How to pre-book train tickets ?

[Bazzer]

Watch your return times. IME the trains from Manchester on this route (Manchester to Liverpool via Warrington not Newton) can get crammed at peak time, (4 ish to 6.15 ish) and a cyclist is as welcome by rail staff and other commuters as a turd in a swimming pool. I have not travelled by train from Liverpool at these times, but I should be surprised if it is much different.

 

[vickster]

You can get tickets in advance at the train station. They are pretty helpful including the bike booking bit.

I don't think @Dave7 is taking a bike?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don't think @Dave7 is taking a bike?

I know that was more for his future reference.

 

[ColinJ]

I think you'll find it's 1/3 off everything, anytime. The Network cards are off-peak only and minimum spend £13, so not nearly such good value.

Oops, you are correct - I tend to avoid peak times anyway because the tickets cost more and the trains are crowded.

 

[mjr]

Southern, though they have a terrible train service, offer a refund for

• Anytime
• Anytime Day
• Off-Peak
• Off-Peak Day
• Super Off-Peak

if you don't collect the tickets. I've used them for booking multiple tickets on different services when I wasn't sure I could time it precisely, and refund the ones I don't need. It's important to not confuse the booking numbers and collect a ticket you don't want by accident.

Sadly Southern have recently switched to the god-awful booking software that wastes most of the screen on a pretty useless big map and no longer let you book bikes, which has reduced my use. Checking www.AtoB.org.uk rail zone will say which sites still let you book bikes when needed and I prefer to reward those sites by using them most of the time.

The Trainline also doesn't let you book bikes and I thought it still charged you a booking fee so it's never the cheapest way to buy?

A good ticket office is often the best way because they know most of the wrinkles, such as the boundary extensions mentioned above or whether it's worth getting a discount railcard or network card, but of course sometimes you get a worker who doesn't care and will sell you what you ask for instead of the cheapest thing that does what you need. There are also some interesting new ticket sale websites like www.TrainsCanBeCheaper.info for longer journeys.

But as mentioned above, for some short journeys prebooking makes no difference because there are no Advance fares on some routes - you can check what might be possible at www.brfares.com amongst others. Also, when it does, the best prices are usually 10-12 weeks ahead, locked to a specific time, non-refundable (note they're not on Southern's list above - some of them can be changed to another time by paying the difference, though), and prices go up as the departure gets closer, usually maxing out on the same day.

Upshot: when I can't get to a ticket office (my local station has never had one in my memory, but the two next nearest do), I've gone back to using GWR's website most of the time.

 

[Spartak]

Tried to pre book train ticket from Plymouth to Bristol Parkway at the end of May, so plenty of time in advance....
£43 !

Even by splitting the journey the price was the same, so instead I've book coach travel with National Express ... £8 inc. booking fee.

 

[nickyboy]

Tried to pre book train ticket from Plymouth to Bristol Parkway at the end of May, so plenty of time in advance....
£43 !

Even by splitting the journey the price was the same, so instead I've book coach travel with National Express ... £8 inc. booking fee.

That's because you haven't waited for the Advance tickets to be released which is usually about 12 weeks before the date of travel

Advance tickets on that route are £19.45 so much cheaper than the Standard Off Peak of £43 but, of course, more expensive than the National Express

 

[mjr]

That's because you haven't waited for the Advance tickets to be released which is usually about 12 weeks before the date of travel

Advance tickets on that route are £19.45 so much cheaper than the Standard Off Peak of £43 but, of course, more expensive than the National Express

The trains are about an hour quicker too, except for the one express National Express at 10am. If you wanted cheap rather than fast, Megabus also plies that route.

 

[Spartak]

That's because you haven't waited for the Advance tickets to be released which is usually about 12 weeks before the date of travel

Advance tickets on that route are £19.45 so much cheaper than the Standard Off Peak of £43 but, of course, more expensive than the National Express

I'm more than happy with £8 for the 3 hour journey....
Time for a good book.