How do you find out a standard 'single fare' without visiting a station

[Willie Bee]

As per the title ..

is there a way of finding out the 'normal' single fare for a journey .. maybe that's the wrong name .. the fare you would get if you walked up to a ticket office on the day or travel (or used a ticket machine) and then hopped on the train.

Does a senior railcard still give discount ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

brfares.com is quite good for this.

 

[Haywain]

As per the title ..

is there a way of finding out the 'normal' single fare for a journey .. maybe that's the wrong name .. the fare you would get if you walked up to a ticket office on the day or travel (or used a ticket machine) and then hopped on the train.

Does a senior railcard still give discount ?

As stated, brfares.com is good for this, as long as you know what you are looking at. Senior Railcards do give discounts on most fares at most times - unless you are in the south of England there is no time restriction.

 

[mangyiscute]

You can also search for a ticket on any ticket selling website/app, and then just ensure that you change the ticket type so that you are looking at the cost of an off-peak/anytime ticket, not an advance

 

[gray1404]

Would you like to tell us the journey being made along with the time of day and any Railcards held and we'll be able to answer your question here.

 

[ainsworth74]

Does a senior railcard still give discount ?

If there is no working TVM or open ticket office you can hop on a train and buy a ticket with your Senior Railcard.

If there is a TVM then you must either buy your ticket from the TVM or, if you cannot use your chosen method of payment (typically cash as some TVMs are card only), then if available, you should get a Promise to Pay token (mostly a Northern thing) and then buy on board. If there is a ticket office you should use the ticket office.

If you don't use an available opportunity to pay you won't be able to use your Senior Railcard and, indeed, would potentially get a Penalty Fare or even been reported for a possible prosecution for fare evasion.

 

[Willie Bee]

Would you like to tell us the journey being made along with the time of day and any Railcards held and we'll be able to answer your question here.

Manchester Picadilly to Liverpool Lime Street

Tuesday, sometime between 13:00 and 14:00

I have a senior railcard

 

[30907]

Manchester Picadilly to Liverpool Lime Street

Tuesday, sometime between 13:00 and 14:00

I have a senior railcard

BRFares says:
The relevant offpeak single fare valid by any train afer 0929 is £11.35 with discount.
There is a "Northern Only" version at £9.15

 

[Watershed]

Manchester Picadilly to Liverpool Lime Street

Tuesday, sometime between 13:00 and 14:00

I have a senior railcard

The "Any Permitted" Off-Peak Day Single for that journey costs £11.35 with your Railcard. This would allow you to take any operator, and travel from 09:30 onwards (so fine between 13:00 and 14:00).

There's also a cheaper "Northern only" Off-Peak Day Single costing £9.15, also valid from 09:30 onwards. This would limit you to Northern services; Northern only run local stopping services between Manchester and Liverpool, whether you go via Warrington or Newton-le-Willows.

If you're returning to Manchester or undertaking any other rail journeys within the Manchester/Liverpool area within the following month, it may be cheaper to buy a return ticket. Similarly, you may find that TVMs (as well as apps/websites etc.) offer you cheaper Advance tickets on the day of travel, which would tie you to a specific train. These can often be available as little as 5 or 10 minutes before the departure of the train in question, so you needn't necessarily book a long time ahead to benefit.

 

[Willie Bee]

OP here .. Many thanks for all your replies

I'll just buy an advance .. for my wife and I, it could be as low as £3.80 (NR) or £4.30 (TPE)

(We'll have two senior railcards by the time we travel, as our Two Together card runs out the day before we travel home to Newcastle from Liverpool)