How far out can you buy conventional rail tickets??

[Erebus]

Trying to get 4 of us from Southampton or Winchester to London in mid May but apparently you can't buy tickets before 'a couple of months out'.

Is that really so??

Sounds about right, 3 months prior to travel - iirc I had to wait until February last year to buy tickets to go to Birmingham in May.

Bloody hell! I can buy a flight to Azerbaijan for 2014 but not a 60 mile domestic train fare 4 1/2 months hence!!

It does seem odd doesn't it! Must just be the way their ticketing system is set up.

I seem to remember that some companies, like East Coast, will send you an email on the day that the tickets are released?