Trains are SO expensive! How on earth do you get a cheap fare now?

[Properdilemma]

Was hoping to book a weekend trip from Cardiff to London, you used to be able to book 12 weeks out and sometimes get a really reasonable fare. I can’t seem to book more than about 4 weeks out now and all prices are through the roof.

I recently saw a TV segment on the local news that train operators were complaining about lack of use and how trains were empty.

If they made the fares reasonable more people would use them!

Any tips on getting cheap fares please?

Planes are cheaper, in part, because airlines do not pay tax on fuel, whereas train companies do.

I'm travelling with LNER on the east coast mainline, Aberdeen to London KX. Advance single tickets are cheap as chips. £50 for 2 of us return.

Posted too soon! Aberdeen to Edinburgh return was dearer using ScotRail though! They rarely have good deals even with a rail card.

London in Nov/Dec is always a push - because of the crowds that the lights attract; and Winter Wonderland, and pantos etc. I used to commute & expense tickets to a client, and they’d always limit meetings after October as it’d cost more.

But as others said; it’s a matter of expecting that it’ll be expensive; and digging around for the best price. I can’t get from the Midlands to London for £50, so you might be lucky to get anywhere near that!

@Polly2345

Planes are cheaper, in part, because airlines do not pay tax on fuel, whereas train companies do.

Yes, fuel duty on diesel, but what's their excuse for the electrified trains/lines that obviously don't use diesel???

We have driven and parked in west Hounslow - free car park right behind the tube station. Perhaps we’ll do that