Making that annual pilgrimage to see family and friends at Christmas is nice, isn’t it? But do you know what’s not nice? Forking out more than £100 to lug your Christmas presents across the country on a train.
New research from Trainline has found that more than half of Brits are planning to spend less money celebrating the festive period this year due to the cost-of-living crisis, and almost half (46 percent) will prioritise seeing family and friends over buying gifts. But fortunately, there are some easy ways to make savings on your journey.
LNER, which runs trains between Scotland, north-east England, Yorkshire and London King’s Cross, is already selling tickets for journeys between December 21 and January 8. Great Western Railway is also flogging discounted seats up to early February 2023 between London, South Wales and western England. Avanti West Coast has placed hundreds of thousands of advance tickets on sale for dates up to and including January 30 (though weekend tickets aren’t available yet). TransPennine Express, CrossCountry and ScotRail are also selling advance tickets at a reduced price.
According to Trainline, the average advance booking will save passengers £88 on festive travel this year, while those travelling on the most popular routes (Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, for example) can save an average of £138. So don’t wait around, make your festive plans and save yourself some cash on your journey home.
You can calculate your savings and book advance tickets via Trainline here.
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