Cheap train tickets can be a real benefit for those looking for a day out on a budget. If you’re after cheap train tickets to London, Edinburgh or further into Europe, you can book online with us and start saving money now!
Generally, train fares go up in price, right up until the day you travel. So, one secret to finding cheap train tickets is booking Advance tickets. Our Journey Planner tells you live train times, ticket costs and route stops.
Plus, we’ve got a few nifty features in our app, like SplitSave, which can make your journey cheaper by splitting it into separate tickets. Why not check out our train deals and discounts guide too, where you'll find all the latest offers from UK and European train companies that you can book with us.
What's in this guide?
Where can I travel with cheap train tickets?
There are so many places all across the UK and Europe that you can travel to cheaply by train. Tap on the destinations below to find out more.
How can I buy cheap train tickets with Trainline?
Look, we’re not saying that finding great value train tickets is the answer to all of life’s problems, but it can't hurt, right? A lot goes into finding you the best fares for your journey, and you can read about all the nifty ways we help you save below.
Digital Railcards
Okay, what's easier: getting 1/3 off train travel° with a digital Railcard or trying to find that one missing sock? It was there a minute ago...like literally one minute ago. Why is it always the left one? Well, with average savings of £167° a year, you can always put your best foot forward with a Railcard on the Trainline app. Socked or not.
We are an official retailer of Railcards by National Rail. Buy a digital Railcard online with us - it's stored directly in the Trainline app, so you can use it right away to get 1/3 off eligible journeys for a whole year. Save an average of £167 a year with a Railcard°.
Advance tickets
Not all tickets are created equal. Some are just, well, cheaper. With Advance tickets, you can save even more on top of your everyday savings. Book up to 12 weeks ahead and save an average of 61%** on your tickets. It’s a no-brainer.
Generally, Advance train tickets are fares that go on sale well before the day of travel. They're only available as Single tickets for A to B rail journeys and are non-refundable and not flexible. Perfect for those who like to plan their journeys well ahead of time, Advance tickets are the best way to be organised when it comes to travel.
SplitSave
Finally, a split worth celebrating. With SplitSave, our app will consciously uncouple your tickets and split your journey into two cheaper fares, and you don't need to lift a finger. Pros: stay on the same train and it costs you around £260 a year less°°. Cons: there are no cons.
Simply put, split ticketing is when you ‘split’ your train journey into multiple tickets, instead of buying a single ticket. It may sound strange, but if you buy multiple tickets along your trip you can save a lot of money compared to having a single ticket – in most cases you don’t even have to change trains!
Best Price Guarantee
We always want you to get the best price. That’s why there’s no booking fee when you buy same-day tickets in our app.
So, if you buy a ticket on the day you travel, you’re more likely to see pigs fly than find cheaper tickets anywhere else.
In fact, we’re so sure about it, that in the off chance you do, we’ll pay the difference.*
Simply book train tickets in our app and if you find a cheaper fare, get in touch and we’ll do the rest!
Price Prediction
Our handy in-app Price Prediction tool could help you save money on UK train tickets. Fear not, there’s no need to be a maths whizz yourself! Simply search for your journey and we’ll guide you with tips in the search results.
Our nifty Price Prediction tool runs on clever sums, not crystal balls. Our data scientists have worked their brain magic to save you money by analysing pricing trends from tickets that have already been sold. We then apply the same trends to the tickets that are available now, to estimate how long it’ll be before the tickets for the journey you’re viewing will go up in price.
Ticket alerts
Want to feel smug? Set a Ticket Alert to snap up cheaper Advance fares as soon as they’re released.
In the UK, Advance tickets are usually released around 12 weeks before the departure date. If you know when you want to travel but tickets aren't on sale yet, Ticket Alert will email you to let you know when they are, usually at a cheaper price than booking closer to the date of travel.
Digital Season Tickets
Travelling 3+ times per week? Save 1/3 with a Digital Season Ticket and just tap, scan and go!
