What website/app do you use when booking tickets?

[Oscar M]

Hi all.

I've been looking at many different ticket booking websites and apps for fun, checking out their features, UI, etc.

Out of curiosity, it would be interesting to know your preferred website/app for booking tickets, and why.

(Mod note: I tried searching for an existing thread that covered this topic, but was unsuccessful. Feel free to lock this post if the topic has already been covered. Apologies if I am posting in the wrong sub-forum)

 

[Kilopylae]

My preference is for booking at the ticket office, but whenever I need to book online, I either use Trainsplit or GWR (the latter because I often have vouchers).

I'd definitely say Trainsplit is the best website. I prefer the old website to new.trainsplit.com unless I need to disable split tickets.

Most of my friends use Trainline, but I despise it tbh and have never seen the appeal. Out of the TOC websites, I'd say Chiltern has the best.

 

[Sleepy]

GWR mixing desk which has the bonus of nectar points.

 

[Oscar M]

I'd definitely say Trainsplit is the best website. I prefer the old website to new.trainsplit.com unless I need to disable split tickets.

I use Trainsplit if I'm looking for a journey that can potentially be done at a cheaper price if I split ticket.

My preference is for booking at the ticket office, but whenever I need to book online, I either use Trainsplit or GWR (the latter because I often have vouchers).

If I'm making a journey that I'm fairly familiar with where I know the through fare will be the cheapest, I typically use GWR because its app has a nice UI, it offers e-tickets, I find the live times feature to work well, etc. I also like to book with CrossCountry as they offer fee-free changes to advance tickets. (This is outside of the book with confidence scheme)

Most of my friends use Trainline, but I despise it tbh and have never seen the appeal.

I'm also not a fan of Trainline and dread when I see others, especially friends/relatives, use it.

 

[XAM2175]

I prefer the old website to new.trainsplit.com unless I need to disable split tickets.

I prefer the new Trainsplit interface because it has the time bars, rather than the selection grid of the old one.

 

[Silver Cobra]

The main website I book my tickets through is GWR's. With using the direct link to it (https://tickets.gwr.com), they still offer the old-school Mixing Deck interface, which I've generally found to be pretty flexible to work with. Along with this, they offer Nectar points for all tickets purchased through their website, even for journeys not involving their own services. The exceptions to this are when I'm planning to travel with either LNER or Avanti, where I use their own websites to book tickets for those journeys in order to make use of their seat selectors.

 

[Nova1]

If I'm booking a long distance journey I'll use trainsplit.

If it's my usual short tickets, I'll use Chiltern's app (I travel on WMR services), the chiltern one has just been the simplest and least trouble free. My favorite feature is it not forcing you to pick a train to travel on then selling you an anytime ticket (looking at you WMR)

 

[Oscar M]

I prefer the new Trainsplit interface because it has the time bars, rather than the selection grid of the old one.

I also prefer the new interface. To me it makes the site look much better.

The main website I book my tickets through is GWR's.

GWR seems to be the most preferred choice so far. (And Trainsplit for split tickets of course)

 

[James H]

My default choice is also GWR mixing deck (for the Nectar points) unless there's a better offer available from a particular TOC at the time.

 

[londiscape]

When I can get e-tickets, always Trainsplit (if saving can be made by splitting) or Trainscanbecheaper.info for regular unsplit tickets.

For paper tickets (where e-tickets are unavailable, thanks TFW ), preference is for the ticket office, or the machine on an unstaffed station.

I never use Advances so am unaware of what deals are available elsewhere for these.

 

[WelshBluebird]

If I am buying on the day I'll use the trainline (they don't charge a booking fee for etickets bought on the day) as I've bought my railcard with them to make it easier as it has a nice button on the ticket to show your railcard in the same app (as opposed to showing the ticket in one app and then having to switch to another app for the railcard).

If I'm buying in advance I usually default to the GWR app or website for the nectar points but if its a specifically expensive trip I'll use one of the split ticketing sites / apps.

