Cheap Train & Coach Deals streamline the cost of travel tickets with the latest discounts
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This is a list of super cheap train and coach deals, vouchers, and codes that will enable you to cut your travel costs to the bone, sometimes just £1 each way.
We aim to ensure these can be used by everyone by checking with the company's press office (unless stated) but policies can change so do check before you book.
Yet these are just one-off promotions, it's also important you check out the Cheap Trains guide, full of cutting edge techniques to cut any journey’s cost. And if the worst comes to the worst there’s the Cheap Petrol guide too.
Includes...
New Deals
Family, 16-25 and Senior Railcards £14 in Tesco pts Online only
What's the deal?
Get a 16-25, Family & Friends or Senior railcard for £14 in Tesco points instead of the usual £28. The cards get you up to a third off rail fares.
How to get it
Go to the 16-25, Family & Friends or Senior Tesco rewards page and buy. You'll be sent a code that can be used on the Railcard checkout.
How Tesco Clubcard Rewards work
While worth 1p in store, Clubcard points values are up to tripled when converted to Tesco Clubcard Rewards Vouchers, which include days out, magazine subscriptions, holidays etc; eg, Alton Towers ticket for £10 of points, or a year's Company mag subscription for £8.
Other deals can be better value than the railcards but if you're buying them anyway, and don't need any other deals, it's a good conversion.
What discounts do the railcards get you?
Family & Friends: A third off adult and 60% off child fares, a minimum of one adult and one child, up to four adults and four children (age 5-15) can travel using one card.
16-25: A third off fares if you're over 16 and under 26 or a full-time student.
Senior: A third off fares for over 60s.
- How to book: Exchange Tesco vouchers then use code on Railcard website
- Any restrictions: Check the railcard site for restrictions and to ensure you're eligible before exchanging your vouchers.
- When does it end? Ongoing until at least July 2012.
Heathrow Express 25% offOnline offer
Get 25% off return tickets from Central London to Heathrow when you book tickets for at least two adults online at Heathrow Express.
The offer's for Express class tickets for children and adults and can be booked up to 23.59 on 4 Sept 2011 for outward travel until that date. The return journey must be made within a month of the outbound journey. Railcards and other discounts can't be combined with the offer and tickets aren't refundable.
- Routes included: Central London to Heathrow
- How to book: Online at Heathrow Express
- When does it end?: 23.59 on 4 September 2011
London Midland 50% off Off Peak ReturnsBook online
London Midland is having a 'Summer Rail Sale' with 50% off 'Off-peak return' and 'Off-peak day return' tickets. It's for travel from Sat 23 July - Sun 4 September 2011 but tickets can be bought now.
On top of the offer, you can also use your 16-25, Friends and Family, Senior, Disabled, HM Forces and Network Railcards.
- How to book? On the London Midland website.
- Where can you travel? On the London Midland network. Some services shared with other operators may not show up the discounted fares.
- When does it end? Scheduled to end Sun 4 Sept 2011.
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Train Deals
Buy train tickets with Tesco Clubcard RewardsSlice the cost
You can now buy rail tickets using Tesco Clubcard vouchers on rail site Red Spotted Hanky. Check the rest of this Deals note for individual operators' sales though as Red Spotted Hanky's system doesn't tend to factor in sale prices. Full details in the Cheap Train Tickets Guide.
- Routes included: Routes available on Red Spotted Hanky
- How to book: Using Tesco Clubcard vouchers on rail site Red Spotted Hanky
- When does it end?: Currently ongoing
Southern 25% off Advance and Off-peak OnlineOnline only
Grab 25% off Southern Trains Advance (single) and Offpeak tickets until 27 Aug 2011 if you buy them on the Southern Railway website. Plus Senior, 16-25, Family & Friends, Disabled Persons, Network and HM Forces Railcard holders get the discount too.
The discount's only available for certain journeys entirely on the Southern network bought online. There are no booking fees when you buy online. The offer isn't valid for journeys completely within London Travelcard Zones 1-6 or on Gatwick Express journeys between London Victoria and Gatwick.
- Routes included: London to Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton.
