Cheap train tickets Cheap train travel locally

Here are our five top tips on getting the best value train travel in your area

platform screen timetable

1. Season ticket savings

If you're a regular commuter, an annual season ticket will almost certainly be cheapest. Those in the Network Railcard area come with the perk of a Gold Card. The cheapest are on the Isle of Wight's Island Line and may be worth getting for the Gold Card benefits, even if you never go to the Isle of Wight. 

National Rail Enquiries has a season ticket calculator. Annual season tickets are expensive, so investigate splitting your season ticket.

There are also weekly and monthly season tickets, which can often work out cheaper if you're making multiple repeat journeys over those periods. Season tickets covering more than one month but less than a year are also available. 

When we investigated to see whether station clerks and National Rail Enquiries advise you to get weekly season and rover tickets, we only got correct advice one third of the time. So ask for them if they're not offered.

2. Rover tickets

Another option for repeat journeys is a rover ticket. These give you unlimited travel (or sometimes travel after the morning peak time) over a period (such as four days in eight) in an area. There are approximately 80 rovers. Most are listed by National Rail, but it's worth a quick cross-referencing check with the train companies you will be using to see whether there are any more. 

3. Regional railcards

These are less well-known than the nationally applicable railcards. They give substantial discounts, typically one third off. They are:

  • Cambrian Railcard
  • Cotswold Line Railcard
  • Dales Railcard
  • Devon & Cornwall Railcard
  • Esk Valley Railcard
  • First Capital Connect Student 16/18 Connect Card
  • Heart of Wales Railcard
  • Highland Railcard
  • Pembrokeshire Railcard
  • Valleys Senior Railcard
  • Valleys Student Railcard
first capital train

4. Cheap London travel

If you're travelling across London, it's often cheapest to buy one cross-London ticket as this will include (and be prefixed with a '+' on your ticket) transfer by Tube, DLR or Thameslink and be cheaper than buying separate tickets for the separate legs of your journey. 

The GroupSave scheme operates in London and the South East, letting three or four people travel for the price of two off-peak tickets. You can only buy these from ticket offices.

The unofficial Oyster Rail website has detailed knowledge about rail journeys on London's Oyster ticket system.

The Transport for London tickets page also has lots of information.

5. Local concessionary travel schemes

Local council concessionary travel schemes are for the elderly and disabled. National Rail's website has a list; check with your council whether it offers one. 

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