Uk Train Travel Help

[Greedyfly]

I want to go on a shopping trip with my sister and have been looking for some cheap train tickets for the last week of august to go from York to anywhere really for the day. London, Liverpool, Manchester, Metrocentre etc...

Whilst the trainline website has a very helpful FAREFINDER

http://www.thetrainline.com/farefinder/

It does not matter what I put into the fare finder with regards to dates/destination or time it always tells me once I have chosen times that the price of the ticket is no longer available. Is this some sort of marketing scam or can someone suggest a place I can buy cheap tickets or a comparison site that gives the real price please.

[Mosaic]

I generally use http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

[Greedyfly]

Thanks Mosaic but I am getting the exact same prices. I get that this is last minute so to speak but I think it is ridiculous that it supposedly costs £30 each from York to Metrocentre when I have been to Edinburgh for less than £10 return!

[boxtops]

Currently giving a fare of £68.50 rtn ex York 10:01 27/08/12 return ex King's Cross 22:00 27/08/12

fares correct as of 6 hours ago :)

[Mosaic]

agreed

[Mosaic]

oopsie - agree with GF!

[Canary42]

It is a scam of sorts - the TOCs put aside a number of tickets at greatly reduced rates so they can include it in their advertising (i.e. London from £1). But the numbers are very low (a mere handful) and they get taken up almost immediately, leaving no option but the more expensive fares.

[mushroom25]

try splitting your journey.
eg york to newcastle (on random date 23rd Aug), out at 09h58, return 18h35 £9.50 each way per person. newcastle to metrocente £2.50 return.

[mojay]

I've not checked this out but I heard my neighbours discussing either Megabus or Bigbus deals @ £1 per trip plus 75p booking fee

[mushroom25]

megabus destinations from york are doncaster, scunthorpe, hull, east midlands parkway and london.

on wednesdays fares are capped - york to london is £9 each way, but to have a resonable day out, you don't get back to york until 4am.