Cheap train tickets
Find cheap train tickets with us today
Will saving 35%* on Trainline lead to personal enlightenment and inner peace? It can’t hurt. Great journeys start with Trainline.
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.
*Average savings made by UK customers from Advance fares, SplitSave and/or Railcard discounts, where available v. equivalent flexible fare without a Railcard or SplitSave. Subject to availability and eligibility. See Trainline T&Cs for further info.
Cheaper tickets with Railcards, SplitSave and Advance booking all sound pretty zen to us.
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?
We’re glad we’re on the same page, because Trainline customers save an average of 35%* when they book.
Our clever tech works hard in the background to surface all the ways you can save, without you having to lift a finger. With digital Railcards stored handily in our app, SplitSave shaving off the cost of your journey and significantly cheaper fares when you book in advance, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the start of a new adventure.
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.
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.
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.
How to get cheap train tickets
At Trainline, we have some handy tips for how to get the cheapest train tickets, quickly and easily. Check them out below!
- Buy your train tickets in advance
Booking in advance is a great way to ensure you get your cheap tickets early. You can also try booking two Advance Single tickets instead of a return ticket as this can sometimes work out cheaper.
- Use a Railcard
By getting a National Railcard for yourself, you can look forward to an extra 1/3 off the cost of your train tickets on most routes. What's not to like about that?
- Travel Off-Peak
If you can, avoid Peak times and travel Off-Peak, and you’ll be privy to the cheaper train ticket fares available. Being flexible is a great way to limit the cost of your spend on travel.
- Sign up to our Advance Ticket Alert tool
We want to take the hard work out of finding those all-important Advance fares for you. Simply sign up to our Ticket Alert tool and tell us your train route, and we’ll send you an email as soon as tickets become available.
- Buy split tickets.
With our handy split-ticketing app feature, you can save money on your train tickets by splitting one long train journey into two parts, and two tickets.
How to buy cheap train tickets online
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.
Other ways to save money on train tickets
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. 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.
Buy cheap First Class train tickets
Want to find the cheapest fares without having to give up comfort? Don’t be put off by the thought of paying more and buy a First Class train ticket, as there are ways to get the cheapest fares. For example, if you book well in advance, you may find that the difference in price between Standard and First Class can be less than you'd expect, depending on when you want to travel. Visit our First Class train tickets page for more information.
Get a Season Ticket
If you’re making the same journey regularly, it may work out cheaper to get a Season Ticket. You can choose between a Weekly, Monthly or Annual Season Ticket. Each type allows you unlimited travel between two stations and you can travel at any time of day.
A Weekly Season Ticket is often cheaper than buying four daily Anytime Return tickets. And a Monthly Season Ticket can be cheaper than buying four Weekly Season Tickets. An Annual Season Ticket is often cheaper than buying Monthly or Weekly Season Tickets throughout the year.
Buy a Flexi Season ticket
If you're a part-time commuter travelling to work during Peak times at least two days a week, Monday to Friday, you may find it cheaper to get a Flexi Season ticket. This new ticket type offers 8 days of unlimited travel in 28 days – you can travel any time between two named stations. Learn more about Flexi Season tickets.
Use Best Fare Finder
If you want to find great deals on train tickets, why not use our Best Fare Finder. Simply select one of our top routes, tell us when you’re thinking of travelling and Best Fare Finder will show you the cheapest train tickets our customers have found around these times. Find out more about Best Fare Finder.
See how much you could save on train tickets
Cheap train tickets for popular UK journeys
These are just some of the cheap prices our customers have seen for UK journeys recently.
| Journey | Fastest time | Price* |
|---|---|---|
| London to Bath | 1h 15m | From £21.50 |
| London to Edinburgh | 4h 10m | From £19.50 |
| Edinburgh to London | 4h | From £29.90 |
| London to Cardiff | 1h 47m | From £27.60 |
| Manchester to London | 2h 6m | From £26.70 |
| Loughborough to London | 1h 14m | From £14.50 |
| Newark to London | 1h 13m | From £14.30 |
| Derby to London | 1h 25m | From £16 |
| Cheltenham to London | 1h 55m | From £18.90 |
| Glasgow to Edinburgh | 44m | From £5.30 |
| Northampton to London | 50m | From £10 |
| London to Newcastle | 2h 46m | From £14.90 |
| London to Nottingham | 1h 32m | From £15 |
| Swansea to London | 2h 45m | From £30.20 |
| Ipswich to London | 57m | From £10 |
| Bournemouth to London | 1h 50m | From £11.30 |
*Prices correct March 2023. Advance adult single fare. Excludes booking fee. Prices seen by Trainline customers in the last 30 days. Availability limited.
Cheap train tickets in Europe
It's not just National Rail journeys that you can book cheap train tickets online for. We offer travellers great discounts for a number of destinations across trains in Europe, including in 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.
When are cheap train tickets available?
Is there an app for cheap train tickets?
Can I set an alert for cheap train tickets?
Popular destinations to visit by train
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.
**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.