Can anyone explain this train ticket price ?

[Alfreddoeblin]

Looking to go to London from Manchester by train beginning of June, me and DP. Probably for 3 nights.
Return tickets haven’t been released yet but I can buy 2 single return journey tickets (London to Manchester) for £73. Is it worth buying these now and then 2 single outbound tickets as soon as they come out ? Or is it better just waiting until the full return tickets are released ? Sorry if I’ve not made myself clear !

Train tickets are usually cheapest about 12 weeks before you travel. Play around with prices and see what's what. We recently went to London, on the way there first class was only about £8 more.expensive for 3 of us than standard. On the way back we opted for a super off-peak return as the cheapest option which gave us a back up of alternative times if we missed a train (so not limited to a single train on the way back!).

It’s odd that the return tickets are out now but not the outward ones ? Are they from different train companies ?

I’ve just booked Manchester return trains for early June from Milton Keynes, which is one station up from Euston on avanti. £42 - £21 for 2 singles, on advance purchase / fixed time trains - this is midweek.

Often fixed trains can be really cheap, so if you can secure outward now I would do that and keep an eye for trains back being available if they’re not currently.

Look and see if a Two Together Railcard is worth it.