Carry on reading to find out about the numerous ways that you can purchase a train ticket in Northamptonshire...
Where can I buy a train ticket?
At a train station...
From a staffed ticket office you can buy tickets for future journeys between any two places - it does not have to be to and from the station where you are buying the ticket from!
The ticket counter staff will be able to help you choose the best ticket for your journey, advising on cost and any discounts you may be eligible for.
From a self-service ticket machines you can’t buy advanced tickets (e.g. you can only buy tickets on the day you travel) but you can buy tickets between any two places (i.e. your journey does not have to be to include the station where you are buying the ticket from).
Most self-service ticket machines only accept card payments.
On board a train...
You are able to buy a ticket for your travel on board some train services directly from a ticket inspector.
Online…
You can often get the cheapest train tickets by purchasing them online in advance of your journey.
Usually, the earlier you purchase your ticket online, the cheaper it is.
The majority of major rail operators’ websites will allow you to buy tickets for their services.
Don’t know who the operator is?
No worries, there are several online ticket specialists, such as Trainline and Redspottedhanky, which enable you to buy tickets for all train services, regardless of who the operator is.
Just type in where you’re travelling to and from in the search boxes and what date and time you would like to travel and these websites will find you a number of possible train journeys to meet your needs.
Buying from these websites enables you to compare different journey options across different train operators often resulting in you getting the best deal to suit your needs!
On the phone…
You can purchase advance train tickets over the phone by directly ringing the relevant train operating company.
Click here to access the phone numbers of all the different train operating companies operating in England, Wales and Scotland.
How can I pay for my train ticket?
There are a variety of different methods for how you can pay for your train tickets once you have decided how to buy them.
National Rail have detailed the different ways in which you can pay for your train tickets here.
How can I get the cheapest fares?
The best way to get cheap train tickets is to book them prior to travelling and book them for specific trains.
Book in advance of travelling...
It is worth noting that cheap train tickets are often available until 6pm the night before travel, so even if you've left it untill to the last minute, cheap train tickets, which can sometimes offer savings of up to 30% on the cost of tickets bought on the day, could still be yours!
Travel Off-Peak...
Travelling off-peak (which often means travelling after 10am and outside 4-7pm on weekdays and incorporates travelling all weekend) is cheaper than travelling during peak times (i.e. when a lot of people are travelling to and from work).
Purchase a Railcard...
Available to purchase online and from staffed station ticket offices, Railcards enable you to get a third off the cost of all train tickets purchases.
Click here to find how you can get one.
Other money saving tips...
- MoneySavingExpert.com have put together a guide for how to source the cheapest train tickets. Click here to find out more about these train travel hacks.
- Days Out Guide offers 2for1 entry with rail tickets to hundreds of attractions across Britain. It’s worth a look!
- Split Ticket Calculator - MoneySavingExpert.com have also created a Split Ticket Calculator which works out what two tickets you could buy for a train journey instead of buying one for the whole journey. This small travel hack can often save you a large amount of money!
What are the different types of train tickets that I can buy?
Advance - Buy in advance, sold in limited numbers and subject to availability. These tickets are only valid on the date/train specified.
Off-Peak - Buy any time, travel off-peak.
Anytime - Buy any time, travel any time.
Season - Unlimited travel between two stations for a specified period.
Rovers and Rangers - Unlimited travel within a specified area. There may be a few time restrictions on when you can travel.
