when exactly are the cheap rail tickets available

[yamahawrz]

I'am trying to find cheap tickets for a journey I want to make on the 28th may 2011, I have searched each day for the last week or so on east coasts website, I have also been looking on Virgin website too, does any know when they become available, or is it just a case of continued searching each day.
Thanks in advance.

 

[gordonthemoron]

12 weeks, but may be later due to engineering works

 

[tony_mac]

It depends on the train company you are travelling on - there is a list of dates here;
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html

it is sometimes a bit out of date.

 

[Matt Taylor]

That is the spring bank holiday weekend, engineering works are more likely on long weekends like this which may explain the delay.

 

[philjo]

East Coast have been booking advance tickets for 28 May since last week.

If your journey involves other train companies, the tickets for those parts of your journey may not be available yet - East Coast tend to be earlier than most in releasing their advance tickets. What journey are you wanting to book?
Likewise, if you are returning after 28 May those are not yet available - East Cosat will probably release the tickets for the following week tomorrow or maybe Friday morning (but you could book the return journey separately)

 

[moonrakerz]

I think it is a case of just keep looking every couple of days once the 12 week point has passed.
I often get SWT Advance tickets on the BRI - WAT service - these do not always appear at the 12 week point; sometimes the cheapest fares don't appear until 8, or even 6 weeks before the date I want.
You need to do some "homework" first to see what the the complete range of fares actually is !

 

[yorkie]

Indeed EC are selling up to 28 May but the other day when I looked at a journey such as Hull to Aberdeen, the cheap fares on EC are released before TPE. So you have a choice: Wait for TPE to release theirs for a through ticket with the connection on it (by which time the price may have gone up considerably), or "split" the journey into a combination of tickets, booking the EC leg (from Leeds) ASAP and then the TPE leg later.

On some routes this problem can be mitigated by manipulating the system to suggest connecting services that do not have reservations, and then printing out a suitable itinerary for the trains that are appropriate connections.

 

[yamahawrz]

I think it is a case of just keep looking every couple of days once the 12 week point has passed.
I often get SWT Advance tickets on the BRI - WAT service - these do not always appear at the 12 week point; sometimes the cheapest fares don't appear until 8, or even 6 weeks before the date I want.
You need to do some "homework" first to see what the the complete range of fares actually is !

Yes east coast are currnetly offering the ticket I want , but its £148.50 for the 28 may 2011 one way Scarborough - Eggesford however the previous Saturday (21/may 2011) the same ticket is £30.00

 

[Matt Taylor]

That's because it's the Bank Holiday weekend, demand is higher so they can fill the train quite easily with people paying higher prices so there is no business case offering lots of cheap tickets.

 

[ainsworth74]

but its £148.50 for the 28 may 2011 one way Scarborough - Eggesford however the previous Saturday (21/may 2011) the same ticket is £30.00

The advance fares for that journey haven't been released yet. The website is offering an anytime single (the £148.50 fare) whilst the ticket you want is an advance. Whilst advance tickets for East Coast services have been released its probable that other operators haven't released them yet (this journey would be with First Transpennine, Cross Country and First Great Western) and until they do East Coast can't sell you the ticket you want. I would keep checking everyday or so, the cheap tickets will get released soonish.

 

[yamahawrz]

Thanks ever so much guys, your threads are very much appreciated, now I'am starting to understand the cheap ticket release process.

 

[Yorkswatcher]

I always book first thing on release date for EC trains. But the last couple of weeks the advance fares have rocketed in price and the £10 are hard to find.

Anyone know whats going on.

 

[island]

Advances are being released for the last weekends in May at the moment, which are both major sporting weekends (21st May FA Cup final in London and Heineken Cup final in Cardiff, 28th May Champions League final in London). And the latter is also a bank holiday weekend.