Pre-booking Train Tickets.

[NoMercy]

I'm thinking of buying train tickets online in advance from now on, as they seem to be much cheaper.

What is the procedure when booking in advance? Does one still have to go to the ticket office upon arrival at the departure station? Would I need to specify my departure time in advance?

I usually just go to the station and purchase my ticket ten minutes before the train departs.

Thanks.

[NoMercy]

Perhaps I should mention that I want an offpeak return or something similar for my next journey. I will travel down on the Tuesday and either return on the Friday or Saturday.

[NazNomad]

Do it online ... http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/?

[The Builder]

I use this all the time NoM ................. stick your card into the machine at the station and out come the tickets

[The Builder]

http://ojp.nationalra...n/s/planjourney/query

.....er ................ forgot the link :o(

[pastafreak]

Lil pasta always booked her travel to and from London online. I think she was then sent a text with all the necessary info-this was her ticket. I have done similar for coach travel.
You can use this site to plan your journey- http://www.traveline.org.uk/index.html

[yelenots]

My daughter always buy her tickets online when she coming home from uni - just need the ref number and card you pay with and go to the machine in the station - she gets them through trainline.com - good luck!

[Postdog]

I used trainline, no problems, but be aware you don't just get a ticket, you get a booking ticket too. This doubles up if you are picking up the return tickets at the same time. Without them, you could be asked to pay the full fare. Also, you will need the card you used to purchase when you pick them up. It is easy peasy though.

[Buenchico]

First point:
Don't bother with sites like TheTrainLine.com. They can't offer any cheaper tickets than those that are available on the National Rail website:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
Further, you sometimes end up paying booking fees (which you can avoid by going through the National Rail site). Additionally, (when I used to run a railway station) I've seen quite a few 'duff' tickets issued by online agencies. (i.e. they weren't valid for travel because, for example, they'd been booked using a special offer which only applied to one company but on a different operator's train).

The only possible exception to what I've written above is that some Megatrain fares don't always seem to appear on the National Rail website. (Megatrain services are operated by South West Trains from London Waterloo to Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter,Salisbury, Southampton, Portsmouth, Weymouth and Yeovil, and by East Midlands Trains from London St. Pancras to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Loughborough. To look for cheap fartes on those routes, go here:
http://uk.megabus.com/default.aspx
(That is the correct site, even though it appears to relate solely to bus travel).

You can book the same 'walk up' tickets online as you can at the station. Those tickets either allow unrestricted travel times ('Anytime' tickets) or travel on any off-peak service. (Off-Peak tickets). However to get the real bargains ('Advance' tickets) you have to specify which trains you'll be travelling on. Your tickets are only valid on those trains and (if reserved seating is included) they're only valid for travel in the designated seats.

You can choose to

[NoMercy]

TheB... I was on that site before but can't seem to find deals for return tickets, only singles. I click on Cheapest Fares finder and it would only allow me to input departure date, but not return dates.

I'll have a quick look at thetrainline.com.

[Buenchico]

. . .have your tickets posted to you, or to collect them at the station. If you opt to collect your tickets at the station you should ensure that you take the same debit/credit card as you used to book the tickets. You can either collect your tickets from the ticket office or, easier & quicker, by inserting your card into one of the machines.

Chris

[NoMercy]

Well that sounds perfectly straightforward Chris, the only thing I'm struggling with right now is navigation of the National Rail website.

[Buenchico]

Our posts crossed there, NoMercy.

'Advance' tickets (which are the discounted ones) are ONLY sold for single journeys. The booking system operates in the same way that the budget airlines price their tickets. i.e. you have to buy two separate elements for a return journey, with the cheapest fares only being offered at the least popular times (and with only a limited number of cheap tickets available, often only for a limited amount of time).

Chris

[NoMercy]

Okay Chris, thanks for explaining that.

That might not be such a bad thing as I could stay an extra night and depart from a different station to the one I'll be heading to on the outward leg of the journey.

I'm going to Fareham, but on the way back, I may depart from Reading to return to Hereford.

[NoMercy]

Thanks to everyone for your answers. x

[Buenchico]

Thanks for your reply. I've just taken a quick look at fares on those routes. The cheapest I could find from Hereford to Fareham was £14.00 (but with most fares costing closer to double that). The cheapest I could find from Reading to Hereford was £10.50 (but there were hardly any 'Advance' fares offered on that route).

For comparison, the Off-Peak Return fare from Hereford to Reading is £45.70 on the rare First Great Western direct trains or £62.00 if you travel via Newport (using Arriva Trains Wales and then First Great Western). An Anytime Return ticket costs £133.00.

Chris

[jno]

have a look at the fourth item in this column

http://www.guardian.c...29/simon-hoggart-week

No idea if it is also true of the National Rail site

[NoMercy]

Chris, I usually pay £55.90 for an off peak return, changing at Newport.

[NoMercy]

Sounds like a case for the Trading Standards, jno.

[jno]

you'd think so, NoM, but is it worth the hassle for a ticket that might have cost £20? Personally I would - but I don't work so I have time to pursue vendettas; others may not.

[NoMercy]

Sorry, Chris... crossed wires. I will not be heading to Reading. I'm travelling to Fareham on Tuesday. If I return on Friday, I will depart from Fareham. However, Bob is back on duty on Saturday morning at 7am in Bucks, meaning he will have to depart Fareham at 5am. He's suggested I stay the extra night and he'll drop me off somewhere enroute to Bucks, say, Reading.

So in theory I would have to buy two singles:

Hereford to Fareham.

Reading to Hereford.