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How to save on UK rail fares: all the tips and tricks

From using one of nine railcards to splitting a journey into separate train tickets

Use a railcard for a 33% saving

Everyone knows about the young person’s railcard – or, to give it its proper name, the 16-25 railcard – but are you aware of the 26-30 railcard’s existence, or that the senior railcard is available to all those aged 60 and over?

There are now nine railcards to choose from , and about the only group that doesn’t have a railcard aimed at them are single people aged 31 to 59. And even they have the option to buy a Network card for use across the southern half of England, including in and out of London.

The most popular railcards cost £30 a year (or, in many cases, £70 for three years) and typically give a 33% discount on the ticket price. Users of some of the cards (including the 16-25 and 26-30 cards) can use them at peak times – albeit with a £12 minimum fare. Others, such as the senior users, have to mostly travel off-peak, which generally means after 9.30am or, annoyingly, 10am in the case of the Network card.

In some cases users will save the card’s purchase price in one or two trips. They are now available digitally (to be kept on a mobile) or in paper form. Just don’t forget to take it with you or to keep your phone charged.

Do you still need a full-time season ticket?

In response to more people working part of their week at home, the rail industry has started offering flexible season tickets that typically allow users to travel on any eight days in a 28-day period.

The problem is that in many cases the discounts are not sufficient to make them worthwhile. When MoneySavingExpert crunched the numbers, it found part-time season tickets offered the best value to those travelling two days a week, but even then not in all cases. If you go into the office for either one, or three or more days a week, you are likely to be better off buying daily tickets, or the full season ticket, it concluded.

One of the biggest ways to save money while commuting is to shift your travel to off-peak – assuming your boss will allow it. This makes particular sense if you can often add a railcard, too. For others, Carnet tickets offer a 10% discount on certain routes but again only off-peak.

Going long distance – buy in advance, and look at singles

Rail companies are now like the airlines in that the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get a cheap advance ticket. It is generally best to start looking for tickets about 12 weeks before your journey. That is the point that Network Rail must have the timetable set. Train operators commonly release cheap advance tickets then, unless you are travelling on Avanti West Coast, in which case anything goes.

Don’t automatically buy a return, as two singles are now often cheaper – so check before you input your credit card number. If you are travelling by rail this Christmas, tickets on most lines are now on sale.

Another tip is to avoid the high-demand days and times. Just as it generally is cheaper to fly on a Wednesday to Europe, train fares come down hugely on the days and times when demand is lowest. Switch to a train leaving London after 7pm and the fare drops significantly.

Get a free alert when tickets go on sale

Put your journey details into the Trainline ticket alert system and you will receive an email when advance tickets for that specific journey go on sale, which are commonly the cheapest fares. The only problem with using Trainline is the booking fees it charges – up to £1.75 for tickets that can be bought fee-free elsewhere.

Check online last minute

If you missed the 12-week deadline and find yourself travelling last minute, don’t despair. If tickets haven’t sold out, seven rail firms now let you buy the cheaper advance tickets on the day. Check the website on the way to the station as it may be a lot cheaper than the walk-up fare.

Split ticketing

Heading to Durham from London on a train that stops at York, it could well be cheaper to buy two tickets – one to York and another on to Durham. A host of websites and apps will work out whether you can save money by buying two or more tickets for your chosen journey.

Four sites stand out. TrainPal appears to be the cheapest as it doesn’t impose fees but reviews suggest it won’t always find the cheapest options. Split My Fare and TrainTickets.com are slicker but will charge 15% or 10% of the saving made respectively. However, they only work via the website rather than an app. Trainsplit is another one worth looking at. It also charges 15% but it does offer an app.

The savings will really vary but can be generous. For example, those booking a standard return from Taunton to London will pay £105. However, if you split the journey at Pewsey, you can get the fare down to £42.70 – a saving of £62.30.

To use split tickets you don’t need to get off the train but the train has to stop at the station at which you theoretically change trains. For those regularly making the same journey, it is worth exploring all the options.

Claim any Delay Repay refunds due

You would be amazed at how many regular rail users don’t claim the compensation due when their train is delayed. The exact terms of the refund vary according to the train operator but in most cases passengers are entitled to a 50% refund once they have been delayed by an hour, and a full refund once you are two hours late. Make sure you keep hold of the ticket rather than ripping it up in frustration as you may well need to present a photo of it as part of your claim.

