Advice welcome about how to get a train from Manchester to London that doesn’t cost the Earth. I used to split a journey via Stoke but even that’s a rip off now. I’m looking at a trip in Feb but tickets aren’t out yet, are there usually cheaper advanced tickets? Any tips please?!

https://www.ticketysplit.co.uk/

Get a 2togther railcard

Try using this site if/when tickets are available, sadly the days of anything reasonable on the west coast line ended when the crap Avanti took over.

Since avanti took over from virgin prices have shot up. They have the monopoly from the north west down to London so can charge what they want.
I always go across to Halifax/Leeds and use Grand central or LNER. Always miles cheaper and doesn‘t take any longer since you have to change stations in Manchester anyway.
If you have to go from Manchester then megabus or national express will be the cheapest option.
Even flying might be cheaper!

JellyBaby wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 1:32 pm

Advice welcome about how to get a train from Manchester to London that doesn’t cost the Earth. I used to split a journey via Stoke but even that’s a rip off now. I’m looking at a trip in Feb but tickets aren’t out yet, are there usually cheaper advanced tickets? Any tips please?!

Tickets with Avanti are at their cheapest the earlier you book your journey.
They normally go on sale around 10 weeks before departure.

Its quite often, but not always, cheaper from Leeds to Kings Cross, however you have to factor in your train fare from Burnley to Leeds.

As mentioned above, Avanti increased prices in some cases by 100% when they took over the franchise on the west coast mainline.
Their service at times is nothing short of appalling.

RickyBobby wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 1:39 pm

Since avanti took over from virgin prices have shot up. They have the monopoly from the north west down to London so can charge what they want.

Avanti, to be fair, had the franchise support payment (the money given by the government to support loss making services) cut by 70% when winning the franchise bidding process. There isn't a passenger rail franchise that makes a profit without government revenue support! And no passenger rail service, taken as a whole, anywhere in the world make an operating profit without government support. Individual commuter routes, such as London > Gatwick and Brighton may operate profitably but long distance services lose money every day!

If you have the time a Megabus is about £20

Sometimes it can be cheaper getting over to Leeds then down to London. However this can add two or more hours to your day.
If you can get a cheap ticket to Brum both Chiltern and London North Western do really good deals to London. Chiltern go into Marylebone though but Baker St tube station is just around the corner.

Ok cheers all!

JellyBaby wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 1:32 pm

Advice welcome about how to get a train from Manchester to London that doesn’t cost the Earth. I used to split a journey via Stoke but even that’s a rip off now. I’m looking at a trip in Feb but tickets aren’t out yet, are there usually cheaper advanced tickets? Any tips please?!

Do you use tesco clubcard points / vouchers?

If its price over speed, then I'd suggest:
Manchester- Crewe using Northern Trains. Some fares as little as £3.50 single

Then
Crewe-Euston using West midlands trains

Both these operators still offer decent advance fares on those routes.

Use the various ticket splitting websites to help. But don't book through them as most take a commission. Just make note of the journey details and book direct with the operators.

mybloodisclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 6:44 pm

Do you use tesco clubcard points / vouchers?

No afraid not. And re via Crewe, I looked at that and it was still about 40 quid from Crewe! I’m hoping for these special price advance tickets I think

They seem to be all over the place these days , you just don’t know whether you’re chatting to a woman with a suprise or not !

JellyBaby wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 6:52 pm

No afraid not. And re via Crewe, I looked at that and it was still about 40 quid from Crewe! I’m hoping for these special price advance tickets I think

I have started getting friends and family rail cards using vouchers from tesco. Other than spending to accumulate points at tesco, it saves a ⅓ off fares to London.

Can get a family of four a return for circa £110 - £120. Been down twice recently on it, England v Australia and Arsenal v Burnley. Decent value.

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 6:46 pm

If its price over speed, then I'd suggest:
Manchester- Crewe using Northern Trains. Some fares as little as £3.50 single

Then
Crewe-Euston using West midlands trains

Both these operators still offer decent advance fares on those routes.

Use the various ticket splitting websites to help. But don't book through them as most take a commission. Just make note of the journey details and book direct with the operators.

Do you like trains or summat?

mybloodisclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 7:13 pm

Do you like trains or summat?

I have a mild interest...

I know pal, the amount of times you have navigated us around the country has been impressive. Villa next?

