Online Train Tickets

Jordan93
Jordan93 Posts: 336
edited September 2010 in The bottom bracket
What;s the deal with booking train tickets online?

How do I get the actual ticket?

Can I book them the on the same day I want to travel?

Which website is the best?


Cheers,

Jordan

Comments

  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Hi mate,

    You pick the ticket up at the station where you're departing from. Go to the ticket machine and you have two options "Buy Ticket" and "Collect Ticket". You'll need the collect option and will be asked for a code. You will have been emailed this code.

    Yes, you can book them on the same day. If you're booking a few days before, you can choose to have them posted to your home or office address so no need for the machine.

    I use www.thetrainline.com, but I don't know if it's the "best"...

    Hope that helps.
    Ben

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  • Jordan93
    Jordan93 Posts: 336
    Cheers for the reply mate.

    My dad said that trainline.com aren't great, have you ever had problems?
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    You're welcome.

    I've never had any problems with trainline.com. Sometimes had to book 1st class tickets if I've been too late, but to be honest it's been a blessing in disguise on the Sunday 7pm from London after a weekend 'on it'!

    But if you're organised and early enough, I'm sure you'll be able to get good prices; that's the trick with trains.
    Ben

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  • chriscl
    chriscl Posts: 14
    I've used thetrainline.com several times and no problems at all.

    Being based in Nottingham, I also used East Midlands Trains website which is quite good.

    With thetrainline.com, I usually get the tickets posted and they usually turn up in a couple of days.
    --
    Chris

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  • Jordan93
    Jordan93 Posts: 336
    Another quick question! If i book through trainline.com and collect the tickets through aself-servicemachine I dont need to take the card I paid withto teh station do I?
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    That's a good question and you've got me thinking - been 6 months since I collected tickets and it's something I do without much thought like on autopilot!

    Something tells me you do need the card...
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • Jordan93
    Jordan93 Posts: 336
    Just found out, yes you do
  • Pretre
    Pretre Posts: 355
    Highly unlikely that you won't need the card with you to pick up any train ticket IMHO & I very much doubt you could print them out at home
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    I paid online for tickets and collected at the station from a ticket machine and only needed a card for ID purposes. though I'm not 100% about that. Other train companies also offer online booking. I recently went to London and saved £1.50 by using SouthWest Trains rather than the Trainline but the journey was on the same train for both companies. Another option to consider is splitting the journey, look at the train journey and see where it stops then book tickets to that stop and then book from that stop to your destination. Thirty days + also helps with prices.
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  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    I use the Virgin site and find it very easy (and often cheaper than East Coast, whose tickets I am actually buying!! :? ). book 6 weeks ahead and it can be very cheap.

    You do need the card (and code) to pick up the tickets from the machines.

    French Railways (SNCF) let you print your tickets at home, but then they have been light years ahead on train travel for as long as I can remember.

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  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    Be aware that buying online you normally buy for one train at a specific time and (if the conductor bothers to check) you can only travel on that train. As opposed to buying on the day from the station which allows you to travel during that day on any train on a specified journey.

    Better prices buying online most of the time, worth it if you know the exact time you need to travel and are not prone to missing trains!
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    If you are collecting from machine then there is no difference between the sites, they all use the same software behind the scenes.

    And the advance tickets are available from booking offices as well so there is no financial advantage at all in purchasing on line.

    Just be sure to check the ticket you are buying is what you actually want, Advance tickets are normally specific trains and some sites deliberatly show you single fares instead of return fares so there is more chance of you buying a specific trai nticket which means the TOC gets the whole price reather than the shared price of the regulated fares.
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  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    On my last big trip, I missed the train myself and bike were booked on :oops: . Twenty minute wait for the next train and on I jump with bike obviously expecting the worst should the revenue protection officer actually do his job. In the 1.5hr journey I saw him once when he walked through the train with his coffee, effectively a free journey :D
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.

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