haggler
07-02-2008, 09:00 PM
Cheaper Train Travel : Split Tickets
Credit for this goes to MoneySavingExpert, I thought it was defo worth a share
This is the big one, the trick everyone should know. Instead of buying tickets for the whole journey, buying tickets for its constituent parts separately can bizarrely slash the price – even though you're travelling on exactly the same train.
This is within the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and has been confirmed by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); the only rule is that the train must call at the stations you've bought tickets for.
How big's the saving… 75% cheaper from London to Penzance
As an example, for London to Penzance the cheapest ticket was a standard open return at £234. This train stops in Bristol, so then I checked separate ticket prices. By buying four singles: London to Bristol, Bristol to Penzance and then for the return Penzance to Bristol and Bristol to London; the total cost was £79, a saving of £155. And remember this is for the same trip, on the same train, which you needn't get off!
How to find split ticket bargains
It normally takes about ten minutes to check, but it's worth doing.
* First get the price for the standard journey; without this you won't know if you can save.
* Find out where the train stops. This info is available on the timetables section of the National Rail website, but a much easier method is to use the Transport Direct journey planner; just click on the train icon after you receive your route to see where it stops.
* Now check the ticket prices for the different combinations. If the train stops at lots of places then there's a huge combination of available tickets. However to save time just try the system, split ticketing via one or two main stops.
Credit for this goes to MoneySavingExpert, I thought it was defo worth a share
This is the big one, the trick everyone should know. Instead of buying tickets for the whole journey, buying tickets for its constituent parts separately can bizarrely slash the price – even though you're travelling on exactly the same train.
This is within the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and has been confirmed by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); the only rule is that the train must call at the stations you've bought tickets for.
How big's the saving… 75% cheaper from London to Penzance
As an example, for London to Penzance the cheapest ticket was a standard open return at £234. This train stops in Bristol, so then I checked separate ticket prices. By buying four singles: London to Bristol, Bristol to Penzance and then for the return Penzance to Bristol and Bristol to London; the total cost was £79, a saving of £155. And remember this is for the same trip, on the same train, which you needn't get off!
How to find split ticket bargains
It normally takes about ten minutes to check, but it's worth doing.
* First get the price for the standard journey; without this you won't know if you can save.
* Find out where the train stops. This info is available on the timetables section of the National Rail website, but a much easier method is to use the Transport Direct journey planner; just click on the train icon after you receive your route to see where it stops.
* Now check the ticket prices for the different combinations. If the train stops at lots of places then there's a huge combination of available tickets. However to save time just try the system, split ticketing via one or two main stops.