What sort of ticket do you need?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I've been writing an "intelligent newcomer's guide" to finding the right fare - basically to help bewildered newcomers.  What have I missed?   What have I got wrong?   What have I over explained?  Examples, most of which will be TransWilts based, to follow in the full guide.

The most expensive ticket on which to make a train journey is likely to be ...

Any time
Any permitted route
Adult
With no railcard or concession
First Class
Single
For one person
Booked online by credit card and delivered by priority post

But you can probably make some big savings ^ let's look at each of those it turn.  Not all options apply in all cases, and the terms and conditions are just summarised here for your initial guidance.  Some options / concessions work together,  but with others you need to choose which is best for you.

Any time
* Anytime tickets let you travel at any time of day, but
* Offpeak tickets let you travel outside the rush hour, and any time at weekends
* Super Offpeak tickets let you travel at quieter times
* Advance tickets are bought the day before travel or earlier and for the train at a specific time
* Megatrain tickets on some routes are similar to Advance tickets

Any permitted route
* The "routing guide" defines the limits of "any permitted" and it can be quite flexible, but
* Tickets sold as ^via xxxxx^ or ^not via xxxxx^ may cost less
* Tickets sold as ^Particular train company only^ may cost less

Adult
* You can travel on an adult ticket at any age, but
* If you are aged 60 or over, a ^Senior Railcard^ may get you a lower fare
* If you are aged 55 or over, a ^Club 55^ promotion may be running and offer a lower fare
* If you are aged 16 to 25, a ^Young Person's Railcard^  may get you a lower fare
* If you are aged 5 to 15, you can travel on a child's ticket, usually at half price
* If you are aged under 5 (and reading this ^ you are very clever!) you can travel free with an adult

No railcard or concession
* You don't need a railcard or concession of any sort to travel, but
* If you are a member of HM forces, you can get reductions with a railcard
* If you are disabled, you can get reductions with a railcard
* If you are travelling in the South East, you can get reductions with a Network SE railcard
* If you are a visitor from outside the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), you can buy BritRail tickets before you travel
* If you are a railway employee and / or family, you may get a concession on your travel
* If you are a railway employee at work (e.g. driving the train) you don't need a ticket
* If you are accompanying a visitor from outside the UK, you can get a residents Britrail pass
* If you are travelling to London for an international train or ferry connection, look at London CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers)

First Class
* You can travel anywhere in the passenger area of a train with a First Class ticket, but
* If you travel standard class, closer seating & less extras included, it is usually cheaper
* Even with a First Class ticket, you can't travel on a special charter train

Single
* Tickets from "A" to "B" are available for almost all journeys in the United Kingdom, but
* If you buy a period return, it will cost less than two singles
* If you buy a day return, it will cost less that two singles (better discount than a period return too)
* If you are making multiple journeys on the same route, you can buy a season ticket
* If you are making multiple journeys in an area, look at Ranger, Rover and Freedom tickets
* If you are making multiple journeys and don't live in the UK, look at Britrail and Interrail passes

for one person
* Each person may buy their own ticket individually, but
* If you are in a group of three or more, look at ^Groupsave^ tickets
* If you are travelling with children, consider a ^Friends and family^ railcard
* If you are travelling with a friend, take a look at a ^two together^ railcard

booked online by credit card
* You can purchase online and get your tickets delivered to you, but
* Some online ticket sales companies charge credit card fees and others don't
* Some online ticket sales companies charge postage / deliveries and others don't
* Some Train Operating Companies give a web discount on some tickets
* If you buy online, you can pick up your tickets at a ticket vending machine (TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine))
* You will not be charged a credit card or delivery fee if you buy at the station / an agent
* You can also buy on the train if you join at a station where you cannot buy tickets

There are other ways to save too, for example
* If no day return is offered for your whole journey, you may find it cheaper to buy a day return to an intermediate station at which the train stops, then a day return from there to your destination. This can also help at the ^shoulder^ of peak and offpeak.
* If you are going for a few days, but no period return is offered, you may find it cheaper to but a period return to a destination station slightly further along the route
* If you have a trip that involves going to several destinations, you may be able to buy a ticket to the most distant and break your journey, rather than buying separate tickets.
* If something goes badly wrong and you are seriously delayed, you may be able to claim some of your fare back ^ usually in travel vouchers

