How to find cheap train fares

Top tips to save you money on train ticket prices

Book early and buy online
Compare journeys and prices side by side
See our Special offers
Be flexible
Two singles may be cheaper
Get a Railcard

Book early and buy online

As a general rule the more you plan and book in advance, the more you'll save. Advance tickets go quickly though, so to ensure you get the best deal on train tickets make sure you buy 12 weeks in advance of your departure date as this is when most new tickets are released.

To make sure you don't miss out our ticket alert service can e-mail you as soon as tickets for a specific journey are available to purchase. Sign up for a ticket alert now.

And here you can buy tickets for any train company in Britain - and unlike some other train ticket websites we won't charge you a booking fee!
 

Compare journeys and prices side by side

When you are searching for cheap tickets for your journey you can see them side by side to get the best deal.
 

See our Special offers

Make the most of our great special offers to the places you want to travel to. You can sign up to receive news and special offers too.
 

Be flexible

NEW! We have introduced 'I'm flexible' within the journey search options on the 'Find a train' panel at the top of each page.

Flexible searches allow you to view the cheapest fares within your desired period of travel up to 12 weeks in the future.

Simply select a date and click the 'I'm flexible' box and you will be shown when the cheapest fares are available.

'I'm flexible' is currently available on selected routes:

'I'm flexible' routes PDF

We will be exending the number of routes where this option is available over time.

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.

But avoid rush hours - rush hours mean higher demand, making it less likely that you willl find a cheap ticket. Travel during off-peak hours (after 09.30 and before 15.30) and you could reduce your fare significantly. 
 

Two singles may be cheaper

When you buy your ticket, it is always worth checking if two singles are cheaper than a return. They often are!
 

Get a Railcard

It may be worth getting a Railcard, which could cut a third off the price of your train tickets.  Find out more about Railcards.