Welcome to Railwatch Fare Track
Fare bargains
Rail is always the best way to get around Britain and often there are bargain fares too.
Rail rover and ranger and Groupsave tickets are good buys.
Many of the rail companies' promotions are at Promotions
You can find others on operators' websites. Links can be found at Train operators
An independent guide is available at cheap train tickets.
Some of the cheapest tickets are released by train operators 12 weeks in advance of travel.
A chart giving the dates when cheap tickets become available can be seen here
But you can sometimes buy cheaper tickets, the day before you travel.
You can buy train tickets online from various websites, have them delivered to your home or collect them from a machine at almost any rail station (not necessarily the one you leave from). The trainline.com imposes booking charges but others, including East Coast, do not.
There are also good deals available on train operator and other websites:
c2c London-Tilbury-Southend
Chiltern Railways
Derbyshire day rover
A Derbyshire Wayfarer is a one-day rover for trains and buses in the county. £11.50 adult and £5.55 child (5-15) or a senior. £20 for a group of up to two adults and three children.
East Coast
East Midlands Trains
Eurostar
Booking early can save you money. Eurostar tickets are usually released 120 days before travel. Some British train operators also offer Eurostar tickets with through travel. Make sure your ticket for UK travel is to "London International" which should avoid expensive travel costs in London.
Grand Central Railway
Greater Anglia
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Connect
Hull Trains
Ireland
SailRail tickets are available between Great Britain and Ireland using the Holyhead and Fishguard routes
Island Line Isle of Wight
Manchester area Day Rover (Wayfarer)
Wayfarer costs £10 (child and over-60s £5) and covers Manchester, as well as large parts of Derbyshire, as far as Matlock, Crich, and Grindleford as well as covering Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Warrington, and Northwich. Group (two adults and two children): £20
Merseytravel
Northern Rail
Cumbria Day Ranger
£38.50 adults (£25.40 with a railcard), £19.25 children (£7.30 with Family & Friends railcard)
Cumbrian Coast
£18 adults (£11.90 with a railcard), £9 children (£3.40 with Family & Friends railcard)
Cumbria Round Robin
£28 adults (£18.50 with a railcard), £14 children (£5.30 with Family & Friends railcard)
Lakes Day Ranger
£20.50 adults (£13.55 with a railcard), £10.25 children, £40 Family ticket
Hadrian's Wall Country Line Day Ranger
£20.50 adult (£13.55 with railcard) £10.25 child (£3.90 with Family & Friends railcard)
North East Round Robin
£43 adult (£28.40 with railcard) £21.50 child (£8.15 with Family & Friends railcard)
Tyne and Tees Day Ranger
£20.50 adult (£13.55 with railcard) £10.25 child (£3.90 with Family & Friends railcard)
Cheshire Day Ranger
£20.50 adult (£13.55 with railcard) £10.25 child (£3.90 with Family & Friends railcard)
East Lancashire Day Ranger
£10.50 adults, £5.25 children, £21 Family ticket
Lancashire Day Ranger
£20.50 adult (£13.55 with railcard) £10.25 child (£3.90 with Family & Friends railcard)
North West Day Ranger
£34.50 adult (£22.75 with railcard) £17.25 child (£6.55 with Family & Friends railcard)
South Pennines Day Ranger
£20.50 adult (£13.55 with railcard) £10.25 child (£3.90 with Family & Friends railcard)
East Midlands Round Robin
£21.50 adults (£14.20 with a railcard), £10.75 child (£4.10 with Family & Friends railcard)
East Yorkshire Day Ranger
£21.50 adults (£14.20 with a railcard), £10.75 child (£4.10 with Family & Friends railcard)
Settle-Carlisle Day Ranger
£28 adults (£18.50 with a railcard), £14 child (£5.30 with Family & Friends railcard)
Yorkshire Coast Day Ranger
£17.50 adults (£11.25 with a railcard), £8.75 child, £35 Family ticket
ScotRail sleepers
Southeastern
Until 28 February 2013, £10 Portas Pilot day return from London to Margate, via high speed Javelin trains
Southern
South West Trains
Wales
Cardiff Valleys senior railcard gives half fare for people over 60
Explore Wales Flexipass (four days rail and eight days bus in eight days) £94
West Yorkshire Day Rover
One of the best travel bargains in Britain must be the family day rover which gives travel on rail and most buses in the Leeds area. The scratchcard style ticket costs £11 for two adults and three children throughout West Yorkshire from Todmorden to Pontefract and Ilkley to Holmfirth. It can be bought at bus stations and most post offices, some tourist information offices but sometimes at rail stations. £7.50 for one adult. Train only £6.60. People who live outside the area can buy by post from West Yorkshire PTE, 40-50 Wellington Street, Leeds LS21 2DE. Tel: 0113 251 7272
More information
Full details of all these special offers from national railways enquiry line 08457 484950
Northern Ireland
Railways
Belfast Visitor Pass
£6.50 adult one day, £4 child; £10.50 adult two days, £6 child; £14 adult three days, £7.75 child
Irish Rail
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14.4.2013