Not an Aibu but need cheap train tickets!

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Have been looking online for train tickets for when I go stay with Df and his family.

Df keeps on going 'Oh no, your Nan gets much cheaper ones than that, you must be looking on wrong sites!'

Anybody know where to get cheap tickets or any deals/tips on where/when to buy them?

i thought I had found a reasonable price but maybe I am missing something?

Thetrainline.com

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You need to book 12 Weeks in advance to get the cheapest tickets. I usually convert my Tesco clubcard points to a deal voucher for the trainline. If you are taking kids with you buy a family and friends railcard.

Good idea about the Tesco points. Can I do that online im guessing? And where do I buy a railcard?

Railcard

Redspottedhankey I think or raileasy

Ahh travelling with an under five so can't get that card, but ds wil go free anyway. Will have a look to see if any others available. Good suggestions ladies

You can buy a railcard at the station or (possibly) online, but your best bet is to take some passport photos to your local station and get help filling in the form - most station staff are willing to help and very knowledgeable. You buy the card over the counter, no need to send off.

Other cheap ticket tips: some train companies offer a discount if you buy their tickets using their website. EastCoast is one - 10% discount on EastCoast tickets. This requires minor knowledge of the railway, e.g. you can travel from Edinburgh to York with two companies directly including EastCoast but the EastCoast website will only offer the discount with their own brand tickets so the other train will look more expensive.

If you are very desperate and have time, sometimes it's cheaper to break your journey somewhere interesting, e.g. two hours at York - enough time to have a cup of tea/very quick trip to the (free) train museum.

My friend found it cheaper to buy a ticket for his under 5 and use the card. Also meant his dd got a seat on the train.

I always look at Megabus first.

You can convert the Tesco points online and just enter the voucher codes at the online checkout on trainline website.
You can buy the family and friends railcard online or at the train station. If you buy online you might be able to get a discount code to use towards it.

I think either redspottedhankie or Megabus accept club card points as well

Don't use the trainline. They charge a booking fee. Try splitting the journey. Sometimes cheaper to get two separate tickets.

It might work out cheaper to buy a ticket for the under 5 with a family and friends railcard rather than pay full price for 2 adult tickets.
It usually works out cheaper to buy singles instead of returns.

Look at the friend and family railcard, gives you 1/3 off and kids travel for a quid

You could split your ticket to save money - might take a bit of researching but for example: from Stoke to York would be approximately £40 but if I put in Stoke to Stockport and then Stockport to York it would be £30.

You can 'split' any journey as long as train physically stops there. You don't have to get off.

Book through who ever the train Co is (ie virgin, cross country, London midland) as there is no booking fee

I agree that if you want to avoid paying a booking fee it's better to book with the train company direct but if you have clubcard points it's still better value to convert to a deal and book through the trainline or redspottedhanky. You get 4x the value of the points so it's a good saving.
If it's a long journey I would defo get a railcard and book a seat for the under 5, makes it much easier when they get tired on a busy train

This is where I get cheap train tickets!

Trainline, booking fee.

Red spotted hanky find no cheaper than booking direct with train companies.

I usually go with the train companies as they also do deals. Also try splitting the journey, and booking singles not returns. Oh and mess around with the time of day you travel, this alone makes a huge difference.

Erm, ask DF where DNan gets hers from? I expect she has a railcard but that costs at least £20 so if you were buying one specially it would work out uneconomic.

Read "seat61.com" for advice and try booking your son a ticket to see whether it reduces the overall cost: last time we travelled long-distance in the UK (May) it was cheaper to buy our toddler his own ticket than to have him on our laps because the child ticket triggered a family discount for the whole group.

Is your nan a senior citizen....much cheaper

Use code 2587 for 30% off at East Coast when buying advance tickets. Not valid with a railcard though.