National Rail
When traveling around the UK trains are one of the major methods of choice. They are inexpensive and reliable compared to owning your own vehicle and you can get just about everywhere you want to go. Many people do not realise however that they could be paying significantly less for their tickets than they are now. If you have the option to be flexible and you know where you look you can find some inexpensive deals that can save you significantly on travel expenses.
The firs thing to do is check for promotional deals. In fact, many of the train company websites such as National Rail and Mega train actually have a page that lists promotions, special offers and how you can get fares for as little as £1 provided you meet the requirements.
Printing the tickets yourself can also provide you with savings depending on the line you are using, where you are going and when you are planning on traveling. Look for mid week deals as these rates are usually cheaper because of less traffic.
There are also a number of sites that provide you with deal listings for all the lines. There are also search tools. They also do not all list the same lines or tickets so it is a good idea, if you have the time to check all the sites and options for the best deal.
Some sites are going to charge you a fee if you use their services to book. In these cases, find the tickets on the site make a note of it and then simply head to the train operator and book directly from there. For others you may receive greater discounts if you travel and maintain travel using their particular network. Some sites to look at are Raileasy, National Rail, The Trainline and National Express East Coast. You may also want to look into single fares as you may find it cheaper to use one rail to go to your destination but another to return from it.
When looking to book your tickets check into the fees that may be charged for using websites. IF you are going directly to the station or the rail company website you will probably not pay booking fees making it one of the cheaper ways to book. Some are going to charge a flat rate based on payment type, others may charge a flat rate simply for booking based on the price of the ticket for example they may charge £1 for ever 10 plus for example a 50p fee for debit cards and 2.5% for credit cards.
Consider the accommodations and overnight stays. Many times you get cheaper rates if you stay overnight or travel overnight rather than during the day. You can also check to see if there are dining cars on your train. Many trains are to be honest not comfortable rides unless you are traveling first class. However, most people can not pay first class prices. One way around this is consider purchasing a first class meal in the dining car provided that it is open to all passengers. You get to enjoy your trip in comfort, at least for a time and the cost of the meal is usually less than the price difference between second and first class tickets.