Season Tickets allow you to travel at any time of day, and as much as you want for a specified period between two stations. You can choose how long they last and make as many back-and-forth trips within that period as you please. That’s not all – Digital Season Tickets live in the Trainline app on your phone, so you don’t need to queue at the station to collect a paper ticket or worry about losing it.
GroupSave
Get 1/3 off tickets when you travel in groups of 3-9. It really is the more the merrier.
GroupSave is a discount of up to 34% for adults travelling on a single or return journey at Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak times in groups of 3 to 9 people. You won’t need any special cards to travel with GroupSave tickets – all you need to do is travel together with the whole group you booked with for your tickets to be valid. Make sure you’re all sitting close-by on the train though, as the conductor will check that you’re travelling as a group.
How to buy cheap train tickets online
Looking to buy cheap train tickets online? We've got you covered!
Following these simple steps could save you money.
- Search online or download our app.
- Add your departure and arrival station.
- Choose your date – most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of departure, so the earlier you book the cheaper your tickets could be.
- Don’t forget to add your Railcard, if you have one, to get an even bigger discount. Alternatively, if you're travelling in a group of three to nine adults, you could use GroupSave for a discount of up to 34% on participating services.
- Book!
To find cheap train tickets for your journey with Trainline, simply enter your travel information into our Journey Planner and search for the time and date that suits you.
Cheap train tickets for popular UK journeys
These are just some of the cheap prices our customers have seen for UK journeys recently.
More ways to find cheap train tickets with Trainline
Whether you're travelling on your own, with family or friends, for work or a day out, there are plenty of ways to save money on train tickets in the UK.
Buy cheap business tickets
Looking for cheap business tickets? Why not register for a free business account? Our handy business portal enables you to keep track of all trips, expenses and tickets in one handy place. With our Price Prediction tool, we even tell you when to book before your business fare becomes too expensive. Sign up here.
Buy cheap family train tickets
If you're travelling as a family and want to save money on train fares, we recommend you buy a Family & Friends Railcard – you'll save 1/3 off your train travel all year round, and you'll get 60% off child fares too. Check out our guide to buying family train tickets.
Get last-minute train tickets
If you want to get cheap same-day train tickets, download our app to use our Advance purchase on the day tool and get the cheapest rail fares on the same day of travel - in fact, there’s no booking fee when you buy same-day tickets in our app. Visit our last-minute train tickets page for more information.
Get cheap student train tickets
Taking the train to get to school, college or university? Our dedicated student train tickets page has got you covered, from saving with a 16-25 Railcard to using GroupSave when travelling as a group.
Cheap train tickets in Europe
It's not just National Rail journeys that you can book cheaply online. We offer travellers great discounts for a number of destinations across trains in Europe, including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and many more. Our helpful guides are full of fantastic savings on popular rail routes across the continent.
Frequently asked questions
Check out some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to cheap train tickets in the UK.
How can I book cheap train tickets?
How can I find cheap train tickets to London?
How can I get cheap First Class train tickets?
When are cheap train tickets released?
Is there an app for cheap train tickets?
Can I set an alert for cheap train tickets?
Do pensioners get cheap train tickets?
Do students get cheap train tickets?
*Average saving based on Weekly, Monthly and Annual Season Tickets compared to five Anytime Day Return tickets bought per week, with an allowance for 28 days annual leave. Subject to availability. Adult fare only. Excludes coach. Excludes booking fee.
**Average savings on Advance fares booked at least one week before day of travel vs Anytime fares purchased on day of travel. Subject to availability. Excludes coach.
°Applies to selected train fares. See Trainline's railcard terms for full details of each Railcard, eligible tickets and travel times. Average saving over 12 months of customers with Railcards purchased on Trainline from March 2021 - June 2021, excluding price of Railcard.
°°Based on average saving for bookings in January 2020 - March 2020 comparing SplitSave fare vs Anytime fare and average Trainline customer frequency in 2019. Subject to SplitSave fares being available.