Martin Lewis reveals why now is the ideal time to book Christmas train tickets – how to save on your fare
MARTIN Lewis has revealed why those planning to travel home for Christmas should book their train tickets now or risk missing out on the best prices.
It's all down to when rail companies usually launch their cheapest advance fares, which is 10 to 12 weeks ahead, meaning you're likely to get a better deal by being organised.
In his , the MoneySavingExpert emphasised that "this is the key moment for Christmas tickets".
Already, 17 out of the 30 main rail firms have released their advance fares up until the start of the Christmas period.
A few rail companies, including Great Western Railway and Northern Rail, are already selling tickets for journeys at the end of December.
We checked it out and found that it really does pay to book early.
For example, a single off-peak ticket from London to Liverpool cost £88.60 if you buy it on the day through the Trainline.com but just £12 to travel on December 12.
MSE has also put together a to which of the rail companies have released their best Christmas deals, when they're selling tickets up until and when more advance tickets are likely to be released.
It will continue to update the table on its as more information is released.
Martin wrote: "Even Mr Spock couldn't work out the UK train ticket system's logic. It's confusing, opaque and often means many overpay."
How else can I save on my train fare?
Split your train ticket
Book separate tickets for chunks of a train journey instead of one ticket for the whole trip may save you cash.
It doesn't mean that you have to swap trains mid journey, but rather pay for the same trip on the same train in segments.
This art of booking travel was picked up by MSE which found that a return ticket from London to Durham costing £301 could be broken down into four singles.
How much can I save by splitting my train tickets?
WE compared the cost of two ticket splitting websites against National Rail to see how much you can save:
Single from Birmingham New Street to Penzance at 6.42am on October 8
National Rail
Cost: £166.90
SplitMyFare
Full price ticket: £166.90
Split ticket price: £84.37 - including £9.17 fee
Saving of: £82.53 - after £9.17 fee
TrainTickets
Full price ticket: £166.90
Split ticket price: £86.17 - including £8.97 fee
Saving of: £80.73 - after £8.97 fee
Single from Ipswich to Bath Spa at 4.43pm on October 12
National Rail
Cost: £47.80
SplitMyFare
Full price ticket: £47.80
Split ticket price: £43.93 - including 43p fee
Saving of: £3.87 - after 43p fee
TrainTickets
Full price ticket: £47.80
Split ticket price: £45.73 - including 23p fee
Saving of: £2.07 - after 23p fee
Single from York to Edinburgh at 12.31pm on November 6
National Rail
Cost: £22.10
SplitMyFare
Full price ticket: £22.10
Split ticket price: £20.08 - including 23p fee
Saving of: £2.02 - after 23p fee
TrainTickets
Full price ticket: £22.10
Split ticket price: £20.07 - including 22p fee
Saving of: £2.03 - after 22p fee
By splitting the journey and booking London to York, and York to Durham and then back again, the total charge came to £82 - that's a saving of £219.
It's because of the way online timetables work out prices.
You can use online tools like and to do the number crunching for you.
promises passengers can save up to £176 on rail fares with its new ticket splitting tool.
Get a third off with a railcard
National Rail offer a range of discount cards including one for 16 to 25-year-olds, 26 to 30 year-olds and Two Together.
The Two Together cards offer a third off any Standard and First Class Anytime, Off-Peak and Advance fares if two named adults are travelling together and costs £30 for the year.
What railcards are available?
FREQUENT train users can buy a range of railcards to help lower the price of rail fares:
- 16-17 railcard - Discounts for people aged 16-17 but discounts can last up until the day they turn 18. Price - £30 for one year. Discount - 1/2 off rail fares.
- - Discounts for people aged 16-25 but discounts can last while someone is aged 26, depending on when they purchased the card. Price - £30 for one year. Discount - 1/3 off rail fares.
- - Discounts for people aged 26-30 but discounts can last while someone is aged 31, depending on when they purchased the card. Price - £30 for one year. Discount - 1/3 off rail fares.
- - Discounts for people aged 60 or over. Price - £30 for one year. Discount - 1/3 off rail fares.
- - Discounts for two named people travelling together over the age of 16. Price - £30 for one year. Discount - 1/3 off rail fares.
- - Discounts for people with a disability that makes travelling by train difficult. Price - £20 for one year. Discount - 1/3 off rail fares.
- - Discounts for children aged 5-15 while travelling with an adult. Price - £30 for one year. Discount - 60 per cent off child tickets.
- - Discounts for people travelling in the South East. Price - £20 for one year. Discount - 1/3 off rail fares.
For the same price, you can get the Family & Friends Railcard, which gives you a third off most adult fares and 60 per cent off kids’ tickets.
It can be used by up to four adults and four children.
Teens can also shave 50 per cent off the price of travel with the new 16-17 railcard.
All cards cost between £20 and £30 for an annual pass or between £54 and £70 for a three-year deal depending on which one you're after.
But you won’t be able to get money off if you’re travelling at peak times so it’s best to before buying the card.
Shop around before buying your ticket
Don't leave buying your ticket to the last minute from the train station on the day you're travelling - you won't be able to get any sort of discount.
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The National Rail Enquiries website has a cheapest fare finder feature which will do exactly what it says on the tin.
Websites such as Trainline, MyTrainTicket and Redspottedhanky will search the internet for the best prices for you, but don’t be caught out by their hidden costs such as service and booking fees.
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