Help: Q&A on trains

[Yousef]

* Can I buy train tickets with return same day online? If yes, is it still cheaper than buying it at the ticket office same day before boarding?

* What will happen If for some reasons I could not reach the exact train I booked for online and boarded on a different train?

[loftbalcony]

Online is usually cheaper and best deals are up to 90 days in advance. Stick to official train operators websites [eg-eastcoasttrains.com] and stay away from agency sites as best deals are always on official sites and earlier you book the better deal. If you buy advance tickets the best deals are usually tied to one train and if you travel on another you will get stung for another ticket and could be at full fare. Dont see why you cant get same day return online on official sites and if it aint possible then site wont sell it. Early planning is the key and for long journeys huge savings can be made. Eg- london to scotland can be £15 single when booked well in advance and tied into just one train but on the day same ticket could be £90.

[PedalR]

Yes. Book online and in as far advance as possible to get cheapest deals. If you buy a "saver" type ticket you will be restricted to travelling on certain timed trains - if you attempt to get on a different train/service to the one booked you'll have to pay a punitive standard fare.
Broadly there are three options:
Expensive "open" return that allows you to travel on virtually any train. Outward journey on a set day and return within one month.
Medium expensive day return that doe4sn't specify a time but you are limnited to travelling on that day (on any service usually)
Cheap "saver" day return limited to specific trains/times.
NB Sometimes it's cheaper to buy two separate singles; return ticket is not always cheapest.
Last trick is to break journey.... Manchester to London might be £50 but Manchester to Crewe £7 plus Crewe to London £30 would work out cheaper. You may well have to change trains but sometimes you can actually sit on the same train for whoile journey.

This site is good for planning:

http://directgov.transportdirect.info/Web2/home.aspx?repeatingloop=Y

[RussRanger]

And if you go to 4 on demand t.v catch up thing and look up this week's edition of Superscrimpers (which I think was on Monday?) they had a 5-10minute segment about exactly that in the show and other ways to save on train fares (not barrier jumping) with details of useful websites.

[Yousef]

Thanks so much mates. I cannow plan well for my trip for Liverpool and Sunderland match.

[richardles]

if you can try booking singles this can save a fortune. If you have to change then book singles to certain stations this also helps and some times you don't even have to get off trains. I have done this to london from up here in sunny Jock land and got singles to say Edinburgh then to Newcastle and then to York and then to London and done this with 3 of my boys and done it return but all in singles tickets for under £50 . So check your route and plan well in front and save £££££