And some useful add-ons too:

* You can add a sleeping berth on overnight services from London to Scotland / the South West
* You can add a travelcard for underground and buses to your ticket to London
* You can add entry to a tourist attraction
* You can add your ferry ticket to Ireland, Northern Ireland or Holland
* You can add a local bus journey in many towns
* You can add ^weekend first^ at weekends to upgrade to First Class

Everything mentioned above is legitimate provided that you stick to the terms and conditions of each pass and tickets that you use.  Good advise if offered on this forum, and I have tried to be accurate in this post, but I have had to simplify in places. It is your responsibility to check. Please remember that ticket conditions and options are complex, and that for some requests staff may not offer you the lowest price.

If you don't buy a ticket before you travel, when there's an opportunity at the station, or you travel on an incorrect ticket or do not adhere to the terms, you may be asked to pay the full single fare, you may be asked to pay a penalty fare, and you may be prosecuted.

[Red Squirrel]

Some thoughts:

1. Two adults who regularly travel together should consider a 'two together' railcard;
2. Even where a day return is available for the entire journey, it may be worth checking for a split - for example it is always worth splitting fares off the Severn Beach line at Temple Meads;
3. Do your research online - TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) often offer more expensive options and can 'bury' more obvious cheaper routes (e.g. 'not via Birmingham' when travelling south from Worcester). If there's a queue behind you, you may get flustered and feel pressurised into buying an expensive ticket.

Edit: Missed the fact that you'd mentioned the 'two together' card...

[JayMac]

The railcard for younger people is officially called the '16-25 Railcard' not, 'Young Person's Railcard'. This card may also be available if you are a mature student over 25, in full-time education.

[grahame]

2. Even where a day return is available for the entire journey, it may be worth checking for a split - for example it is always worth splitting fares off the Severn Beach line at Temple Meads;

I'm presenting this as reasons rather than loopholes ... new users  and things with known TransWilts examples ... the objective of the final result is to help people find a good priced ticket and to persuade them to use the trains, and not to make them think "how silly" about some of the results of the system which - err - can be a bit silly!

Replace
This can also help at the ^shoulder^ of peak and off-peak.
by
This can also help in other circumstances, for example at the ^shoulder^ of peak and off-peak, or between different lines and/or train companies

3. Do your research online - TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) often offer more expensive options and can 'bury' more obvious cheaper routes (e.g. 'not via Birmingham' when travelling south from Worcester). If there's a queue behind you, you may get flustered and feel pressurised into buying an expensive ticket.

Add

Do your research online - the lower cost options may be the less used and so less easy to find on a ticket vending machine, and indeed some options may be absent.  And you may do better research if you've not got a queue behind you.

The railcard for younger people is officially called the '16-25 Railcard' not, 'Young Person's Railcard'. This card may also be available if you are a mature student over 25, in full-time education.

Replace
* If you are aged 16 to 25, a ^Young Person's Railcard^  may get you a lower fare
by
* If you are aged 16 to 25, a ^16-25 Railcard^  may get you a lower fare ...
* and if you are a mature student (over 25), a ^16-25 Railcard^  may get you a lower fare

(but should that extra line go into "railcard and concession" as it's not really age based?)

[JayMac]

2. Even where a day return is available for the entire journey, it may be worth checking for a split - for example it is always worth splitting fares off the Severn Beach line at Temple Meads;

I wouldn't say 'always'. Many Day Return fares from Severn Beach Line stations do not yield a saving when splitting at Bristol TM^‡(resolve).

[Red Squirrel]

2. Even where a day return is available for the entire journey, it may be worth checking for a split - for example it is always worth splitting fares off the Severn Beach line at Temple Meads;

I wouldn't say 'always'. Many Day Return fares from Severn Beach Line stations do not yield a saving when splitting at Bristol TM^‡(resolve).

I thought maybe that 'always' was a hostage to fortune... Just done a bit of furtling and I see that, as you say and very sensibly, there are some occasions where not only do you not pay significantly more for buying a through ticket, you actually make a saving. Makes perfect sense...

