New travel industry research has revealed that around 53% of people in the UK are intending to take a holiday in the UK this year instead of travelling abroad.
Even though covid restrictions have eased around the world, many are still planning a staycation.
As reported by the Daily Record, Scots will be taking advantage of the dropping of regulations to journey across the UK to visit favourite getaways or explore somewhere new.
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Many will be foregoing a car and instead opting to take train to travel this summer, and so London Northwestern Railway (LNR) have compiled a list of train travel tips.
Here is five ways you can save money when travelling by train this summer.
Avoid travelling at peak times
A simple and effective method of saving money is to not travel at peak times if possible, which are widely considered to be between 6.30am-9.30am and 3.30pm-6.30pm.
Not only will avoiding peak times save you money on the cost of your ticket, it will likely also result in a quieter and more comfortable journey.
Split your ticket
Splitting your ticket for longer journeys is another easy way to save money when travelling by train.
Depending on which stations your journey will pass through, you may be able to split your travel up into stages by buying separate tickets for each section of the journey.
While this requires a bit more research, it can result in major savings.
In its simplest form, you can often just pick a major station on your route and look at separate tickets to split your journey here.
The cost of these individual tickets combined can often be cheaper than buying one ticket for the entire route.
Buy directly from the rail operator
You can also save money when travelling by train by purchasing your ticket directly from the rail operator.
This ensures that you are only paying for the price of the ticket itself and not any additional third-party fees.
While this may only seem like a few pounds each time, if you travel regularly it can add up quickly.
Book your tickets in advance
By booking your tickets as early as possible in advance, you may be able to save a lot of money on the price of your journey.
In general, the further in advance you buy your tickets the more you are likely to save — but even if your journey is under 12 weeks away, you're likely to save money by booking as soon as possible.
Invest in a Railcard
Buying a Railcard might seem like an obvious way to save money, but many people may not realise that it could save them money on every journey they go on — not just the longer ones.
Picking up a Railcard allows you to get discounted prices on train tickets, with 30% or more off most fares.
There are multiple different versions you can purchase, priced at around £30 a year.
This is an easy way to save money, particularly if you are a regular traveller as you are guaranteed savings on almost every ticket.
There is also the Disabled Persons Railcard which costs just £20 for one year or £54 for three years - find out more here.
Just remember to always have your Railcard handy when travelling, as you don’t want to get caught out by ticket inspectors.
This has now been made much easier as you have the option to store your Railcard digitally, so all you’ll need to remember is to grab your phone.
Whether you’re visiting a friend, heading on a family day out or commuting to work there’s no reason why you can’t save some money.
For anyone planning a trip to London this year, London Northwestern Railway also offers two-for-one deals on some of the UK’s top attractions when you travel by train - find out more here.