Take the coach instead

While taking a coach from, say, Glasgow to London might be considered a step too far for many people, on certain routes taking the coach is almost as quick as the train, and so much cheaper. This is especially true if you are travelling at the last minute and all the “cheaper” advance fares have gone. This week National Express was quoting only £4.90 for next-day travel from London to Bristol – leaving at 8am and arriving a bit under three hours later. Great Western Railway wanted £100 for an early morning departure, or £55 if I was prepared to wait until 9.32am for a train that arrives at Bristol Temple Meads after the coach had arrived.

The Bristol route is a winner because the coach is on a motorway for almost the journey’s entirety but there are plenty of other coach trips that take longer than the train, although not so much as to justify the extra cost. Weigh up the total journey times – bus stations are often closer to the city centre or your final destination as well.

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Save 30% on UK railcards with Trainline

We're used to bringing you offers on airfare, but there's currently a great deal on United Kingdom digital railcards if you're a regular train user or frequently use services such as the Heathrow Express .

With this deal, you should easily make your money back on your initial railcard fee even if you only use the railcard a handful of times a year.

​​Deal basics

Service: Trainline Locations: U.K. How to book: Buy a railcard on the Trainline website using code ILOVETRAINS at checkout Book by: 11:50 p.m. GMT on Nov. 30, or until the discount code has been used 125,000 times (whichever comes first)

The following digital railcards are all eligible for the discount:

• 16-17 Saver — gets 50% off adult fares
• 16-25 Railcard
• 26-30 Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard — up to four adults 16 and over traveling with up to four children ages 5 to 15
• Network Railcard — for London and the South East
• Two Together Railcard — any named pair
• Senior Railcard — for travelers over 60

To purchase the railcard, first download the free Trainline app. Once you buy the railcard via the Trainline website, it will appear as a digital railcard within the app linked to your account.

This is a great deal if you regularly use U.K. trains to travel or frequently use services like the Heathrow Express to reach the airport. It could save you money quickly if you're a frequent traveler.

The railcards usually cost 30 pounds ($36) for one year, with some cards available for three years if you pay 70 pounds ($85.33). By using the discount, your railcard will cost 21 pounds ($25.60), saving you 9 pounds ($10.97) for a single year. For the three-year railcard, you can expect to spend 49 pounds ($59.73), saving you 21 pounds ($25.60).

To put this into context, a round-trip Heathrow Express ticket starts at 37 pounds ($45.10). Most of the railcards on offer will get you a third off the fare, meaning you'd save 13.07 pounds ($15.93) on this journey. You would make back the money you spent on your railcard after two round-trip Heathrow Express bookings.

Bottom line

Trainline offers a good discount on railcards that will save you money on train travel within the U.K. after just a few trips. Act fast before the deal runs out.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a beginner or an expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

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A London Travelcard gives you unlimited travel within zones 1-4 or 1-6 on the Underground, Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Railway, buses, trams, and most National Rail services in London.

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Anytime Day Travelcards can be used on the date shown on the ticket and for journeys starting before 04:30 the following day. Off-peak Day Travelcards can be used from 09:30 (Monday to Friday), at any time on weekends or bank holidays for the date on the ticket, and for journeys starting before 04:30 the next day.

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The London Weekly Travelcard offers seven days of travel for the price of five.

Monthly London Travelcard

Monthly Travelcards are typically more cost-effective than purchasing four consecutive 7-day Travelcards. They offer a saving of 11% compared to the continued use of 7-day Travelcards.

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Travelling as a group of 10 or more? Get a Group One Day London Travelcard valid for the day from 09:30 (Monday to Friday), anytime on weekends or public holidays right up until 04:30 the next day.

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Your Travelcard season ticket can start any day of the week and you can travel right up until 04:30 on the day after your Travelcard expires.

Choose a seven-day, monthly, three-month, 6-month, custom or annual Travelcard season ticket.

How do I get a London Travelcard?

Travelcards can be sold with an Anytime , Off-Peak , Super Off-Peak , Advance  or season  (except Flexi Season ) train ticket to London on our website, app or at your local station.

You can add London Travelcards to your SWR touch smartcard , making it easier for you to tap in and out across the capital.

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The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

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Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

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