How we saved almost 60% on First Class train tickets

Thousands of holidaymakers are expected to flock to the UK’s best beaches and beauty spots this bank holiday. But it’s not too late to bag a bargain and get a cheap First Class train ticket.

In fact there are plenty of ways you get a cheaper train ticket or make your journey more comfortable.

Here are six top insider tips you need to know for your next UK rail break.

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1. Get cheap First Class train tickets with an auction 

First Class tickets don’t usually come cheap, but we found you can knock more than 50% off the price with Seatfrog - an app that fills seats that would otherwise travel empty, via online auction.  Passengers who already have a standard ticket can bid on last-minute available upgrades. 

We secured an upgrade from London to Edinburgh with a £17 bid (plus a £3 fee) - 58% cheaper than if we’d paid for it outright on the app. The saving is even bigger when you consider the price on Trainline: you’ll typically pay over £80 more for a first class seat when booking the same journey in advance.

Just be aware that Seatfrog will charge a £3 ‘platform fee’ per upgrade (only payable if you win). And make sure to keep an eye on incoming bids (push notifications will help) and set a limit to avoid getting carried away. If the idea of a bidding war stresses you out, consider going straight in with your maximum for an ‘instant win’. If successful, your ticket will appear in the app and be sent by email.

Alternatively, hold your nerve and ask about available upgrades when you board. Weekend First allows you to switch to First Class on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays for between £10 and  £25 per person one-way on most train operators. 

Bear in mind that not all First Class carriages are created equal: perks on LNER include hot food, a reclining seat and a glass of wine. In contrast, you may not even get a comfier seat on Southern.

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2. Check how busy your train will be 

Many of us have ended up standing in the aisle or wedged in the bike compartment for a long train ride. Avoid a packed carriage by checking if your operator has a ‘how busy is my train’ tool, which uses historical data and real-time information (where available) to predict how crowded a particular service is likely to be. 

Many train companies have a capacity checker on their website: simply enter your departure station, destination, date and time. For example, you’re much more likely to snag a seat on the 7.03am weekday service from Richmond to London Waterloo than if you wait for the next service 13 minutes later - which is typically standing room only - according to the South Western Railway tool. 

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3. Book ahead

Everyone knows that it pays to book in advance. Cheaper, advance train tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis - so sign up for a free alert on Trainline to make sure you’re at the front of the queue. You’ll receive an email when advance tickets for your journey go on sale – usually around 12 weeks before the date of travel. Booking in advance is especially important around big holidays, such as for Christmas train travel. 

Don’t actually book through Trainline, though: it adds a sneaky booking fee of up to £2.79. Purchase on any of the train operators' own websites to avoid this. 

We managed to get a return ticket from London to York for £50 - £80 cheaper than an off-peak return (£130.40). The only catch is tickets are non-refundable, meaning you’ll usually have to pay a £10 admin fee and the difference in fare for any changes. 

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4. Compare split ticketing websites 

Splitting your journey and buying two or more tickets can be much cheaper train tickets than a single through fare. You don’t need to get off at the stations named on your tickets – the only rule is that your train must stop at them. 

Ticket-splitting websites and apps (such as Split My Fare, TicketySplit and Trainline’s own SplitSave option) are the best way to find these fares. Most charge a fee; typically up to 15% of any saving. 

When we checked, we found a return ticket from London to Edinburgh for £104 on Ticketysplit - versus £186 for a standard return. No single site has the cheapest fare every time, so try a few before you commit. Make sure to check journey duration times too: sometimes cheaper journeys can mean slower trains or more waiting around for connections, which may not suit you.

5. Get a Two Together railcard for a third off tickets

Most people know about the young persons or senior railcard, but fewer of us are taking advantage of Two Together. Just go halves with the person you travel with most frequently - whether that’s a partner or friend - and you’ll get a third off fares when you travel together, except on morning peak services. 

A rail card is £35 a year, but it can potentially pay for itself in a single trip. For example, you’d save £23.50 each, £47 in total, on an off-peak return from Birmingham to Glasgow – even after you factor in the card purchase. 

Alternatively, if you’re a Tesco Clubcard member, vouchers are worth double their value - meaning you’ll only need £17.50 to buy the Two Together railcard.

6. Don’t buy from a train ticket machine

Whatever you do, don’t show up at the station without a ticket. Only one in six stations have a full-time ticket office - and over 700 don’t have one at all. It means you’ll be forced to use the ticket machine and, according to a Which? Investigation, this can more than double the price of your fare. 

We sent mystery shoppers to 15 train stations across England and found that ticket machines were charging up to 154% more than booking online, with the best-value fares unavailable or hard to find. 

Same-day tickets were 52% more expensive on average when bought from a machine. A one-way fare from Northampton to Cardiff was £107 from a machine, but just £43 from online retailer Trainline - less than half the price.