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Book Train Tickets online using the Rail Easy™ train ticket price check and Rail Saver online reservation system to find the cheapest available train ticket price on your selected route at your preferred travel times with all of the train operators on the National Rail network.
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Rail Saver offer a comprehensive range of point to point online train tickets impartially between train operating companies on the National Rail network. Using the RailEasy™ train ticket price checker and Rail Saver reservation service to complete an online train ticket reservation, whether it is for the cheapest or a more expensive fare with the added comfort of first class travel, is quick and easy. Rail Saver also offers you useful information and online booking facilities for:-
Rail Saver tells you how to legally pay less for your train tickets and helps you find the most cost effective train fares for your rail journey quickly and easily using the Rail Easy™ train ticket price check and online reservation system with all of the train operators on the National Rail network. |
Rail Travel Money Saving Tips
Rail Saver is here to help you make the very most of your rail travel experience, whether you are a business traveller, a student, a tourist, a senior citizen or somebody who just likes travelling on trains.
The following tips will help you secure the cheapest train tickets available:-
Invest In A Rail Card
- If you're under 26, over 60 or travelling with kids you can cut a third off most ticket prices with a railcard, costing £26 a year. These can be bought at stations or better still, online, as then you can upload a Jpeg photo, saving £3.50 on buying a passport photo. Railcards aren't always valid, so if you do a regular journey, first check whether the card's applicable. And don't try and use railcards on journeys they're not valid on as there are some reports they actually add to the price.
- For journeys costing over £60, always get a railcard.
- If you don't have a railcard, and the ticket(s) costs over £60, buy one. The maths is simple, the railcard is £26 and you get 1/3 off; so at £60 plus you save at least as much as the card costs. Yet even for cheaper tickets, if you're likely to travel by train again that year it's worth considering.
Book In Advance
- Everyone knows book early and you can get cheaper fares yet often these disappear quicker than empty seats on a commuter trip. The key stat is, that under contract terms, Network Rail must have the timetable set 12 weeks in advance; therefore this is commonly (though not definitely) when tickets are released. So if you can, try and book 12 weeks ahead to bag super bargain fares.
- Early booking is still cheaper even when it's not so early. Advance tickets can be available as late as 6pm the night before; so it's worth a call to check.
- Book online using Rail Saver or another reputable train reservation service like www.railsaver.co.uk or www.ticketwatch.co.uk These sites always seek out any cheap seats that may still be available.
Buy Two Single Tickets Instead Of One Return Ticket
- Logically, buying a return ticket should be cheaper than two singles. Yet logic and train fares often don't sit well together often resulting in two single tickets costing a lot less than a return ticket.
For example, at the time of writing this while checking a Manchester to London ticket, leaving at 7:30 am, returning the next day, the cheapest return was an huge £220 because no saver returns were available. Yet saver singles were and a quick check instantly found that for the same journey, a saver single there was £59 and returning on a 'value advance single' cost just £13 - representing a massive saving of £148!.
Only Pay Peak For The Portion That's Peak
- Peak times are usually before 10am and between 5pm and 7pm. If at all possible avoid these times and you'll find better bargains. Yet even if not, you can still cut the cost by buying two singles instead of a return if only one part of your journey is during peak times or else by using split ticketing (see below), so that if some of your journey isn't during peak time, you're not paying a peak price for your whole ticket.
Split Your Tickets - Not Your Journey
- Special fares are often available for part of the route. Therefore by buying several tickets which in combination make up the whole route, you'll often massively reduce the price even though you're on the same train.
For example: For London to Penzance a standard open return was £234. This train stops in Bristol; so then I checked separate ticket prices. By buying four singles: London to Bristol, Bristol to Penzance and then for the return Penzance to Bristol and Bristol to London; the total cost was a tiny £36, a saving of £198. And remember this is for the same trip, on the same train. The same also worked on a £162 open return journey from Sheffield to Edinburgh, which was reduced to £44 via split ticketing.
- Ticket Splitting is legal and within the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. This has been confirmed by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). The only rule is that the train must call at all the stations you've bought tickets for.
Please Note: The savings and ticket prices detailed in the 'Rail Travel Tips' above were correct a the the time of writing and may have increased or decreased accordingly since then.
Carbon Off-Setting Commitment
Travelling by rail is generally more carbon efficient than travelling by car or plane. Reducing emissions from travel is a key challenge for the UK in its drive to reduce emissions. Your decision to travel by rail, is just one way in which you can help to reduce emissions and help to prevent the climate change impact of carbon emissions.
For further information and to learn more about travel emissions please visit www.carbonresponsible.com.
Train Operating Company Changes
As you may have heard in the media, during November and December a number of Train Operating Companies (TOC’s) will be restructured and will be operated by new organisations. This may seem confusing, so we thought we would try and explain.
Here is a basic overview of the changes:
• National Express will run the East Coast mainline service (previously GNER)
• Cross Country (part of Arriva) will operate many of the services currently run by Virgin Trains
• East Midlands Trains (part of Stagecoach) will operate services currently run by Midland Mainline
• London Midland (part of Govia) will operate services currently run by Silverlink County
• Central Trains services will be integrated within Cross Country, East Midlands Trains and London Midland.
National Rail Train Operating Companies
To view information, train timetables and details of a any of the rail operating companies click on the relevant company logo below:-
Rail Saver finds the most cost effective train fares for your rail journey quickly - enjoy more rail travel for less.
