Travel Tickets on the National Rail network

Help choosing and buying the right ticket for your journey...

Which ticket suits you best?

From 7 September 2008, new names for rail fares were introduced across the National Rail Network.

The new fare names describe when you can buy or use your ticket, making it easier for you to buy the best value ticket for your journey. For example if you buy an Anytime fare, you can use it to travel any time during the day - simple!

• Advance - Buy in advance, subject to availability
• Off-Peak - Buy any time, travel off-peak
• Anytime - Buy any time, travel any time

Finding Ticket prices…

When you plan your journey using our Journey Planner you will see that tickets fall into one of the three categories above. In the Off Peak category, there may be more than one fare for the journey – such as a Super Off-Peak.

We will always show you the cheapest fare within each category, so you always know you're getting the cheapest ticket for the journey you have selected:

• Advance - Reservations are required for the journey and you must travel on the train shown on your ticket or reservation confirmation.
• Off-Peak - These tickets may have restrictions on the times that you can travel. These depend on the specific journey that you are making, but generally apply during the early morning (before 09.30, Monday to Friday), early evening for travel from major cities including London (15.30 to 19.15) or on certain days of the week
• Anytime - These tickets have no time restrictions on when you can travel.

Railcards

Railcards offer value for money if you travel by train, saving you at least 1/3 on rail fares. They cost from £18 to £24 each and are valid for 12 whole months, so the savings really add up. 2 out of 3 people could save with a Railcard, so visit our Railcards page to see if you’re eligible.

On average in 2007/8:

• 16-25 Railcard holders saved £122
• Senior Railcard holders saved £78
• Family & Friends Railcard holders saved £102 on the normal price of rail fares for the year.

These savings would cover the initial cost (£24) of a Railcard by:

• 4¾ times for 16-25
• over 3 times for Seniors and
• over 3½ times for Family & Friends Railcard holders

Season Tickets

Season Tickets give you unlimited travel between two stations and are available for seven days, or for any period from a month to a year. For details of this and other main ticket types, please see our Season Ticket page. To find out the cost of a Season Ticket between two stations, you can use our Season Ticket Calculator.

Families and Groups Travelling Together

Travelling by train is a great way to spend quality time as a family - and with great discounts for family groups, its affordable too!

Rover and Ranger tickets

Rover and Ranger tickets allow unlimited travel throughout an area. There may be a few time restrictions on when you can travel, but they are ideal for tourists and regular travellers, as they offer flexibility and great value for money if you need to cover a local area or a region.

• Rover Tickets are usually available for a certain number of days (for example: seven consecutive days, or any three days within fifteen consecutive days).
• Ranger Tickets offer the same flexibility, but are generally valid for just one day.

You can see the full details in our Rovers and Rangers area.

Rail and Bus Tickets

PLUSBUS tickets

Add unlimited bus travel around your origin, or destination town for around £2 a day with PLUSBUS. Ask for PLUSBUS when buying your train ticket. It can be added to single, day return, period return train tickets and for many destinations to season tickets as well. PLUSBUS can save you time and money!

PLUSBUS Website

RailLink tickets

Many stations have public transport links to make combined journeys with rail an easy option to places without rail services. Through fares may be available.

Ask for details of RailLinks at your staffed station, or visit the Non-rail served towns section of this website.

Visitors to Britain

If you live abroad and plan to visit Britain, the BritRail Pass gives the freedom to travel on all National Rail services. Ask for details from your travel agent before leaving for Britain, or visit the BritRail website.

For timetable enquiries from overseas, you can contact National Rail Enquiries International on +44 (0)20 7278 5240. Please note: This service is for information only purposes, and international rates apply.