 

[Adam Williams]

When I can get e-tickets, always Trainsplit (if saving can be made by splitting) or Trainscanbecheaper.info for regular unsplit tickets.

for what it's worth, if you use the new interface you can toggle on/off the splits without having to visit a separate site

 

[Wallsendmag]

LNER every time but there is a good reason

 

[Haywain]

I’d love to be able to buy my tickets online. However, I like the options available in the Trainsplit website.

 

[Kilopylae]

Nice to hear Trainsplit, GWR and Chiltern are others' preferences too. I've never used LNER but next time I'm booking something online I'll have to give it a go.

 

[Alex365Dash]

In terms of e-tickets and/or split ticketing, I’ll go with Trainsplit since they have the ability to add a ticket to Apple Wallet without charging a booking fee, and the ability to book an entire journey at once with split tickets whilst retaining the same seat (where seat reservations are available) is helpful. I prefer the new site (new.trainsplit.com) with its cleaner design compared to the old one.

For all other journeys, I generally use TPE as they both give Nectar points and also allow for fee-free changes (including flexible tickets).

 

[Oscar M]

For all other journeys, I generally use TPE as they both give Nectar points and also allow for fee-free changes (including flexible tickets).

I might actually start using TPE for my bookings then as when it comes to using the app and booking on the website, it's the same as GWR but with TPE branding.

 

[ABB125]

Depending on the circumstances, I usually use either GWR or TrainSplit. Personally I prefer the old TrainSplit user interface, if only because on the new system, there's no back button, so if you're looking at one itinerary but want to check another, you have to click the browser back button, then wait for the system to search for journeys again.

 

[Joe Paxton]

[...]
For all other journeys, I generally use TPE as they both give Nectar points and also allow for fee-free changes (including flexible tickets).

I use Crosscountry (XC) for Advance tickets as they offer fee-free changes, should I wish to keep open the opportunity of changing them to another date/time - this only applies to Advance tickets though, not flexible/walk-up tickets.

I think the process with for a fee-free change with XC is simpler than with TPE - there's no need to actively request a refund as there is with TPE, and it's also a much simpler process should the Advance ticket be issued as a paper ticket (rather than an e-tickets), e.g. if the journey involves a cross-London transfer. The TPE process seems a significantly more manual.

Crosscountry - fee-free changes for Advance tickets:
www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/customer-service/no-admin-fee

TPE - Change my ticket:
www.tpexpress.co.uk/help/change-my-ticket


However XC runs on the Trainline backend, and UI-wise I do prefer the old school Worldline 'Mixing Deck' sites as I find they give a good visual overview of the various ticket validities for different journeys (though they are not without errors).

For what it's worth, it's not just GWR that still offers this - there's also the other First TOCs of TPE, SWR and Hull Trains, plus the third-party Red Spotted Hanky booking site (used to be several other TOCs too that used Worldline, but they've since changed providers).


Trainsplit is an amazing site, and I use it whenever I can and recommend it to all and sundry. Not perfect, but pretty damn good.

 

[Oscar M]

I use Crosscountry for Advance tickets as they offer fee-free changes, should I wish to keep open the opportunity of changing them to another date/time - this only applies to Advance tickets though, not flexible/walk-up tickets.

I think the process with for a fee-free change with XC is simpler than TPE - there's no need to actively request a refund as there is with TPE, and it's also a much simpler process should the Advance ticket be issued as a paper ticket (rather than an e-tickets), e.g. if the journey involves a cross-London transfer. The TPE process seems a significantly more manual.

Crosscountry - fee-free changes for Advance tickets:
www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/customer-service/no-admin-fee

TPE - Change my ticket:
www.tpexpress.co.uk/help/change-my-ticket

I definitely agree here. The page on TPE's website states that if your journey is within 5 days, you should amend your paper ticket at a staffed office. How exactly would you be able to amend an advance ticket without a fee at a ticket office in a station which isn't served by TPE?

