Train Ticket Prices in the UK
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds
Sep 19, 2007
Train ticket prices in the UK are often nothing short of scandalous, although this shouldn’t come as a great surprise in a country where the railways have been disgracefully neglected and underfunded for years. This means that visitors wanting to take a UK holiday that involves going to more than one city could be in for a nasty surprise if they think they’re going to do it on a budget.
Fly direct to Bristol, Manchester of Cardiff from the US, Canada and Australia
Visitors coming to the UK from a long-haul destination such as the US, Canada or Australia are certainly advised to look for direct flights to the city they are going to, rather than flying into London Gatwickor Heathrow and assuming there will be a cheap connecting service to, say, Bristol, Manchester or Cardiff.
First high-speed railway line
It’s a good reflection on the state of the British railway network that it is only in 2007 that the first high-speed railway line has been completed – and that’s only because of pressure from France to speed up the British end of the Eurostar service from London to Paris.
Paris to Luxembourg vs Birmingham to Leeds
Therefore, while it’s possible to cover the 280km from Paris, France to Luxembourg Ville, Luxembourg in 2h05m, the 148km between Birmingham and Leeds takes 2h02m. Silly, isn’t it?
Save money with cheap train tickets
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. It is possible to make considerable savings on train tickets in the UK by booking well in advance, at non-peak times and online at Thetrainline.com. The difference in price between a ticket bought on the day and bought in advance by picking the time carefully can be staggering. The first thing to bear in mind is that two single tickets are almost inevitably cheaper than a return ticket. And if that doesn’t sum up the absurdity of the system, nothing does.
Sample savings with cheap train tickets online
Here are some sample savings that can be made by buying cheap train tickets online. Prices are quoted in UK pounds:
Tickets on train from Birmingham to Manchester
- On the day: First class open single, £54, Standard open single £21.
- Online in advance: Value Advance Single C, £8.
Tickets on train from London to Cardiff
- On the day: First class open single, £111.50, Standard open single £72.
- Online in advance: Leisure Advance Promotion, £5.50.
Tickets on train from Manchester to Glasgow
- On the day: First class open single, £116, Standard open single £46.50.
- Online in advance: Value Advance Single C, £12.
Tickets on train from London to Leeds
- On the day: First class open single, £138.50, Standard open single £92.50.
- Online in advance: GNER Standard Advance1, £11.25.
Tickets on train from London to Birmingham
- On the day: First class open single, £100.50, Standard open single £58.50.
- Online in advance: Value Advance Single C, £10.
Tickets on train from London to Bristol
- On the day: First class open single, £104, Standard open single £62.50.
- Online in advance: Leisure Advance Promotion, £5.
Tickets on train from Birmingham to Cardiff
- On the day: First class open single, £48.60, Standard open single £31.80.
- Online in advance: Value Advance Single C, £11.