- How to book: Visit Southern Railway website
- When does it end?: 27 August 2011
Gatwick Express 10% off SinglesOnline offer
Get 10% off single tickets on the London Victoria-Gatwick non-stop route when you book online at Gatwick Express.
There's no promotional code needed, just book online and the discount should be automatic. Your ticket can be sent via email and/or to your mobile.
The offer's for both Express and First Class travel for children and adults and can be booked for travel up to six months ahead. Railcards and other discounts can't be combined with the offer. There's no booking fee.
- Routes included: London Victoria to Gatwick
- How to book: Online at Gatwick Express
- When does it end? Ongoing
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50% off Transpennine with 16-25 RailcardRailcard offer
First TransPennine Express is offering holders of the 16-25 Railcard (formerly the Young Persons Railcard) 50% off advanced fares rather than the 34% discount card holders normally get when you book through the Transpennine Express website.
Tickets are non-refundable and only valid on the specific train booked. The offer's ongoing. Airport Advance tickets to and from Manchester Airport aren't included.
- Routes included: All TransPennine Express routes except tickets to and from Manchester Airport.
- How to book: Online only, via the special Transpennine Express web page.
- When does it end?: Ongoing
East Coast third off for groups of 3 plusBook online via the special page
East Coast Trains is offering 33% off standard or first class Advance (single) tickets for groups of three to nine people, when you book online.
- How do I book? Book via the special East Coast 3 plus web page.
- When can I use it? The offer's ongoing.
- Are there any exclusions? It's subject to availability, only available via the link above and you can't use railcards or other offers.
Chiltern Railways Free Parking for CarsharersFor 3+ passengers sharing
Rail passengers travelling together by car to a Chiltern Railways station can get the parking free.
As long as there are at least three people in the car planning to travel and you arrive between 6am and 9am, Monday to Friday simply tell the car park attendant you'd like a Carshare voucher and the parking shouldn't cost you a penny.
The offer excludes Saunderton, Hatton, Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Little Kimble, Lapworth and Kings Sutton stations. See Chiltern's network on the Chiltern Railways website.
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Scotrail Bargain Berths from £19Register 'n' print voucher
If you’re planning a trip between London and Scotland, check ScotRail’s Bargain Berths section, where Caledonian Sleeper single fares start at £19.
While you can book tickets up to 12pm on the day of travel if available, it's best to start looking as early as you can as the cheap berths go quickly. To get the cheap tickets, type in the dates you're thinking of travelling, then click the dates on the calendar and it'll tell you how many berths are still available for those dates.
Once you've booked you'll receive an e-ticket to your email address, or a text to your mobile, whichever you choose.
- Routes included: Scotrail Caledonian Sleeper routes to London Euston including Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness. See the Caledonian Sleeper map for all routes.
- How to book: The bargain berths section of the ScotRail website.
- When does it end? Ongoing
- Any extras? Entitles you to join the Advance Loyalty Club
CrossCountry trains 10% Student/Graduate discountAvailable for NUS holders
Students who have an "NUS Extra" or "Graduate Extra" card can get an extra 10% off on certain Cross Country Advance tickets (the applicable tickets will show up in green in a search).
You can get the discount in addition to the 16-25 railcard discount if you have one.
- When does it end? Ongoing
Megatrain & Megabus £1 faresOnline offer
Sister companies Megatrain and Megabus - you need to go via the Megabus site - offer train and bus fares across the UK for £1 each way plus a 50p booking charge per transaction. Go to the Megabus site, pick where you're travelling to and from, and opt for train or bus to find available fares. Plus, until 2 Oct 2011 trips on Megabus.com to destinations in England, Wales and some parts of Scotland will cost no more than £8.
- Routes included: Aberdeen, Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh Airport, Exeter, Leeds, Leicester, London, Oxford, Sheffield & many more. See the Megatrain Route Map.
- How to book: Go to Megabus (site is the same for Megatrain)
- When does it end? Ongoing
Birmingham to London return from £10Book online
Use the Chiltern Railways self print or ticket to your mobile service which costs from £5 each way and you could pay just £10 to get travel from Birmingham to London and back.
While the route is slower and takes you from Birmingham Snow Hill or Moor Street to Marylebone rather than Birmingham New Street to Euston, if you're willing to spend a little longer getting there, then the price difference could be huge.
