Beat the rising rail fares and travel on the trains for less with our cash-saving tips – plus £9.50 holidays are back
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RAIL fares already cost an arm and a leg – and have just been upped by 2.7 per cent.
But there are ways to ease the pain of travelling by train by following my tips.
Invest in a railcard. I love mine and have saved loads through it. Different cards are available, so look online or speak to staff at the ticket office to see which you are eligible for.
If you are between 16 and 25 or 26 and 30, you can save a third with a railcard that costs just £30 for the year. You will make that back in just one or two journeys.
The Family & Friends Railcard costs £30 too, and is valid for four adults and four children, saving you 60 per cent on kids’ tickets and getting a third off for adults.
Season tickets. These cost a lot upfront but can save you plenty in the long run. National Rail says if you are making the same journey for three or more days a week within a seven-day period, a season ticket is more than likely to save you money.
For example, someone travelling from Ashford, Kent, to London five days a week would pay £305.50 in a daily return tickets. But a weekly pass would cost £128.20, saving them £177.30. Check National Rail’s online calculator to work out the cost of your tickets.
Delay repayments. More than a third of all trains were delayed in 2019. With the Delay Repay scheme, you can claim some of your money back for late services. Most claims can be done online, so check the websites of your local operators. Delays must be a certain length for you to get money back — often 15 minutes, sometimes more.
Ticket alerts. As with most things, the more prepared you are, the better. By signing up to Trainline’s advance ticket alert, you can get notifications of advance tickets 12 weeks before your chosen departure date. Buying early can save you 50 per cent on fares — well worth the effort.
- Prices are correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers are subject to availability.
Deal of the day
GET 41 per cent off at Pizza Hut when you eat in, Sunday to Thursday. Voucher at . Ends January 30.
SAVE: 41 per cent
Cheap treat
IT’S crunch time. Head to Asda and buy two five packs of fresh-baked cookies for £1.50, usually £1 a pack.
SAVE: 50p
Top swap
INSTEAD of forking out £18.50 for the Oliver Bonas leather cardholder, try the Asos Design version for £8. It is perfect for my railcard and far cheaper.
SAVE: £10.50
Shop and save
BIRTHDAY presents do not have to be costly – at Home Bargains you can buy a five- pack of Hot Wheels cars for £5.99, down from £9.25.
SAVE: £3.26
My Sun Savers fiver
RONNIE Metcalfe, from Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear, says: “I am saving my Sun Savers fivers to help with the cost of a suit for my daughter’s wedding in April.”
- Share your Savers fiver stories at and get 28 codes worth £5 if yours is used. Include your name and town.
Reader's saving tip
JANET Rogers, of Hornchurch, Essex, says: “Instead of buying expensive dog toys, cut old clothes into strips, plait three strands and tie a knot at each end. It will give your dog hours of fun.”
- Share tips at and you will get 28 codes worth £5 if yours is used. Please include your name and town.
Britain’s favourite getaways are back
HOLIDAYS From £9.50 are back and 2020 sees us mark three decades of sending readers on bargain getaways.
The Sun is the nation’s biggest provider of short breaks, which have been enjoyed by more than 55 million people since 1990.
This time, you can choose from a massive 309 holiday parks to visit across the UK and Europe.
Fancy ticking off some new countries in Europe or visiting some areas of the UK you have never been to before?
If so, our getaways are the perfect bases from which to explore. Try Cornwall, Devon, or East Anglia — or venture to France, Spain or Croatia.
Check out today’s special eight-page travel pullout with Sun Travel Editor Lisa Minot.
There is lots of inspiration and detail on the attractions near our holiday parks.
Plus check out all the holiday parks in today’s 60-page glossy brochure. There is a booking form in there, which you can also find at mcb777.site/holidays.
With breaks available from March all the way through to November, you will have the widest range of dates to choose from.
Book either a three-night weekend break — or those able to go Monday to Friday can take advantage of our midweek offer of four nights for the price of three.
Booking your holiday could not be easier.
Collect TEN tokens or codewords (today’s are below, right) or TEN Sun Savers codes (today’s is on Page 20) from the 25 that will be printed daily in the paper.
Once you have them, follow the steps in the table below to book your break.
T&Cs: Price pp based on four sharing. Multiple token/code collect. Subject to availability. Terms, conditions and date restrictions apply. See mcb777.site/holidays.
Your paper could be worth £50,000
Every month YOU could win the super cash giveaway in our Sun Raffle just for reading this paper.
Entering could not be easier – simply download the Sun Savers app or sign up at .
Then, opt in to each month’s Sun Raffle by clicking “Yes!” when prompted and start collecting the codes printed daily inside the paper – scanning in the app or entering online.
With every code you enter you will earn a Raffle ticket into that month’s £50,000 Raffle.
There is no limit to how many tickets you can collect per month, so make sure to enter as many codes as you can to give yourself the best chance of winning. Remember, you have got to be in it to win it.
Not already a Sun Savers member? Join Sun Savers today.
It only takes a minute to sign up – just search “Sun Savers” in the app store and then download the app, or head to . To get started, all you need to do is enter a few details.
- T&Cs apply. For full T&Cs see .
Fancy a free fiver?
YOU can get FREE cash with super Sun Savers just for buying your favourite paper.
Our brilliant new rewards club will pay back our most loyal readers.
Just pick up the paper each day to collect your Sun Savers codes and we will GIVE YOU £5 when you have collected 28.
This isn’t a one-off and there is no limit to how much cash you can save.
For every 28 codes you enter, we will give you a fiver.
So over the course of a year, that could add up to £65.
We are keeping it super-simple.
You don’t have to enter codes from consecutive days, so don’t worry if you forget a day or two.
MOST READ IN MONEY
Download our easy Sun Savers app and quickly scan your code using your smartphone. Or go online and enter your code at .
To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash.
With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day.
TO JOIN: Don’t worry, folks — joining takes just 30 seconds, .
- PRICES correct at time of going to press. Deals/offers subject to availability.
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