Frigging hell! The price of train tickets to London!!

[Hellotoallmyfans]

Why have train tickets become so expensive? (I don't use public transport usually so not very aware of fluctuating prices)

Every couple of years or so I book for us to go to London as a family (2 adults, 3 dcs) to go see a show and take in some sights - the theatre tickets were £600(!) but I was expecting that as I know that's what it costs for decent seats, ditto the hotel which is £500 for two rooms for one night. But what I wasn't expecting was to then have to pay another £340 on top for train tickets from Manchester to get there! Last time we went, before covid, the train was £90 for a family ticket! There doesn't seem to be any options for family tickets and all the websites I've looked at are showing the same price.

I don't know what I'm looking for here, just having a moan really! Or maybe the name of a secret website that does cheap train tickets?

Everything is so bloody expensive isn't it? I guess I will have to suck it up and pay as I've booked the theatre tickets now which I'm sure will non-refundable. It's just gutting that I am looking at close to a grand just to get there and stay for one night. We could literally have flights/hotel for a week in Europe for that! Not taking into account the theatre tickets and the £££+ we will probably end up spending on food/drink and other attractions (wanted to maybe do a boat ride and some museums).

It's going to be at least £2k+ spent on one night in London! I don't know if it's even worth it? Grrr.

I was looking at train tickets for this weekend. Prices have definitely gone up a lot.

I use a Friends and Family Railcard. Costs £30 but you can usually find a discount voucher to get it cheaper and it lasts a year. Dramatically reduces the cost of train fares.

That is obscene but you definitely need to check travel before booking things.
Just suck it up and go and enjoy yourself, I'm sure you'll have a fab time.

It's going to be at least £2k+ spent on one night in London! I don't know if it's even worth it? Grrr.

I don't blame you, that is pretty shocking.

You've probably already done this, but you can get a family rail card with Tesco points, which gives a third off adult fares and two thirds off kids'.

Get the coach? Used to be heaps cheaper...

That’s insane. I know it’s not good for the environment blah blah but can you drive? Even petrol and some ludicrously priced London car park is unlikely to cost as much as the train.

We drive and get a train nearer. Prices are now insane - I can fly for less!

Advance tickets seem to have almost completely disappeared. And those that are being offered are offering much less generous discounts and for more limited traveling times.

If you're being quoted £340 for trains I'd be seriously comparing that with the cost of driving and parking.

Railcard, trainsplit, travel at awkward times.

If you have a small station to large station first train, eg village into the city to get the big train to london, price that seperately.

Consider using different stations eg not necessarily just your most local one.

I’m good at getting cheap deals on trains, not every time but most.

Where are you travelling from? I’ve been to London a couple of times in the past month and my train ticket has no more than £40 and I’m 2hours away from London.

My colleague travels to London as herself, husband and 4 children and manages to get tickets for all of them for less than £100.

Coach may be cheaper for you, or could you perhaps drive to a nearer train station to London and get cheaper tickets from there?

Can't you get the coach instead? It'd be much cheaper.

Or even flying.

I’d suggest going to the station, and asking a ticket seller. I’ve found that the online booking doesn’t always give you the discount options. Ask if they can find you a cheaper ticket through their system.

And I sympathise, I’m a rail commuter and the cost is crippling.

And they wonder why people don't use trains. If you own a car it would be miles cheaper to drive to outer London, hire a parking space and get the tube to your hotel. Yet another example of things being more affordable if you already have money.

Tell me about it. I want to go to London from Newcastle for a weekend and it's at least 110 return. Mental.

@GreenBeanMcGee

Can't you get the coach instead? It'd be much cheaper.

The time is an issue. Newcastle to Kings Cross is 3h. Coach is 8 and a half.

I was going to suggest buying the railcard, even if you use it only once, it saves far more than it costs. Also if you have time, always buy advance first class, they are cheaper, counter intuitively.

Ahh ignore me, I just saw you’re travelling from Manchester. That is insane pricing!

Go to local train station with ID and ask to buy a family rail card. Believe they are £30. That saves you a third on price of train travel. That 30 will knock off over £100 from that fare. Normally when we travel from Leicester to London I play about with ticket times always after 9am so not during rush hour and book as early as possible. I book as soon as tickets go live 12 weeks in advance. Gets you the best price. Definitely go get a rail card mind as that will save you a lot.

Your railcard will also have offers to use on your day in london - eg 2 for 1s on Tower of London tickets etc.

Avanti have made getting the family ticket more complicated it seems.

Definitely get a family railcard and also check the split ticketing website. We often use the slow train from Stoke and change at Stafford. I've just put the details in and a family railcard from Manchester to London during half term is showing up as £110.

Drive if you can, or go by bus. Train prices have been stupid for ages, the same distance up here by train as by bus is double the price. Why anyone would get the train I have no idea, takes you the same time. Probably why the train is constantly looking empty.

Standard train tickets to Oxenholme, Lake District from London this month have cost me what first class tickets (advance) cost me two years ago.

I looked for advance tickets months ahead but could get anything reasonably priced.

Unless you're requiring something very specific then £500 on two rooms for one night is ridiculous. We go quite regularly and have never paid more than £70 for a room, ditto theatre. Me and my sister a looking at going up to do Christmas shopping for the weekend at the beginning of November and we thought we'd 'treat' ourselves to a spa hotel so we can have a swim in the evening etc, it's still only £160 between us for the night. Comparison websites like booking.com and trivago are your friend. Also check out Premier Inn hubs.

I've never seen a show that sitting further towards the front would have changed the experience enough to warrant spending £600 on tickets. We saw Constellations last weekend in 'safety bar' seats that were £25 each and faultless. When you book there's often a 'seat view' option, if you use that to look around you'll notice how mad it is that sitting four rows in front of a £25 seat doesn't warrant an extra £80.

As far as train tickets go, if you use the Trainline app, there's a specific 'golden window' of cheap tickets (I can't remember off the top of my head what it is, possibly 9 weeks?). Using that I tend to pay around £40 for an adult return from Devon to Paddington, and have occasionally managed to get a £60 return for 1st class for the same journey.

London breaks are like any holiday I suppose in that you need to put in the legwork and research it enough that you don't end up dropping a grand on theatre tickets and a hotel that could've been £300.