(Or have I misunderstood something here?)

 

[_toommm_]

I definitely agree here. The page on TPE's website states that if your journey is within 5 days, you should amend your paper ticket at a staffed office. How exactly would you be able to amend an advance ticket without a fee at a ticket office in a station which isn't served by TPE?

(Or have I misunderstood something here?)

The process for changing advances with TPE is buy then request a refund. As long as you request the refund before your original ticket was due to be used, you’re okay.

They used to years ago post out excesses, which is why the website still says to do it five days ahead. The portal to change advances doesn’t actually work - even doing it a few weeks in advance gives no common delivery methods if you try to change it.

 

[XAM2175]

Personally I prefer the old TrainSplit user interface, if only because on the new system, there's no back button, so if you're looking at one itinerary but want to check another, you have to click the browser back button, then wait for the system to search for journeys again.

The timeline display in the new interface allows you to see the itineraries lined up all on one screen, with the specifics available in a pop-up by clicking the "i" button.

I've no idea why the timeline view isn't default in the new interface since it's so much better.

 

[m00036]

There is a slight difference in cost if you account for possible cashback, even amongst TOCs (which all have no booking fees and should, although don't always, offer the same fares). Quidco seems to offer 2.8% via Transport for Wales for any route (though this expires in 4 days); Chiltern has 0.8% and more on its own routes. Obviously small percentages but it all adds up!

 

[yorkie]

The exceptions to this are when I'm planning to travel with either LNER or Avanti, where I use their own websites to book tickets for those journeys in order to make use of their seat selectors.

Don't forget Trainsplit has a seat selector for all relevant TOCs too.

I almost always use Trainsplit because it can be cheaper, I want a seat selector, it does e-tickets (and having just one PDF for a complex series of splits can be useful, especially for Delay Repay claims) and the people who run Trainsplit are on this forum which is handy in the event of any issues.

 

[Adam Williams]

if only because on the new system, there's no back button, so if you're looking at one itinerary but want to check another, you have to click the browser back button, then wait for the system to search for journeys again.

I guess the "canonical" way to do this is to hit the "Search Results" link in the breadcrumbs but you're right that it shouldn't need to perform the search again. It should cache it

I've no idea why the timeline view isn't default in the new interface since it's so much better.

I'm glad there have been at least a few positive comments about the timeline view since there's been some backwards and forwards movement on which one is shown by default a few times.

There's very much a desire to ensure the new site isn't too jarring a change for folks used to the v2 site, which is where the Classic Grid view arose from. It sounds like a reasonable portion of folks (who are perhaps less vocal) are fine with the new view, though.

 

[XAM2175]

There's very much a desire to ensure the new site isn't too jarring a change for folks used to the v2 site, which is where the Classic Grid view arose from. It sounds like a reasonable portion of folks (who are perhaps less vocal) are fine with the new view, though.

Conversely, the grid view was what put me off using Trainsplit before now!

 

[Miken]

I use TPE app - travel for business

I might actually start using TPE for my bookings then as when it comes to using the app and booking on the website, it's the same as GWR but with TPE branding.

I find it reliable and big bonus of Nectar points for every journey unlike AWC who only give for their services...

 

[Ken_Ilworth]

For me, TPE for simple journeys (for Nectar) and Trainsplit (I happily pay the fees: whenever I have bought through them I've saved money overall and I know servers and developers don't come free).
I used to buy through cashback sites (often passed through to Chiltern) but I got bored of keeping up with which seller was offering the best %age.

But I might mention Trainpal (slightly through gritted teeth due to their obscure overall ownership) - but they do giveaway (and sell) some darn good vouchers which massively exceed cashback sites..

 

[Wallsendmag]

I’d love to be able to buy my tickets online. However, I like the options available in the Trainsplit website.

You'll have the option shortly

 

[miklcct]

I prefer new.trainsplit.com but its interface has some problem which means the train at the correct time may not show up. In such case I need to use the mobile app instead.