Cheaper train travel

[New POD]

Just seen a post, where someone travelled by train, and used trainline.

 

Well, try googling "Tickety split" or "Split my ticket"

 

Here are a couple of examples.

 

Want to go from Formby to Birmingham for a day trip ?

 

That's £40 advance each way, or £5.30 day return on Misery rail to Southpark way, and £9 each way advance ticket on London Midland.

 

Want to get to Hemel Hempstead as early as possible on a Monday Morning.

 

Train from Formby starts too late, so drive to Runcorn to get the 5:43, which is £114 advance fare one way, or if you split the ticket at Rugby getting an advance to there, and an anytime open ticket from rugby to Hemel Hempstead = £71.90 only works if booked via London midland, despite 3/4 of the trip being Virgin trains. Don't have to get off at Rugby, but do have to move seats.  

 

Strangely no matter, the Friday afternoon advance ticket is Weird.  Cheapest is via Virgin Trains on a 1st Class Advance dispite the fact that 1/2 the journey is via London Midland.  Great thing is that between Milton Keynes, and Crewe is the FREE food and drink. Worked out that I can ask for a scotch and coke and take the scotch miniature home for later. £55 verses £79 second class.

[Pillock]

Did this years ago. Used to go to uni in Norwich, family in Nottingham. £45 return. Once had to stop at a friends in Peterborough, was £12 from Norwich. And then continuing to Nottingham was £14, nearly £20 cheaper. I legitimately got off at Peteboghorror though that time.

 

From then on I just split the tickets every time and presented both when I got on the train. A couple of times I had to tell the conductor I'd changed my plans at the last minute. Once the conductor said I had to leave the train so I did..... And got back on the other end. By the time he saw me we had pulled out of the station, I was up for an argument but I think he knew he was being an arse for no reason and let it slide.

[wuvvum]

I always try splitting my tickets anyway, although I usually use either thetrainline or the website of the train company I'll be leaving Norwich with.  When I'm going northwards and changing at Peatboghorror it usually works out cheaper.  Also, if I'm going to some obscure destination that involves going through London, sometimes there are no advance fares at all if I try to buy a ticket for the whole journey, but I can often buy an advance ticket to London and then a standard off-peak for the rest of the journey, which again saves a few quid.

 

Only drawback is if you buy two separate advance tickets and your first train is running late so you miss the connection, you're screwed.  If you buy a single ticket for the whole journey you're fine, even if you don't make the connections you were booked onto.

[Stroller133]

This is why I have only ever been about 30 train rides in my life. I am blessed/cursed with a nature that wants to get good value from almost everything I buy. Whenever I go to buy a train ticket I could probably walk the journey in the time it takes to work out the cheapest method.

We are going to London next month on the train, its probably the only place in the uk I wouldn't rather drive to. In the three weeks I've spent deciding what station, times and tickets to buy the price has gone up! The vast array of tickets is bewildering, there are 3/4 return trains all off peak and all the same price, but if you want to leave it open to decide on the day which of the three identically priced trains you want to go on the price is about triple?