- Routes included: London to Birmingham
- How to book: Visit Chiltern Railways website.
- When does it end?: Ongoing
Bus & Coach Deals
Greyhound Journeys from £1Book online
Well-known US bus company Greyhound has routes in the UK starting at £1 each way including from London to Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth, and between Swansea and Cardiff. Other services include London to the Isle of Wight from £8 each way.
A booking fee of 50p applies on all fares, and the offer's currently ongoing.
- Routes included: London Victoria, Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Swansea, Cardiff.
- How to book: Visit Greyhound UK.
- When does it end?: Ongoing.
Megabusplus Yorkshire £2.50 return faresBook online
Megabusplus, set up by Megabus, provides combined rail and bus journeys. For example buy a ticket from London to York and you'll journey from London to East Midlands Parkway by train, and between East Midland Parkway and Yorkshire by coach.
- Routes included: York, Castleford, Harrogate, Hull, Halifax, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Huddersfield and Bradford.
- When does it end?: Ongoing
Oxford Tube to London from £7 return
Day/next day return prices for the over 60s and under 16s for a 'Nightrider' on the Oxford Tube Coach service are £7, longer term returns are £10.
To get it you have to travel between 3pm and midnight. There are also discounts for Railcard and coachcard holders. Kids up to two can go free with a paying adult.
- Routes included: Oxford to London (Hillingdon, Shepherds Bush, Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch and Victoria).
- How to book: Tickets & passes up to a month in advance can be bought from the driver, while the service's full range of tickets can be bought on the Oxford Tube website, by phone or from Gloucester Green travel shop.
- When does it end?: Ongoing.
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Easybus airport travel from £3 return
Cheap bus operator Easybus offers journeys from Central and West London to Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports starting at £2 each way, and from Watford Junction station to Luton and Heathrow from £1.50 each way. You don't have to be flying to use the service.
- Routes included: Gatwick, Stansted, Heathrow & Luton to London and Watford
- How to book: Visit the Easybus website or buy at the departure point.
- When does it end?: Ongoing
Liverpool Airport to Manchester for £12 return
European low cost city shuttle bus company Terravision offers fares between Liverpool airport and Manchester city centre for £8 one way or £12 return.
- Routes included: Liverpool to Manchester
- How to book: Visit Terravision website
- When does it end?: Ongoing
Found a cheaper deal?
Let us know in the Cheap UK Travel Discussion
Important! Ensure you know how to shop safely before trying these deals
Tips for shopping safely
Whether it's a retailer or restaurateur, airline or air-conditioner seller, computer shop or car rental company, there are always two main risks: either it's a dodgy company, or it's a legit company that has financial problems and goes bust.
The aim of these tips is to help you minimise the risks.
What happens if a company goes bust?
Quite simply, its customers are immediately transformed into creditors.
This hits hardest if you've ordered goods or tickets from them, and not had delivery, as then you are simply one of a line of people trying to get your money back out of the company's assets, and you usually get back much less than you paid in.
Even if you've had delivery, if the company you bought from goes under and there's a problem with the goods, it can mean you've no comeback.
While MoneySavingExpert.com endeavours to check deals are valid, we don't check companies' finances - even huge names like MFI and Woolies have folded - so it's very important you use the right strategies to stay protected where possible...
DO: Pay by credit card for goods over £100
Pay by credit card for something over £100, eg, flights, kitchens, sofas, and Section 75 laws super-charge your consumer rights.
Unlike debit cards, cheques & cash, pay in full or part (even just £1) on a credit card and by law the lender's jointly liable with the retailer. This means you have exactly the same rights with the card company as you do with the retailer, so if it goes bust, you can simply take your complaints there instead and get money back if no delivery.
Yet it's important you ALWAYS REPAY IN FULL each month, so there's no interest cost. See the Section 75 guide for a full guide and Cashback Credit Cards for how to earn cash on top too.
DO: Protect purchases under £100
Section 75 doesn't apply to purchases under £100, but there's still an option which can help. It's not a legal protection, just Visa rules, but it's a good secondary back up.
Spend on a Visa credit or debit card and, if the goods don't appear within 120 days, you can ask your bank to reclaim the cash from the seller’s bank. See the Visa Chargeback part of the Section 75 guide for full details.
