What is an Off-Peak Ticket?
Off-Peak tickets allow you to travel at specific times at a reduced cost. This includes certain times on a weekday or for the entire day at weekends and bank holidays. Off-Peak times can differ based on the route and train company, but you can check CrossCountry Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak times easily on the CrossCountry app.
There are four types of Off-Peak ticket:
- Off-Peak Single: You can use your ticket to travel on any Off-Peak train on the specified date.
- Off-Peak Return: You may purchase a return ticket for any Off-Peak train. Your outward journey must occur on the date displayed on your ticket. However, your return journey is valid within one calendar month.
- Off-Peak Day Return: Both the outward and return journeys must take place on the date indicated on the ticket, these are valid on any Off-Peak train.
- Super Off-Peak: You can travel at the quietest times of day for additional savings. There are tighter restrictions on these tickets so always double check your ticket is valid for the service you’re catching.
Benefits of Off-Peak Tickets
Generally speaking, Off-Peak tickets are cheaper than Peak tickets. That means if you can be flexible with your journey times and save money. Booking is just as fast and simple as with any other ticket, so you can be as organised or spontaneous as you like. Combining your Off-Peak ticket with a railcard is a great way to save money. But it doesn’t stop there, there are plenty of ways to get cheap train fares in the UK with CrossCountry.
Off-Peak Ticket Restrictions
There are a few restrictions that come with using an Off-Peak ticket, so here are the golden rules:
- Your journey must fall within Off-Peak hours so be sure to check before you get on the train.
- If you travel outside the times stated on your ticket, you’ll need to pay the difference between the price of your ticket and a standard Anytime ticket. You could also be issued with a penalty fare.
- Off-Peak and Peak travel periods can differ depending on the operator, route, and stations involved. Please see individual restrictions for full details.
- You must sit in the specified class of travel on your ticket.
- Your single journey must be used by 04.29 the next day, including the outbound leg of an Off-Peak return.
We always recommend checking your tickets specific restrictions before you buy train tickets.
When are Off-Peak Travel Times?
Timings differ between train operators, but at CrossCountry, you can purchase an Off-Peak ticket for any train travelling outside our Peak hours. Our busiest times occur before 9.30, during the morning rush hour and between 15.30 and 18.30, when commuters start to travel home. That means that if you’re able to travel between 9.30 and 15.30 or after 18.15, you can save money by purchasing an Off-Peak rail ticket!
How to Book Off-Peak Train Tickets with CrossCountry
Booking Off-Peak train tickets with CrossCountry is as straightforward as booking any other ticket type and it starts by heading over to our website or the CrossCountry app. We’ve put together a handy guide on how to buy train tickets to take you through the process step by step. Need some travel inspiration? Head over to the CrossCountry blog for tips on where to go and what to see across the CrossCountry network.
