young, elderly etc. but open to anyone.

There can be some savings on a commute with those things too AFAIK:

Revealed: Trick to use the 16-25 Railcard to save £100s on your commute (and it'll work for the 26-30 Railcard too)

Commuters on some routes can use a 16-25 Railcard to save up to £700 on a year's train travel

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Also I guess with hybrid working and flexible hours some people won't want a season ticket so maybe commuting a couple of times a week, possibly off-peak would make that card very worthwhile.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

Is the bus an option? Going from one county to another used to cost me £4.80 but everywhere I go now is £2 regardless of the distance. All bus providers as well.

 

[m@rty]

Board the train without paying, hide in the toilet and lock the door until it's your stop

 

[sigma]

Board the train without paying, hide in the toilet and lock the door until it's your stop

Poo out the window just to be sure.

 

[G-MAN2004]

Take half a suitcase with you and just hide behind it in the luggage area when one of the ticket people walk by.

 

[JRed]

Any old army bases nearby? The stations serving those used to have cheaper tickets historically coming out of London, and prices have never been updated above usual annual increases. For example a ticket to Wanborough would get you to Guildford where you could leave the station, or Brookwood did the same if going to Woking.

This was still the case in 2020 so one option may be to look at a return icket out of London rather than a return ticket to London.

 

[Housey]

Ive been using trains to 'That London' from Staffordshire for a couple of decades now, in the past 5 days a week, then 3 days a week now once a week typically. I sit here typing this from the lounge in Euston and I have never found a way (for peak travel) to save any large amounts of cash really. If you can travel outside of peak that is where the savings are made. I can book well in advance but frankly it rarely gives me a huge saving (and I don't pay for my tickets).

Avanti West Coast are terrible and have been since they took over. Same trains, same staff by and large but oddly terrible compared to Virgin. Such a shame they lost the franchise.

 

[aVdub]

We just liked the area and we get a LOT of house for our money. We looked at loads of areas and ruled a few out as they were a bit pants, and then let the house be the deciding factor.

I had a lot of great input from the folks here in this thread I started for this exact purpose:

Commuter towns to London

Looking for a new place outside of London, so I can get a bit more bang for my buck. So far I've shortlisted: Redhill - not the best area but not awful either Crawley - prefer this to Redhill but a bit more asspensiff Anyone else got any suggestions pls? Cheers

forums.overclockers.co.uk

And the bike park across the road and the many tracks nearby I suspect

 

[Macky]

I use an app called "train pal" which occasionally gets me discounts on tickets.