Greatest saving with advance purchase?

[jednick]

I bought an advance purchase ticket recently which cost about 25 percent of the normal walk-on fare.

What's the greatest saving you've had, or know about, with an advance purchase ticket?

Can I exclude the very cheap Megatrain deals that Virgin and South West Trains used to do, just referring to normal Advance Purchase tickets.

Thanks.

 

[BillyBoy]

A Super Off Peak single from Skipton to Kings Cross is £101.50 but you can book an Advance on East Coast's website for June for £13.50. So, if I've understood your question correctly, that's 13.3%.

 

[Harlesden]

Getting to Grimsby for £11.55 (Advance) via the 08:30 Newcastle train from King's Cross instead of the WUF on the same service of £108.00.
108 quid one way!!! My mum would turn in her grave except she was cremated.

 

[Chapeltom]

I paid £13.20 with a railcard, 1st class from Chinley to London. Saved well over £100.

 

[EM2]

KGX-[stn]EDB[/stn] on the 13:00 departure is £125.70 for a Super Off-Peak Single, although it would have been slightly less in 2010, when I paid a tenner.

 

[yorkie]

Virgin West Coast & Virgin CrossCountry sold Advance tickets for £1 if bought through Thetrainline (which I think was then owned by Virgin Group) in early 2000.

KGX-[stn]EDB[/stn] on the 13:00 departure is £125.70 for a Super Off-Peak Single, although it would have been slightly less in 2010, when I paid a tenner.

A Super Off Peak Single from London Terminals to Edinburgh is only £62.85, providing it is bought on the East Coast website, no later than the day before travel (up to 23:59, I think).

 

[EM2]

Indeed Yorkie, but the OP specified walk-on fares.

 

[telstarbox]

Well it depends how you do the comparison. Walk-up returns are often not much more than walk-up singles. Most rail journeys involve a return within a month. If you bought Advance singles for £10 each way and the Off-Peak single is £49, but the Off-Peak return is £50, how do you define the saving?

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I paid £26.35 for me and my dad to go from Alfreton to Bexleyheath on a family and friends ticket. Such a bargain, and I got to go on a very nice EMT HST from Alfreton to St Pancake direct.

Only needed the single as we were getting a lift in a van from Bexleyheath to my house in Ellesmere port. Whatever though, better than paying £65 for Virgin.

 

[paddington]

£5 each way from Euston to Coventry in 2008, on Virgin. Stayed overnight (which cost £35 in a B&B - as opposed to taking the first train of the day as I didn't want to risk missing my interview - but I can't remember how much the anytime day return was)

I believe an off-peak return is currently £45.40.