Written by Menswear Style in Travel on the 12th August 2020

Travelling by train is one of the most enjoyable experiences for travellers in the UK and across Europe. Besides offering breathtaking views of the countryside, trains provide comfortable cabins, are almost always on time, and allow you to enjoy some me-time on journeys. Many people also feel more secure travelling by train rather than plane when it comes travelling in the post-COVID world. Unfortunately, train fares are seeing an uptick, making it more costly than ever to enjoy that classic feeling of riding the rails. Here, we provide tips to help you save on train tickets, especially if you travel during off-peak periods.

Always Plan Your Train Trips 

Whether you are travelling by train from London to Edinburgh or across Europe, booking your ticket in advance is one of the best ways to save costs on train fares. You can even get a premium coach for the price of a standard ticket if you book ahead of travel time. However, this requires planning because a lot of travellers jostle for a small number of discounted tickets. So, you want to cut cost while riding first class on your next train trip? Plan ahead and buy your ticket long before you need to travel.

Travel During Off-Peak Periods 

Do you know that you can save up to 50 percent by travelling 20 minutes earlier, for example, on afternoon trains from London to Manchester? This is also a great route for anyone who wishes to check out some of the best things to see and do in the north west of England. During peak travel periods, the number of travellers often outnumber coach seats, which drives ticket prices up. The solution? Travel when most people are not travelling. That way, you get to save big on train fares and avoid long ticketing queues. 

Choose Longer Journeys 

While train companies push direct trips in your face, it is often cheaper if you change trains along the way. In fact, you don’t even need to swap trains to cut down on travelling expenses. Merely splitting your tickets rather than choosing a direct route can cut train fares by half.

Get a Railcard 

Getting a railcard is another easy and effective way to save on train costs, provided you qualify. With a railcard, you can get up to a 65 percent discount on train tickets. You can apply for a railcard and enjoy discounts when you buy train tickets if you travel with children, are over 60, or between the ages of 16 and 25. 

Use a Manned Ticketing Stand 

You may not know it yet, but ticket options on self-service ticket machines are limited. Unless you are buying your tickets online, you can save on train fares by buying from a ticket office or desk where you purchase your ticket from a person.

Take it Slow 

Are you always in a hurry to reach your destination? You might just be leaving money on the table because express trains tend to be far more expensive. If you don’t mind the extra minutes, taking a stop-off service is usually much cheaper compared to faster services. The best part is that your travel time won't be that much longer than the non-express service. 

Order on an App 

Besides railcards and other ways of saving on train fares, travel apps offer some of the most efficient ways to cut travelling costs. With these free apps, you can choose from a wide range of train companies and even get alerts when discounts are available. With these apps, you can even set reminders to order train tickets ahead of time.

With tips such as Plan Your Train Trips, Travel During Off-Peak Periods, Choose Longer Journeys, Use a Manned Ticketing Stand, this blog post looks at How to Get the Best Deals While Travelling by Train.