Trainsplit.com – a website which promises to save you up
to 22% on each journey went viral this weekend. Interest is such that people
are crashing the site in their eagerness to attempt to save money on the UK’s
ever-more expensive rail fares.
But what other ways could you save money on your journey?
Here we list some of the most straightforward:
1) Book 12 weeks ahead of when you travel
Train companies love to advertise how little it can cost
to travel, but the reality is that much of these deals have to be booked months
in advance.
The best time to look for a deal is around 12 weeks
before the date you want to travel. Which does mean you have to plan in advance
– but here’s the reason they do it – contractually Network Rail must finalise
the train timetable 12 weeks prior to the journey, so the cheapest seats are
available just after that decision is made.
2) Sign up to alerts
To help with the above, National Rail have also put
together a future
travel chart, where you can check the furthest ahead date that you can
book.
Discount website TheTrainline also offers an alert system
which emails when you when cheaper tickets for a specific journey become
available.
3) Have friends
If you’re planning to visit a destination with a group,
it pays to travel as a group. South West Trains offer discounts of up to 34%
when groups of between three and nine people book together.
For example a trip from Waterloo to Bournemouth –
otherwise costing £208 – costs only £137.20 when booked as a group.
Note: if you still have a young person railcard this
option may not work out cheaper. For those who are over this hump, this may be
a great alternative.
4) Understand your railcards
A student railcard isn’t the final say of discount cards.
Here are some overlooked favourites that might be worth looking into.
Family and Friends railcard, which gives you 60% off on
child fares and a third off adult fares. Two together: third off for two named
adults on card travelling together.
The Network Railcard for southern England is a steal: third
off adult fares and a £2 flat fare for children travelling within the
designated zone.
All railcards do come with terms, conditions and initial
costs but they’re worth glancing over.
5) Watch out for peak times
If you’re taking a particularly long journey or popular
one, your journey may include some peak times. But if you don’t split up your
travel then you will be charged with peak fares for the entire journey.
This can turn a relatively inexpensive journey into an
eye watering one.
If you are looking for a great rate on your tenant contents insurance, quote and buy now or give us a call on 0800 294 4522 and we will do our best to provide the right policy for you!