[JayMac]

Always good to furtle. 

I furtled too, just to make sure. There are some flows where a saving can still be had, coming off the SVB Line and splitting at Bristol TM^‡(resolve), but there has been work done by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to reduce anomalies since the Severn Beach Line saw the introduction of the 'zonal' intra-line fares in 2007.

[Surrey 455]

* If you are travelling in the South East, you can get reductions with a Network SE railcard

Isn't that called the Network card now? Network South East is no longer with us. Similar discounts can be got with the Annual Gold card which is a yearly season ticket issued from stations in the old Network South East area. Do stations outside the South East offer discounts on train tickets if you have an annual season ticket?

[SDS]

Dont forget the ^5 first class upgrade with an annual gold card.


Holders of Annual Gold Cards Season Tickets and Travelcards may buy a special First Class upgrade for ^5.00 (children ^2.50) when travelling on a Standard Class ticket which has received an Annual Gold Card discount.
This allows travel in First Class accommodation on trains within the Network Railcard area on for the date shown on the supplement ticket. If the return journey is made on another day, a further Supplement ticket must be purchased.
On Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays you may travel in First Accommodation by simply paying the supplement.
The Gold Card First Supplement ticket may be used in First Class after 1000 Monday to Friday and at any time on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. In addition, the Gold Card First Supplement cannot be used on journeys departing from any London terminal station or any intermediate journey between London and Clapham Junction inclusive between 1600 and 1900 (inclusive) Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays).
Gold Card First Supplement tickets are not valid for travel on services operated by CrossCountry, East Coast, East Midlands Trains (Mainline), Heathrow Express and Virgin Trains.

[grahame]

* If you are travelling in the South East, you can get reductions with a Network SE railcard

Isn't that called the Network card now?

Replace
* If you are travelling in the South East, you can get reductions with a Network SE railcard
by
* If you are travelling in the South East, you can get reductions with a Network Railcard

Thanks

Thanks also for the Gold Card info, SDSPad; I think that was more in answer to Surrey455 than to my guide, right? 

[grahame]

P.S.

Of course, the Network Card is a frustrating for us who travel into London from places like Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.    You can get a discount from the east of us, at Didcot.  You can get a discount from the south of us at Salisbury.  You can get a discount from the north of us at Evesham, and you can even get a discount from the west of us at Exeter ...

[Pb_devon]

Grahame - when you write "intelligent newcomer's guide" do you mean 'intelligent railway' or 'intelligent man in the street'?
You are using words, titles, phrases that us lot will understand, but the non-railway user (and a number that do use the railway!) won't know.
Depending on the target market, it might be useful as a final step to hand it over to the aforesaid 'man in the street' to gauge reaction.  If you get a long blank look at the end of reading it, you'll know it needs rework!
PS: what it does demonstrate is how b****y complex our railway pricing is  

[LiskeardRich]

Another one,

If you live within Devon and Cornwall, and travel predominantly between stations in the 2 counties, a Devon and Cornwall railcard will save you money.


(It currently costs ^10, I saved in the region of ^100 last year)

[Alan Pettitt]

There is one great advantage, though, of our local stations not being in the Network Railcard area, from a purely selfish point of view, a Senior Railcard can be used at any time, including for journeys to and from the Network area, whereas if the journey starts and finishes within the Network area time restrictions apply.

[grahame]

Grahame - when you write "intelligent newcomer's guide" do you mean 'intelligent railway' or 'intelligent man in the street'?

It's "Intelligent man in the street"

You are using words, titles, phrases that us lot will understand, but the non-railway user (and a number that do use the railway!) won't know.

Probably to be followed up (on an online version) with links on each line.    One issue is that the man in the street needs to know the technical terms in order to ask for the tickets he needs / identify the right one on a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) or web site, so I don't think we can avoid them, but they do need explaining.   Yet the more explanation you put into that original document, the less understandable it becomes.  So links, making it in effect a checklist for the more knowledgeable and an index for the newcomer is, perhaps, the way!

Depending on the target market, it might be useful as a final step to hand it over to the aforesaid 'man in the street' to gauge reaction.  If you get a long blank look at the end of reading it, you'll know it needs rework!

Indeed.