Is it worth buying train tickets in advance?

[BrennieGirl]

I'm visiting London for one day next month. I'm flying into Gatwick and getting the train into London. Is it worth buying the train ticket in advance? I've been looking online and prices vary widely between different websites. And I can't actually find out it would cost to buy on the day.

I normally fly into Stansted and buy my (very expensive) train ticket on the day as I've never managed to find a cheap ticket online.

So I'm just wondering since there seems to be more choice of train lines and companies at Gatwick should I buy in advance.

You can use contactless on the Gatwick express.

The Gatwick express seems to be the most expensive of the train lines though. My flight is only about €30 and I don't want to pay more for my train ticket than the flight!

always cheaper to buy in advance if you can. I guess when you're flying it might make knowing your arrival time more difficult though so you may not manage to make a train at a set time.

nationalrail is your best bet for finding the accurate price and cheapest price. It will then take you to the train company's website to book directly.

Sometimes ticketsplit have cheaper fares, not sure about on the gatwick route though.

If you avoid the Gatwick express the tickets are usually cheaper for the sake of an extra few minutes on the train. If you have a look at fares for the day you travel it’ll give the options and show if there’s any saving to be made by booking in advance. Note that if you book an advance ticket it is only valid on the train you book so risky if your flight is delayed! If you can book one through an app I’d do that as I’ve missed trains at Gatwick while in the queue for the ticket machine or desk!

Believe you can also use contactless on the Southern trains which is indeed cheaper.

A friend was telling me recently how much cheaper an advance ticket was than if she'd got a peak time ticket into Waterloo on the day. However, it does mean you're restricted to a particular train, which can make life more stressful if you have to deal with delays on ights or anything. But it's definitely worth investigating.

An Anytime Day ticket should be cheaper booked in advance and doesn't tie you to a particular train.

Gatwick express is different to other UK train services - there is no advantage to buying in advance versus on the day or on the train it is a fixed price so if you definitely want to use the express service you can wait and pay on the train. Alternatively Southern trains run stopping services into London through Gatwick Station. Those can be paid for by buying a paper ticket or by tapping a credit card etc, and also are not cheaper in advance - the only discount is if you have some kind of rail card but would not be worth buying just for this journey. So in short, no it is not worth an advance purchase.

Thanks for all the replies.

I can get a return ticket for about £24 via contactless or Oyster card. Would the daily capping work with this ie I wouldn't be charged for any more tube/bus journeys that day?

I'm still a bit confused tbh. There's different information and prices on different websites.

I already have an Oyster card from previous trips.

I pre booked a cheap ticket - flight delayed and had to pay again as no refund - so I tend to buy in the day now for the extra few pounds

You can get advance tickets on some routes, but as mentioned they're specific to one train. If you miss it because another train was late you can use your ticket, but if you miss it because a plane, bus, taxi, whatever is late then tough luck. Personally I value not having to worry about rushing for a train and the advance discount needs to be big for me to give up that.

In London, for "walk up" fares contactless or Oyster is often cheaper than paper tickets.

Gatwick to zone 1 is about £18, on the day I think. Don't get the GW express! It's about 15 mins longer on the normal route I think.

Yes the Express isn't wildly quicker than the Southern or Thameslink services that run though there.

Use Oyster or Contactless. Likely you'll be travelling elsewhere that day and it will save a bit more.