Trains

Discover ways to save money on train travel with railcard guides, loyalty schemes, ticket discounts and practical rail travel advice. From LNER Perks to fare comparisons and hidden savings opportunities, our rail guides help you get more value from every journey.

Northern train at platform with doors open

How to Get 25% Off Northern Train Tickets

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Northern operates hundreds of local and regional train services across the North of England – and there is a way to save 25% on some of its cheapest Advance tickets.

The discount is available through the Discounts for Carers and Discounts for Teachers websites and you don’t currently need to provide proof that you are a carer or teacher to sign up.

There are some catches. The 25% saving only applies to Northern Advance Single tickets, doesn’t work with a Railcard and, as we discovered when testing different journeys, isn’t available on every route combination.

However, with fares such as York to Blackpool for just £10.55 each way, there are some very good deals available. Here’s how the discount works, how to get a code and a few tricks that can help when the fare you want doesn’t initially appear.

How to Get 25% Off Northern Train Tickets Read More »

Two people getting off a Heathrow Express Train

Heathrow Express vs Elizabeth Line vs Tube: Which Is Best?

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There are three main rail options for travelling between Heathrow Airport and central London: the Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line and Piccadilly line on the London Underground.

However, the fastest is not necessarily the best option.

The Heathrow Express can get you from Heathrow to Paddington in just 15 minutes, but a standard ticket costs £26. The Elizabeth line takes slightly longer but serves several central London stations directly, while the Piccadilly line is considerably cheaper and may actually get you to your final destination faster if you’re heading somewhere such as South Kensington, Knightsbridge or Covent Garden.

In this guide, we compare price, journey time, frequency, luggage convenience and where each service takes you, to help you choose the best way to travel between Heathrow and London.

Heathrow Express vs Elizabeth Line vs Tube: Which Is Best? Read More »

c2c class 720 train

c2c Loyalty Rewards: Earn Credit on Train Travel

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If you regularly travel with c2c between London and Essex, its Loyalty Rewards programme gives you an effective 1% back on eligible train travel.

The scheme is available to passengers using a c2c Smartcard. You’ll earn one loyalty point for every £1 spent on c2c tickets, with each point worth 1p towards future journeys.

A 1% return isn’t particularly generous compared with some other UK train loyalty schemes, but regular commuters spending thousands of pounds a year could still build up a useful amount of credit.

In this guide, we’ll explain how c2c Loyalty Rewards works, how to join and whether it’s worth using a c2c Smartcard to collect the points.

c2c Loyalty Rewards: Earn Credit on Train Travel Read More »

GWR Rewards: How to Earn Free Train Tickets & Lounge Access

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If you regularly travel with Great Western Railway (GWR), its GWR Rewards loyalty programme could earn you free Standard and First Class train tickets, First Class lounge access and discounts on food and drink.

You don’t necessarily need to travel that frequently either. Depending on how much you spend, just three days of qualifying travel can be enough to earn a free Standard Class return ticket anywhere on the GWR network.

There’s also a useful benefit just for joining: new members receive a voucher giving 40% off two GWR Advance single tickets.

So how does GWR Rewards work, how quickly can you earn free tickets and is it worth joining?

GWR Rewards: How to Earn Free Train Tickets & Lounge Access Read More »

Avanti Pendelino at Euston Station

Club Avanti Review: Are the Free Train Tickets Worth It?

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If you regularly travel with Avanti West Coast, joining Club Avanti could earn you free Standard Premium and First Class train tickets.

Club Avanti is the loyalty programme of Avanti West Coast, which runs trains between London and cities such as Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and many other stations in between. This straightforward scheme rewards regular Avanti travellers with free train tickets and other extras.

Club Avanti Review: Are the Free Train Tickets Worth It? Read More »

Delay Repay Explained: How to Claim Compensation for Delayed UK Train Journeys

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Delay Repay is a national scheme designed to compensate train travellers who have experienced a delayed arrival at their destination. Many rail passengers know they can claim compensation, but not everyone understands how the system actually works.

Depending on the length of the delay, passengers are entitled to claim up to 100% of their ticket price – although frustratingly the rules do vary between train operators.

Delay Repay Explained: How to Claim Compensation for Delayed UK Train Journeys Read More »

East Midlands Train at Nottingham station

Seatfrog Secret Fares: Save Up to 50% on Train Tickets

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If you’re flexible about what time you travel, there’s another little-known way to save money on train tickets.

Many readers will already be familiar with Avanti SuperFare, where travellers on the West Coast Main Line choose whether they would like to travel in the morning, afternoon or evening and only find out their exact departure time the day before travel – in return for a heavily discounted ticket.

Seatfrog has a similar scheme called Secret Fares, covering five other train operators. We analysed the routes, availability and prices to find out whether these hidden fares really offer good value and how they compare with ordinary Advance tickets.

Seatfrog Secret Fares: Save Up to 50% on Train Tickets Read More »

Avanti West Coast Pendolino

Hidden Avanti Fixed-Price Tickets: Save Up to 45% and Choose Your Train

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Hidden away through the Discounts for Teachers and Discounts for Carers websites are fixed-price Avanti tickets available on every Avanti West Coast route. Unlike SuperFare, you choose your train when you book, and our research found savings of up to 45% compared with the cheapest publicly available fares.

We compared these promotional fares with both standard Advance tickets and Avanti SuperFare to find out whether this hidden deal is really worth using.

Hidden Avanti Fixed-Price Tickets: Save Up to 45% and Choose Your Train Read More »

Avanti superfare on phone

Avanti Superfare Explained: Is It Worth It and How Much Can You Save?

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If you planning travelling with Avanti to/from London Euston, you might consider taking a look at SuperFares. These are extremely attractively priced tickets for those travellers who have some flexibility with their departure time.

We analysed eight popular routes and found that Avanti SuperFare tickets were, on average, 30% cheaper than the cheapest equivalent Advance fares available on the same day, with savings of up to 49%.

Avanti Superfare Explained: Is It Worth It and How Much Can You Save? Read More »

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