Buying a train ticket in the UK can be confusing, but we’re here to help…
Railcards
There are a range of different railcards available. By buying a railcard, you get a discount on the journeys you take.
If you use your railcard to discount your train ticket, you must then have this to hand when travelling. If you’re asked to show your railcard whilst on your journey and are unable to, your ticket will be classed as invalid and you may face a fine.
You should bear in mind that there are some restrictions on using certain railcards. For example, as some of you will have seen in the news this week, the 16-25 railcard has a minimum fare of £12 and can only be used for journeys between 4.30am and 10am Monday to Friday. This has led to some passengers using their tickets incorrectly and unknowingly breaking the rules, facing fines and even criminal prosecution.
Some railcards also don’t apply to things like season tickets, first class fares that you haven’t booked in advance, Eurostar tickets, and more. Before buying a railcard, make sure you read the terms and conditions in full and are aware of what kinds of restrictions you have on their use.
Different Types of Tickets
There are a whole range of train tickets available. The following is by no means an exhaustive list but will help act as a guide to better explain some of the options in more detail.
Advance train tickets – where you get better deals by booking in advance of your date of travel. These tend to be available 12 weeks before departure. With these tickets, you must get the exact train attached to your ticket, i.e, on the same date, at the same time, with the same provider. These are sold as single tickets, so you will have to buy one each way if you are returning via train
Anytime train tickets – these are a type of flexible ticket which allow you to travel at any time of day. As stated earlier, these tickets do come with various restrictions. These include:
- Anytime day tickets must be used on the date shown on the ticket, or by 04.29am the next day at the very latest
- Anytime single tickets must be used within 2 days of the date shown on the ticket up until 04.29am after the last day of validity
- When using anytime return tickets, you must make your outward journey within 5 days up until 04.29 after the last day of validity. The return portion has to be used within one calendar month and up until 04.29 after the last day of validity
- When using an anytime return ticket, the outward part is only valid for travel when accompanied by the unused return part of the same ticket
Off-peak and super off-peak train tickets – off-peak tickets have a degree of flexibility, allowing you to travel by train at certain times of the day, on certain days, or on specific routes. These tend to be cheaper because they restrict what times you can travel at. Where more than one off-peak fare exists for your journey, the cheaper and more restrictive option is the super off-peak fare
Return tickets – where both your outward and return journey are combined in a single ticket. If you are doing a two-way journey, you should check the price of two single tickets and a return ticket, to figure out which option is cheaper. There are different types of return tickets, such as anytime returns which we mentioned earlier, and off-peak returns, where you must travel during off-peak times
Season tickets – where you have unlimited travel between two train stations on a given basis, such as weekly, monthly and annually, or for a chosen time period ranging from one month and a day up to a year
First-class tickets – these types of tickets are the best on the train, but they tend to come at a cost. They may include things like more leg room, reclining seats, free WiFi, and even food and drinks. You should always make sure you travel in the class you have booked your train ticket in to avoid facing fines