Find the cheapest train tickets

Top tips to save money on train ticket prices.

Although CrossCountry always has a great range of ticket discounts and special offers, and there's no booking fee, we’ve put together our Top Five Tips on getting the best deal on cheap rail tickets:

Book early & book online

• As a general rule the earlier you book, the cheaper your ticket. Often these tickets go really quickly though, so to ensure you get yourself a bargain make sure you buy 12 weeks in advance of your departure date as this when most new tickets are released.
• To make sure you don’t miss out - our new ticket alert service can email you as soon as tickets for a specific journey are available to purchase. Sign up for a ticket alert now.

Avoid rush hours

• It makes sense. Rush hours means higher demand making it less likely that you will find a cheap ticket. Travel during off-peak hours (after 0930 and before 1530) and you could reduce your fare significantly.

Be flexible with your dates

• If you can be flexible about when you travel, it is best to avoid weekends. Travel mid-week and you're more likely to get the cheapest train tickets.

Two singles could be cheaper

• When you buy your ticket, it is always worth checking if 2 singles are cheaper than a return. They often are! Using our improved ticket booking system you can easily toggle between two singles and return fares in the search results. You can also compare journeys and prices side by side to find the best deal.

Railcards

• It may be worth getting a 16-25, Family & Friends or Senior Railcard which could cut a third off the current price of your tickets.
• Find out more about Railcards here.
  

Take advantage of any special offers

• Finally, check out any ticket discounts and special offers, which can save you even more money and we won't charge you a booking fee! To make sure you don't miss out on any special offers, sign up and we will send you details on relevant offers and promotions as soon as they become available.