Before ‘rona, I was a touring theatre technician. I was contracted to a show and traveled all around the country, every week, to make sure the show ran smoothly. Touring theatre isn’t as glamorous as you would think and a lot of us non-drivers relied heavily on Britain’s rail network to get us to our next destination each Sunday.
Each week the company manager would work out the average cost of the train journey needed to get to the next venue, and that’s the travel allowance we would get… obviously, being the frugal-minded person that I am, I always sought a better deal! In this post, I’m going to go through some of the ways I would save ££ on my weekly train fare and hopefully save you a fair amount on your next trip.
Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and Advance
When searching how to get cheap train tickets, this is going to be your first port of call. If you can, traveling at an off-peak, or even super off-peak time is always favourable. The train tickets at this time are already heavily discounted compared to that ‘anytime’ ticket. Where you can, always avoid ‘anytime’ tickets!
Obviously, these tickets come with certain restrictions such as the times in which you can travel, and sometimes even the journey taken. You can find super off-peak tickets during weekends and bank holidays. Generally when the rail network is at its quietest.
The time in which you can use these tickets varies on your location and journey, so when planning your journey I would check online whether there are any available around the date/time you wish to travel.
When you’re looking in advance, you may find some tickets called ‘Advance’ – these are only available as singles, so if you’re looking for a return journey you will need to buy two. They’re non-flexible meaning you have to use the exact train you booked, but if you love to plan your journey ahead of time, could make for great savings!
Let’s look at an example. I live in Salisbury, and often travel to London for work and to see friends. Here are the ticket prices below for a Day Return:
Anytime Day Return: £89.80
Off-Peak Day Return: £52.70
Super Off-Peak Day Return: £43.90
Advance Day Return: 2x Advance Singles for £14 = £28
Ticket Splitter
If you’re taking a relatively long journey, splitting your ticket can be an absolute game changer! I didn’t find out about this train travel hack until well into my touring profession and I cringe at the potential savings I could have made!
Let’s use my journey to London as an example again to explain how this works. Now for this journey, I would normally buy one ticket Salisbury – London, but what if we split that journey and said I was going Salisbury – Basingstoke, the Basingstoke – London. Just by making that split, I could save ££! The great thing is, there are websites that work it all out for you and you don’t even have to get off the train
I always used SplitTicking.com to book my train tickets, but there are others. For the example below I had to use a different route to find a ticket-splitting opportunity. But you can see the savings I made! Over these tickets, I only change train once, and that’s a logistics issue rather than because of the tickets bought.
Cashback
If you’ve taken a look at splitting your ticket and there doesn’t seem any available on your route, you’ll probably go back to one of the major retailers to purchase your ticket. I’m talking National Rail or The Train Line. As with any purchases we make online, it’s always worth checking if you can get cashback!
Firstly, make sure you have Airtime Rewards downloaded on your phone and your bank card connected. Then head to your chosen cashback site. I use TopCashBack, but Quidco is also a great option. And open your chosen ticket provider website via their website so that they can track the purchase and give you cashback!
Railcards
Firstly, you can get cashback on your railcard purchases so if you’re looking to get one, definitely make sure to go via a cashback provider! There are nine different railcards available, and if you’re wondering, yes there’s probably one suitable for you. The figures provided are taken from the official Railcard website.
* Average saving is based on the average savings made by 16-25 Railcard holders between March 2019 and February 2020, excluding price of Railcard.
16-25 Railcard
Get 1/3 off rail travel if you’re aged 16-25, or are a mature student. It’s £30 for one year of £70 for three years. If you’re making at least three major rail journeys a year, it’s probably worth getting one! An average yearly saving of £189.
Senior Railcard
Again, get 1/3rd off rail travel for £30 for a year, or £70 for three years, and this card can be used by everyone aged 60 or over. An average yearly saving of £98.
Family & Friends Railcard
For up to four adults traveling together with up to four children, this railcard gets 1/3 off rail travel for the adults and 60% for children. An average yearly saving of £114.
Veterans Railcard
Railcard has said this discount card for Veterans provides 1/3 off ‘most’ rail travel. They have not provided an average annual saving, and the railcard remains at the same price. £30 for one year, or £70 for three.
Two Together Railcard
This is the railcard my partner and I have as we very rarely go anywhere without the other person, and if we do it’s local journeys. 1/3 of rail fares, only when you travel together, for £30 a year. An average yearly saving of £98. We chose to get this one railcard as opposed to us both paying £30 for our own. Meaning the saving is actually higher!
Disabled Persons Railcard
1/3 off rail travel for the disabled person and their friend, companion, or carer. You have to meet disability criteria, and the annual average saving is up to £115. This railcard is (rightly) cheaper than the others at £20 for one year, or £54 for the full three years.
26-30 Railcard
Often referred to as the Millennial Railcard (ouch, I’ve only just turned 26 but okay), this card offers 1/3 off rail travel for everyone ages 26-30, is only available as a yearly card for £30, but has a whopping annual average saving of £251!
Network Railcard
For people traveling in London and the South East, this railcard offers 1/3 off rail fares for £30 a year and has an average annual saving of £136.
16-17 Saver
Great for teenagers who have to travel to college, this £30 annual railcard offers 50% off most rail fares.
If this has helped you to get cheap train tickets, please drop a comment below with your saving!
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