Saving Money On Train Tickets

For those of us who don't have to travel regularly by train but can plan some time in advance a great deal of money can be saved. This is especially so compared to turning up at the train station and buying a ticket on the day of travel. The train companies clearly want a good cash-flow and getting customers to pay in advance makes business sense for them even if the money they get is less than if everyone had to pay on the day. 

The best deals are for travelling out of the busy morning and evening commuting times so if you can adjust your travel arrangements accordingly, whether it's for business or leisure, you can save an enormous amount.

My top 3 tips for saving money when travelling by train are:

1. Book as early as you possibly can - decide whether you want a flexible ticket or not but remember flexibility adds to the cost
2. Travel out of the peak travelling times in the morning and evening - the trains are less crowded too 
3. Journeys are usually more expensive when there is a straight through service to your destination - changing trains may make it cheaper but there's the added risk of potential delays

I happen to like travelling by train and do so on longer journeys and I've got used to planning as far ahead as I can even if occasionally if I have to cancel a journey I know I've lost the price of that ticket - the amount I save doesn't make it seem so bad.