Cheap Train Tickets? i'm, sure we've had this before, but whats the best - online or over the phone? what options should i ask for? i'm after a single adult 1 way to liverpool, possible early next week....
Its cheapest to buy the tickets over the net in stages, ie Newcastle to Leeds, Leeds to Manchester, Manchester to Liverpool. Should cost you about £25 instead of £60 Just make sure the times all match up.
There should be no difference in price wherever or whoever you buy them from (station/phone/net)... they use the same national database. If the cheaper advance tickets are gone on the net then they'll be gone on the phone regardless of which company you speak to. Efficiency or honesty of staff and system glitches can be an issue however, that may result in finding a cheaper ticket elsewhere. A week in advance can be cutting it fine for some routes/times as the tickets should have been on sale for weeks. So just ask for the cheapest possible tickets, if you can stick to specific times that often works out cheaper than open tickets. Craig_M has a point though, when I used to work in the industry it sometimes (not always) worked out cheaper to split your journey up, although the advanced direct route tickets are almost always the cheapest where applicable (i.e. you aint gonna get cheaper than the 23 or so quid direct non-flexible tickets to London, regardless of how you chop ya journey).
As a guy who's booked more train tickets between london and the NE in the past 6 months than soft mick... They use the same database, but it's 10% cheaper on net - always (FACT). ALWAYS book two singles, not a return like yeah Never do it over phone, find the cheapest times on the net and book those Kindest regards