JellyBaby wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 6:52 pm

No afraid not. And re via Crewe, I looked at that and it was still about 40 quid from Crewe! I’m hoping for these special price advance tickets I think

That's possibly because the new timetable hasn't been confirmed yet so they won't be showing the cheapest tickets. There's an update in December, ( could be tomorrow) so just keep checking the crewe-london section as they'll start making those tickets available shortly.

If it's a weekend you're struggling to get any cheap fares now, unless you're willing to go at stupid o clock in the morning.
Last time we went to London it was quite a bit cheaper to go from Stockport than Manchester.

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 1:36 pm

https://www.ticketysplit.co.uk/

Get a 2togther railcard

Try using this site if/when tickets are available, sadly the days of anything reasonable on the west coast line ended when the crap Avanti took over.

"Crap Avanti" ?
Rishi was so impressed with Avanti that he's recently given them a nine year contract!

bfcmik wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 2:57 pm

Avanti, to be fair, had the franchise support payment (the money given by the government to support loss making services) cut by 70% when winning the franchise bidding process. There isn't a passenger rail franchise that makes a profit without government revenue support! And no passenger rail service, taken as a whole, anywhere in the world make an operating profit without government support. Individual commuter routes, such as London > Gatwick and Brighton may operate profitably but long distance services lose money every day!

Public Transport should never be ran with profit as the main goal. It is called public Transport, it should be for the public. For the society and for the economy. It is no surprise that the countries with the best public Transport have the best societies.
A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.

bfcmik wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 2:57 pm

Avanti, to be fair, had the franchise support payment (the money given by the government to support loss making services) cut by 70% when winning the franchise bidding process. There isn't a passenger rail franchise that makes a profit without government revenue support! And no passenger rail service, taken as a whole, anywhere in the world make an operating profit without government support. Individual commuter routes, such as London > Gatwick and Brighton may operate profitably but long distance services lose money every day!

Very true.
All rail services make a financial loss (apart from those very few commuter lines into london)

However, all private owned train operating companies (Arriva et al) still manage to make a profit....

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 11:27 pm

However, all private owned train operating companies (Arriva et al) still manage to make a profit....

Only because the government give them the money. Subsidies are given on a pre-agreed cost+ basis for a certain level of service delivery and the franchisees make more profit the more they can cut their costs. And when they cut them so far they can't run their agreed service level then the government step in and re-nationalise the route for a while, e.g Northern, LNER, GoVia

Billyblah wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 10:19 pm

"Crap Avanti" ?
Rishi was so impressed with Avanti that he's recently given them a nine year contract!

Which sounds about right with the standard of politicians in this country.

Vote Conservative.

Oh for the good old days of the British Railways Board.

RickyBobby wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 10:23 pm

A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.

Are there any developed countries under that criterion?

Hipper wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:15 am

Oh for the good old days of the British Railways Board.

It wasn't perfect for sure Hipper... But by heck it was a million times better than the absolute utter abortion that it's become.

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 6:46 pm

If its price over speed, then I'd suggest:
Manchester- Crewe using Northern Trains. Some fares as little as £3.50 single

Then
Crewe-Euston using West midlands trains

Both these operators still offer decent advance fares on those routes.

Use the various ticket splitting websites to help. But don't book through them as most take a commission. Just make note of the journey details and book direct with the operators.

Update: This was almost bang on. Manc to Crewe -£3.70 then Crewe to Euston £10.50. Both with avanti. Booked 8 weeks in advance. Assuming the trains turn up of course!

JellyBaby wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 28, 2023 4:01 pm

Assuming the trains turn up of course!

Mine didn't coming back from London on Saturday.
Got to Euston at 5.50pm to find that the only train going north of Preston was cancelled ( no driver).
I caught a train to Preston, which went via Coventry and Birmingham, and then had an hour wait at Preston for a Northern Train to Lancaster, where my car was parked. I was 110 minutes late.
I'm going to Villa on Saturday. There will always be a worry that I'll get stranded somewhere, or arrive back at my car ( I'm going from Penrith this time) hours late.

Avanti West Coast are, quite simply, not fit for purpose.

JellyBaby wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 28, 2023 4:01 pm

Update: This was almost bang on. Manc to Crewe -£3.70 then Crewe to Euston £10.50. Both with avanti. Booked 8 weeks in advance. Assuming the trains turn up of course!

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 11, 2023 8:36 am

Vote Conservative.

They are the reason public transport is dire ….and pretty much everything else they have their dirty hands on …..