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Buying Advance train tickets
Now when i try, the people at the station tell me i can only buy 2 single advance tickets.
However i've seen people before having a return advance ticket.
so what is going on? i just want a return journey for in about a months time, and am looking for the cheapest deal...
However i've seen people before having a return advance ticket.
so what is going on? i just want a return journey for in about a months time, and am looking for the cheapest deal...
go to the national rail website, think its a 1/3 off for buying in advance
i've heard that site is actually more expensive... can't i just go to the station and buy a return advance ticket?! lol
hello... anyone in?!
The cheapest option when you're looking to travel that far in advance would be to buy two singles.
After that, there's actually no difference between you buying in advance and buying on the day.
National Rail Enquires gives you all the fares; Scotland26 is talking rubbish, you don't get 1/3rd off on NRES - unless you're got a 16-25 Railcard.
After that, there's actually no difference between you buying in advance and buying on the day.
National Rail Enquires gives you all the fares; Scotland26 is talking rubbish, you don't get 1/3rd off on NRES - unless you're got a 16-25 Railcard.
Expression
The cheapest option when you're looking to travel that far in advance would be to buy two singles.
After that, there's actually no difference between you buying in advance and buying on the day.
National Rail Enquires gives you all the fares; Scotland26 is talking rubbish, you don't get 1/3rd off on NRES - unless you're got a 16-25 Railcard.
After that, there's actually no difference between you buying in advance and buying on the day.
National Rail Enquires gives you all the fares; Scotland26 is talking rubbish, you don't get 1/3rd off on NRES - unless you're got a 16-25 Railcard.
yeah i knew that... ok thanks... so you mean after about a month there's not really a difference? hmm ok
trainfarequestion
yeah i knew that... ok thanks... so you mean after about a month there's not really a difference? hmm ok
No.
You can buy advance singles at any point - which obviously you add them together to make a return - and this can be very cheap, but you obviously don't get any flexibility - you are tied to the trains you booked on (specific train)
However, if you don't go down that route, then there is precisely no difference between booking a return ticket (which will either be an Anytime Return or an Off-Peak Return) today for 3 months time, today for 1 months time or actually on the day.
So what the ticket office clerk said was spot on, there's no such thing as an "Advance Return"; you can book your return ticket in advance, but the benefit isn't there financially - just that you can book a seat reservation.
So in the meantime, you might as well try and book 2 Advance Singles - one outward portion, and one return portion - and you can only do that online.
Of course you can book on the day, but the prices available to you will be vastly increased.
Expression
No.
You can buy advance singles at any point - which obviously you add them together to make a return - and this can be very cheap, but you obviously don't get any flexibility - you are tied to the trains you booked on (specific train)
However, if you don't go down that route, then there is precisely no difference between booking a return ticket (which will either be an Anytime Return or an Off-Peak Return) today for 3 months time, today for 1 months time or actually on the day.
So what the ticket office clerk said was spot on, there's no such thing as an "Advance Return"; you can book your return ticket in advance, but the benefit isn't there financially - just that you can book a seat reservation.
So in the meantime, you might as well try and book 2 Advance Singles - one outward portion, and one return portion - and you can only do that online.
Of course you can book on the day, but the prices available to you will be vastly increased.
You can buy advance singles at any point - which obviously you add them together to make a return - and this can be very cheap, but you obviously don't get any flexibility - you are tied to the trains you booked on (specific train)
However, if you don't go down that route, then there is precisely no difference between booking a return ticket (which will either be an Anytime Return or an Off-Peak Return) today for 3 months time, today for 1 months time or actually on the day.
So what the ticket office clerk said was spot on, there's no such thing as an "Advance Return"; you can book your return ticket in advance, but the benefit isn't there financially - just that you can book a seat reservation.
So in the meantime, you might as well try and book 2 Advance Singles - one outward portion, and one return portion - and you can only do that online.
Of course you can book on the day, but the prices available to you will be vastly increased.
its so complicated because i dont like buying online... i guess i'll just buy a normal return....
and yeah only having a specific train is fine.
and on a side note, i've never been checked for my ticket before on trains... is this normal or have i just been lucky?
trainfarequestion
its so complicated because i dont like buying online... i guess i'll just buy a normal return....
and yeah only having a specific train is fine.
and on a side note, i've never been checked for my ticket before on trains... is this normal or have i just been lucky?
and yeah only having a specific train is fine.
and on a side note, i've never been checked for my ticket before on trains... is this normal or have i just been lucky?
Why don't you like buying online lol? I much prefer it. Means i don't have to queue for ages to get my ticket at the station!
The second part depends on the route, and how busy the train is really. Most of the time, I have had my ticket checked, but sometimes (especially when the train is very busy or late) I haven't.
WelshBluebird
Why don't you like buying online lol? I much prefer it. Means i don't have to queue for ages to get my ticket at the station!
The second part depends on the route, and how busy the train is really. Most of the time, I have had my ticket checked, but sometimes (especially when the train is very busy or late) I haven't.
The second part depends on the route, and how busy the train is really. Most of the time, I have had my ticket checked, but sometimes (especially when the train is very busy or late) I haven't.
well isnt there a chance of fraud if you pay online... and how do you get your tickets anyway when you pay online, do they send them to you? (they could get lost in the post lol)
trainfarequestion
well isnt there a chance of fraud if you pay online... and how do you get your tickets anyway when you pay online, do they send them to you? (they could get lost in the post lol)
The chance of fraud online is near enough nothing tbh. As long as you use proper sites (a good idea is to use the train operators sites), and don't have any virus's etc on you PC, then your fine.
With getting your tickets, it depends on the station your starting from.
Being at Bath uni now, I use Bath Spa Station. As its a fairly big mainline station, they have machines in the station lobby to pick up prebooked tickets from. If your local station doesn't have these machines, then you just get them posted.
trainfarequestion
well isnt there a chance of fraud if you pay online... and how do you get your tickets anyway when you pay online, do they send them to you? (they could get lost in the post lol)
you're a little pessimistic!! buying train tickets online is absolutely fiiiiiine, promise. and also in some cases miles cheaper, and yes they can send them to you or you can collest them at the station. I went to Leeds last week (I live in Dorset, so buying tickets on the day would have been £100+) so I booked them online about a month before and got them for £32
national express east coast are very good for online tickets and give online discount, but it depends where you're going. south west trains are a bit pants as they charge you bucketloads of postage to send your tickets to you and they don't accept solo. but generally, online is the way forward esp if you're like me and live 20 miles from the nearest train station 
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- Archive.
- santander railcard
- advice for a US student traveling to UK
- 16-25 railway card
- Train travel daily commute
- Can I travel contactless from Stevenage Railway Station to zone 1?
- industrial placement interview - exam clash - august resit
- Train Travel
- Can cctv find out my name and address on a train?
- Trains
- Is national rail 16-25 card same as Trainline?
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