DON'T: Use unfamiliar sites without checking
Bogus websites are often set up to cash in on popular products like Ugg boots and Tiffany necklaces, so be wary if it's an unfamiliar site. And don't think that because it appears on a reputable search engine, that makes it a reputable site - always check.
DO: Check the site's legit
Most folks know to look for a security padlock on a website's bottom right, but that doesn't mean the site's legit, just that payment's secure.
To find out who registered the site and when, search the Whois database. Reputable firms should also appear on the Companies House site, the UK Govt's official companies register. Be very wary of businesses with just a PO BOX or email address.
Study the site's worldwide web ranking on Alexa. Anything in the top 100,000 means it's reasonably big - a good, though not foolproof, indication of legitimacy. Do a quick Google search for other shoppers’ experiences.
DON'T: Let your anti-virus run out
Crucially, ensure your security's up-to-date - free software can be downloaded to your computer in five mins. Full details in the Free Anti-Virus Software guide.
DO: Know your distance selling rights
Many people are surprised to learn you've MORE rights buying online (or telephone/catalogue) due to the Distance Selling Regulations.
This gives a legal right to send most goods back within a week for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there’s no fault. You'll usually need to pay for the return delivery. Read Consumer Rights for a full guide.
However, of course this is balanced by the fact that, order online, and that automatically means a time gap between ordering and delivering - when the company has your money. So if it goes bust in that time, the distance selling rights don't help.
DO: Understand sometimes there's no protection.
Ultimately, there is always a risk that a company can go bust. If the above routes don't apply, then you have to make a decision about whether you're willing to take the risk of parting with your cash.
Don't be overly scared of this: every day we all make transactions based on trust, and this is part of that, but do balance up the amount you're spending against the risk. Don't give large amounts of money to a company you're not sure of.
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More train cost cutting tricks
There's a host of the other tips and techniques to bag yourself dirt cheap train tickets. Here's a few quick tips but for full info read the Cheap Trains guide.
Buy early, specifically 12 weeks early
Everyone knows book early and you can get cheaper fares, yet often these disappear quicker than empty seats on a commuter trip. Therefore to ensure a bargain, the key moment is buying 12 weeks in advance. This is because, contractually Network Rail must have the timetable set 12 weeks in advance; therefore this is commonly - though not definitely - when tickets are released.
If you know when and where you want to go, there's a sneaky way to be first in the cheap tickets queue. The TheTrainline's* ticket alert system emails the moment cheap advance tickets for a specific journey come on sale (commonly the cheapest fares).
Get early booking discounts at the last minute!
Everyone knows booking train tickets in advance is much cheaper, but what needs to be understood is Advance tickets can often be bought the night before, or even on the way to the station. So the golden rule is... Always check or call if advance tickets are still available, even if you're on the way to the station.
Spend over £78/year? Get a 16-25, Family & Friends or Senior Railcard.
Railcards which can be bought from the Railcard website typically cost £26 per year, or £65 for three years, and cut a third off the bill. Therefore spend over £78 a year (even in just one trip) and you save. Until May '08 railcards weren't valid on some super-cheap promotional fares; now they're valid on all tickets bought in advance and all standard class tickets.
Local rail cards, season tickets and Rover & Ranger tickets
Local rail cards, season tickets and Rover and Ranger tickets, such as the Network Railcard in the South East, are also available, offering holders unlimited travel within specific areas for specific periods of time. There's a full list of these on the National Rail website.
Calling National Rail Enquiries? Pay less for the call
If you need to dial National Rail Enquiries, the official number is 0845 748 49 50; yet you can cut the cost of calling by dialling 0121 634 2040 and then pressing '1', you'll get through to the same thing. See the SayNoTo0870 guide for more info.
* Using these links helps the site stay free to use, as they're affiliated links which invisibly take you via price comparison services like Moneysupermarket or affiliate sites, this then means if you end up getting a product this site gets revenue
You shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by the revenue. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, its still listed in the same way. The following links Megabus and thetrainline are identical unaffiliated link provided for the sake of transparency. Click on the following link for more details on how this site's financed.
