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 * Buying a Ticket


BUYING A TICKET



Find the best train ticket for you

Want to know what ticket types are available, how much they cost, and where and
when you can buy and use them? Then read on.

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WHICH TRAIN TICKET IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR ME?

As a general rule, the earlier you can buy a ticket, the better the price you
can get. If you know the date and time you wish to travel, then an Advance
ticket will be suitable. For more flexibility, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak
tickets and Anytime tickets will be a better option, as you are not limited to a
specific date or train. For more information about getting the most affordable
ticket for your journey, see below.


ADVANCE TICKETS

These must be bought in advance and are only valid on the date and train
specified. They are sold in limited numbers, subject to availability and on a
first come, first served basis. You can usually buy an Advance ticket up to 12
weeks ahead of travel, and they are still available until the day of travel on
many routes – sometimes up to 10 minutes before departure. They offer a great
deal if you know exactly when you want to travel. Find out more about Advance
tickets.


OFF-PEAK AND SUPER OFF-PEAK TICKETS

These good value tickets can be bought at any time and allow you to travel on
any permitted train during off-peak hours. If an Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak
ticket is available for your journey, journey planners will make them available
to purchase. In general, Off-Peak hours begin at 09:30 from Monday to Friday in
cities and large towns, and at 09:00 everywhere else. If your train is scheduled
to depart after this time, you can travel with an Off-Peak ticket. Weekends and
bank holidays are Off-Peak all day. Find out more about Off-Peak and Super
Off-Peak tickets.


ANYTIME TICKETS

These can be bought at any time and allow you to travel on any permitted train,
at any time. Find out more about Anytime tickets.


SEASON TICKETS AND FLEXI SEASON TICKETS

These offer unlimited travel between 2 stations, and are normally available to
buy weekly, monthly or yearly. Find out more about Season tickets and Flexi
Season tickets.


RANGER AND ROVER TICKETS

These offer unlimited travel in a specified area, and can be a really good
option if you’re looking to get a bargain on your ticket. Rangers are valid for
1 day, Rovers are usually valid for 3, 7 or 8 days in a certain period. There
may be time restrictions on when you can travel. Find out more about Ranger and
Rover tickets.


OYSTER AND CONTACTLESS PAY AS YOU GO

These are smartcard and contactless methods of payment which let you travel
within London. Oyster is a re-usable smartcard which is issued by, or on behalf
of, Transport for London (TfL). You can also use a contactless debit or credit
card to pay as you go at the same rates as Oyster. Find out more about Oyster
and contactless pay as you go.








WHAT IS THE BEST PLACE TO BUY A TRAIN TICKET?

It really depends on your preference – there are lots of options to find the
best fares in the most convenient place. For example, you can use the National
Rail website or app, or visit a station ticket office or ticket machine.


NATIONAL RAIL GUIDE TO TICKETS

You can view and download the National Rail Guide to Tickets leaflet (PDF,
8.2MB), which provides an overview of the tickets available across the National
Rail network and is designed to help you choose the best value ticket for your
journey with confidence. It also includes a summary of train companies’
commitments to customers.


ROUTEING INFORMATION AND TICKET VALIDITY

Your ticket may show a route or train company that you must use for your
journey. If not, you are allowed to use any permitted route for the journey you
are making. Permitted routes cover all reasonable routes available for making
your journey, including direct services and suitable connecting services.

When you book your journey online, any ticket offered at that time in connection
with the journey planner results will be accepted as a permitted route. As the
full range of routes and options can be very complex (especially for longer
journeys), we would encourage you to check any intended route using our Journey
Planner to make sure that it can be used with your ticket.

To search for the full range of Tickets and Restriction Codes, you can also use
our Ticket Validity Finder tool, or the Rail Delivery Group’s full Routeing
Guide, which includes a list of maps of permitted routes.


FINDING TRAIN TICKET PRICES

To find the best ticket prices, use our Journey Planner, which will show the
ticket options currently available on each service displayed. Please remember
that Advance tickets are sold in limited numbers and subject to availability. If
you have searched for a return journey the cheapest price for both a return and
2 singles (1 out, 1 back) will be displayed.

The Journey Planner will not show Season ticket or Ranger and Rover ticket
prices. You can find information about Season tickets, Flexi Season tickets and
Ranger and Rover tickets on our dedicated pages.

There may be other fares available which are not shown. Reasons may include, but
are not limited to:

 * some tickets not primarily being railway products

 * sleeper service journeys which may require supplements

 * some tickets are issued with nominal destinations/origins which are not
   recognised by the Journey Planner (for example, a tram or light rail station)

 * some train companies and third party retailers offer special fares,
   promotions or methods of fulfilment that can only be bought on their own
   website



If you wish to see all ticket types and not just the cheapest fares, there is an
option to click on more fares.

A small number of other fares are not shown by our Journey Planner.

Find out more about how you can get the best value train fare with our Save
Money on Your Train Ticket page.




TICKET AVAILABILITY

We aim to display the full range of tickets available for the journey you have
selected. National Rail does not retail train tickets, so when you are ready to
buy the ticket you have selected we impartially offer all of the train companies
that can complete the transaction.

It may sometimes be the case that the retailer is unable to fulfil the
transaction. This may be due to, but not limited to:

 * system limitations

 * site functionality variations

 * browser caching issues

 * products that can only be purchased from certain vendors




TICKET IRREGULARITIES

All Train Companies adhere to a Code of Practice which sets out the procedures
we will follow when dealing with ticketing irregularities. A copy can be found
at the link below.


TICKET IRREGULARITIES CODE OF PRACTICE



This document sets out the arrangements agreed by passenger train operators to
ensure that ticket irregularities (i.e. when a passenger does not hold a ticket
or holds an incorrect ticket for the journey being made) are managed in a
consistent way.


 * DOWNLOAD TICKET IRREGULARITIES CODE OF PRACTICE
   
   PDF (119k)


MORE ON BUYING A TICKET




 * PAYMENT METHODS


 * CHANGING YOUR TICKET


 * SMART TICKETS


 * SEAT RESERVATIONS


 * BREAKING YOUR JOURNEY


 * PENALTY FARES


FAQS




WHAT ARE THE TICKET TYPES ON NATIONAL RAIL TRAINS?

The most widely available tickets are Advance, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak and
Anytime. We also offer Season tickets and Flexi Season tickets, as well as lots
of Ranger and Rover tickets.


WHAT DOES OFF-PEAK MEAN?

Off-Peak times vary but, in general, Off-Peak hours begin at 09:30 from Monday
to Friday in cities and large towns, and at 09:00 everywhere else. If your train
is scheduled to depart after this time, you can travel with an Off-Peak ticket.
Weekends and bank holidays are Off-Peak all day.


HOW DO I KNOW I’M GETTING THE BEST FARE FOR MY TRAIN TICKET?

The Journey Planner will show you a range of fares for your journey, enabling
you to choose the best price. You can also follow the advice on our Save Money
on Your Train Ticket page.


CAN I GET CHANGE, CANCEL OR GET A REFUND FOR MY TRAIN TICKET?

That depends on the type of ticket, and where and when you bought it. Please
visit our Changing, Cancelling and Getting a Refund for Tickets page. 

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