Cheapest ticket which can be bought using a standard booking engine?

[styles]

What is the cheapest ticket which can be bought using a standard online booking engine, e.g. can be bought on the GWR, LNER, Avanti, etc website?

For the purpose of this, consider that the ticket will not actually be used, so for example a child ticket from Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley is 65p. I'm not a child and don't intend to use this ticket but I am allowed to buy it.

Is there cheaper?

 

[Quincy]

Not as cheap as yours but in Bristol we have quite a few 80p child ticket combinations on the Severn Beach line, I will however carry on looking for cheaper!

 

[styles]

Not as cheap as yours but in Bristol we have quite a few 80p child ticket combinations on the Severn Beach line, I will however carry on looking for cheaper!

Yeah I think the usual question is what's the cheapest route, to which I believe the answer is Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley.

But I do wonder if there's an even cheaper ticket which can be bought with no intention to use it.

I thought about the Scotland NEC but I don't think that'll beat a child Lichfield to Lichfield anywhere that it's valid.

 

[Haywain]

What is the cheapest ticket which can be bought using a standard online booking engine, e.g. can be bought on the GWR, LNER, Avanti, etc website?

For the purpose of this, consider that the ticket will not actually be used, so for example a child ticket from Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley is 65p. I'm not a child and don't intend to use this ticket but I am allowed to buy it.

Is there cheaper?

That is widely regarded as the cheapest ticket available and used for ‘live” system testing as a result.

 

[styles]

That is widely regarded as the cheapest ticket available and used for ‘live” system testing as a result.

It is, for a 'standard' ticket.

But is there a cheaper fare which can be bought using certain Railcards or discounts etc?

 

[Haywain]

It is, for a 'standard' ticket.

But is there a cheaper fare which can be bought using certain Railcards or discounts etc?

If there was it would be used for testing.

 

[plugwash]

But is there a cheaper fare which can be bought using certain Railcards or discounts etc?

With most railcards, a railcard discounted adult ticker is still more expensive than a child ticket. The 16-17 saver gives a 50% discount which puts it on par with a child ticket.

The "disabled child" railcard only discounts the carer's fare not the childs.

The "family and friends" railcard gives a 60% discount on child tickets, but is subject to a minimum £1 child fare and also can't be used by a child travelling alone, which at least the website I tried seemed to enforce.

Staff travel discounts apparently result in a 30p fare ( https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=LIC&dest=LTV&rlc=PRV&period=20250907 ) but that fails the "standard online booking engine" critera.

 

[Oscar M]

An Anytime Day Single from Lelant to Lelant Saltings with a child discount is 55p.

 

[styles]

With most railcards, a railcard discounted adult ticker is still more expensive than a child ticket. The 16-17 saver gives a 50% discount which puts it on par with a child ticket.

Yeah this was my thinking also.

The "disabled child" railcard only discounts the carer's fare not the childs.

The "family and friends" railcard gives a 60% discount on child tickets, but is subject to a minimum £1 child fare and also can't be used by a child travelling alone, which at least the website I tried seemed to enforce.

Staff travel discounts apparently result in a 30p fare ( https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=LIC&dest=LTV&rlc=PRV&period=20250907 ) but that fails the "standard online booking engine" critera.

It's a good question - are there any online booking engines which sells staff travel discounted tickets?

 

[Watershed]

Yeah this was my thinking also.

It's a good question - are there any online booking engines which sells staff travel discounted tickets?

Officially speaking only RST Online, which you have to have an account to access. Such accounts are only given to holders of TOC staff travel facilities and retirees.

There's at least one retailer I know of which doesn't properly enforce a whitelist for "status codes" (used for Railcards etc.), but I'm obviously not going to drop them in it here!

 

[styles]

Officially speaking only RST Online, which you have to have an account to access. Such accounts are only given to holders of TOC staff travel facilities and retirees.

Got it.

There's at least one retailer I know of which doesn't properly enforce a whitelist for "status codes" (used for Railcards etc.), but I'm obviously not going to drop them in it here!

Oh you tease!

 

[plugwash]

It's a good question - are there any online booking engines which sells staff travel discounted tickets?

My understanding is there is a dedicated site for staff to buy tickets online, but I don't think it's accessible to the public.

 

[Vexed]

My understanding is there is a dedicated site for staff to buy tickets online, but I don't think it's accessible to the public.

I've just googled "RST Online" and it's the second link, but you do need an account to be able to view the journey planner and buy tickets.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Obviously only applicable occasionally but Northern (and others) sometimes offer incredibly cheap tickets which you can buy online.

In theory a child ticket discounted with Friends and Family Railcard will be even cheaper, but that ups the cost of the transaction significantly.

 

[MikeWh]

@styles @Haywain Did you see this reply?

An Anytime Day Single from Lelant to Lelant Saltings with a child discount is 55p.

 

[styles]

@styles @Haywain Did you see this reply?

I did, thank you. I actually realised that for my use case I require an adult ticket, though any railcard/staff discount would be fine.

Lelant to Lelant Saltings is £1.10 for an adult, versus £1.30 for Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley, so this is still helpful!

 

[D1511]

I did, thank you. I actually realised that for my use case I require an adult ticket, though any railcard/staff discount would be fine.

Lelant to Lelant Saltings is £1.10 for an adult, versus £1.30 for Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley, so this is still helpful!

One wonders why this isn't used for testing then, eh @Haywain ?

 

[CyrusWuff]

One wonders why this isn't used for testing then, eh @Haywain ?

Suspect it's simply a case of people being used to it having traditionally been the Lichfields, so they didn't notice it was cheaper.