| Cheap Train Tickets Pricing Tips in England UK
England train ticket pricing is confusing for visitors and residents alike. Sometimes I have bought expensive tickets only because the guy at window did not tell me alternative cheaper options to travel. In general, this is what I have observed:
Travel after 10 am is cheaper:
This is called 'Off peak ticket' - meaning you are avoiding office rush hour. This ticket allows you to travel after 10 am and generally you can not travel between apx. 4 pm to 6:30 pm.
Travel avoiding London is cheaper:
This is off course if London is not your destination!
e.g. When I had to travel from Milton Keynes to Cardiff, I could have taken a train to Birmingham and changed there or I could have gone via London. The first option will be cheaper.
Recently I had to travel from Ipswich to Nottingham, there were two possibilities:
Ipswich to Nottingham via Norwich : A return peak time ticket costing me GBP 69.50
Ipswich to Nottingham via London: A return peak time ticket costing me GBP 200+
Both taking same time - apx 3.5 hrs
Booking earlier is cheaper:
Generally speaking, the sooner you book (upto a week in advance), cheaper will be the ticket price. The window price on the day of travel can be higher. This is offcourse possible if you have fixed travel plans.
It was an easy decision to make.
Avoiding trains altogether can be cheaper:
Always look for alternative coach travel prices on national express website. In general, coach travel will take more time, but can be significantly cheaper - especially compared to peak time train tickets.
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