Transport User Voice – Travelling by train this Christmas?

29 September 2017

Planning a shopping trip, panto outing, or a visit to relatives over the festive season? With less than 100 days to go till Christmas it’s best to act now if you plan to travel by train and want to save cash.

Most train companies release their cheaper ‘advance’ fares around 12 weeks in advance – so make sure to book now before they are gone.

Splitting your journey can also lead to savings – check out one of the many websites out there that can help with this. These are just a couple of the top tips found in Transport Focus’s new guide, Rail fares: top tips for getting a good deal: transportfocus.org.uk/traintickets

Transport Focus’s chief executive Anthony Smith’s advice is get book ahead so that you don’t end up counting the cost of Christmas:

“Christmas is an expensive time of year so we advise passengers to buy early to get the cheapest tickets.

“The ticketing system can be complex and we are working with industry to try and make things simpler for travellers. But in the meantime check out our guide to make sure you find the best value fare any time of the year.”

Here are our chief executive’s top tips:

1. Get organised early: sign up to ticket alerts on train company websites to get first chance of buying the cheapest tickets 12 weeks or more in advance

  1. Look for special offers:always check the website of the train company you are travelling on for any special offers. If in doubt look at National Rail website to find out who runs the service
  2. Can you get a discount? Check if you are entitled to get discounts on advance rail fares, including those with senior, young person aged 16-25 and disability Railcards

Find out more ways you can get a better deal at transportfocus.org.uk/traintickets

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