Cheap train tickets

How to find cheap train tickets

If you are looking for cheap train tickets, you've come to the right place. We compare hundreds of train tickets from all major train operators and travel agents in United Kingdom, to help you find cheap train tickets to travel in UK and in Europe. By using our unique search engine get free access to all train tickets and find the best price!

We also give you lots of helpful information to plan your next train journey and ensure you find cheap tickets. When you know where you want to go, there are lots of things to keep in mind when booking cheap train tickets like: how far in advance you should book, what ticket type is cheaper, how much can you save with a railcard… Let's see all our advice on how to travel cheaper!

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Cheap train tickets to travel in UK

We compare train tickets from all major train companies and find the best train fare for you. Here are the best prices in the coming days to travel by train in UK. Your cheap train ticket is just a few clicks away!

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Cheap train tickets to travel in Europe

If you prefer to visit foreign countries, here are the best train prices we found to travel to European cities.

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Cheapest Train ticket type

Train tickets may look a bit complicated at first sight but it's easy to understand how it works. To start, there are three main train tickets types available in the United Kingdom: Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime tickets. Let's see each ticket type to help you make the right choice and buy the cheapest tickets.

• Advance Ticket : Advance train tickets are a great way to get cheap train tickets. They are available up to 12 weeks before you travel and offer the biggest discounts. To take advantage of these tickets you must book ahead: the earlier you book, the cheaper the train fares are! Advance tickets are always sold as singles, but if you want to book tickets for a return journey, just purchase two Advance tickets. They are only valid for the date and train they are booked for. Also, these tickets cannot be refunded but can be amended before departure.
• Off-Peak Ticket : If you need more flexibility than an Advance train ticket, the Off-Peak rail tickets could be for you. These tickets are flexible and valid at "off peak" times of the day. Off-Peak tickets are cheaper than the Anytime ticket and still offer the flexibility of travelling on any Off-peak train. They can be purchased any time before travelling, even at the last minute. Off peak tickets are valid at any time of the day on Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays and after around 09:30 am on Mondays to Fridays.
• Anytime ticket : Anytime train tickets are fully flexible, they are valid on any train, at any time, on any day, with no time restrictions. They offer complete security when you can't be certain of your travel times, or if you need to change the day you travel. Anytime tickets are more expensive than Advance or Off-Peak tickets but they are eligible for refunds.
• For your information more ticket types exist in United Kingdom, like Super-Off-Peak tickets, Season tickets, Rover and Rangers tickets etc. Season tickets are best for you if you make the same journey more than three or four times a week. In this case, Season Tickets offer better value for money compared to buying daily tickets.

To sum up in UK, Advance train tickets are much cheaper than Off-Peak-Ticket, or Anytime ticket. These tickets offer lowest prices but they are non-exchangeable and non-refundable, so you need to be sure of your plans.

Book early to get cheap train tickets

Train fares work like air fares: the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get a great price. As a general rule, the more you plan and book in advance, the more savings you will make. Advance train tickets are available for sale up to 12 weeks before you travel, so remember this is the key moment to start looking at train prices.

As you can see in the table below if you book your cheap train ticket in advance, say 90 or 30 days before departure, you will pay less than if you book just one day before departure. For example, for a train journey between London and Manchester:

• if you book your train ticket 90 days before departure you will save £66.00 compared to the price you would pay for a booking one day before departure. So you can save up to 84%.
• if you book your train ticket 30 days before departure you will save £25.00 compared to the price you would pay for a booking one day before departure. So you can save up to 30%.

That's the same example for a train journey between London and Leeds:

• if you book your train ticket 90 days before departure you will save £36.00 compared to the price you would pay for a booking one day before departure. So you can save up to 73%.
• if you book your train ticket 30 days before departure you will save £12.00 compared to the price you would pay for a booking one day before departure. So you can save up to 24%.

To ensure you get the best deal on train tickets make sure you buy in advance. It's not always true, but keep in mind this advice and you will find cheap train tickets for your next travel by rail.

For cheap trains get a railcard

For even cheaper train tickets you can buy a railcard and get a third off your travel! Many railcards are available in the United Kingdom to pay less for your train ticket: 16-25, Two together, Family and Friends, Senior, Disabled persons railcard. All typically give you 34% off most adult fares, so you will save 1/3 on rail fares. The railcard will have paid for itself after three or four trips and will enable you to get cheap train tickets.

16-25 Railcard just costs £30.00 and is perfect for anyone aged 16 to 25 or for full-time student. This railcard gives you 1/3 off rail fares throughout Great Britain.

If you are 60 years old or over, you can buy the Senior Railcard and will get discount on train ticket prices. With a senior Railcard you can save 1/3 on Standard and First class rail fares across UK. It costs £30.00 for a 1-year Railcard.

The Two together railcard is perfect if you are two people who often travel together. This railcard gives 1/3 off rail fares for you and the person travelling with you. The Two Together Railcard costs just £30.00, that's £15.00 each and you can use it as many times as you like during one year.

If you often travelling with kids, the Family and Friends Railcard will allow you to save money on most train prices across the United Kingdom. This railcard costs £30.00 for one year but you can get 1/3 off most adult rail fares and 60% off children's fares, throughout Great Britain.

Get 1/3 off one year's travel for you and a companion thanks to the Disabled Railcard, available for just £20.00 for one year.

If you often travelling to London and in South East England you can buy a £30.00 Network Railcard and benefit from 1/3 off adult rail fares and 60% off kids' fares too. With this card you can travel up to four adults and four children.

If you are eligible for a railcard you are guaranteed to get cheap train tickets for your next travel by train. Unfortunately, railcards cannot be used on the Eurostar network to travel in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland.

Top advice on how to save money on train ticket fares

In summary, here are our top tips to save you money on train ticket prices.

• Book early: the more you book in advance, the more you will save
• Prefer advance tickets: they are available for sale up to 12 weeks before you travel
• If you cannot get advance tickets, avoid peak times to get cheap train tickets
• Be flexible: check train timetables and travel mid-week and you can get the cheapest train tickets compared to travel during weekends
• Get a railcard: for a cost of just £30.00 save 1/3 off rail fares
• Often two single train tickets are cheaper than a return ticket
• Compare prices from all train operators thanks to our search engine

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