UK Trains

[patreke]

Hi there

 

I am trying to pre purchase train tickets for Heathrow Express & a day trip out of London, can anyone suggest a website they have found reasonably priced and reliable. I am trying to buy from Canada if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks

[Flygirl25]

Hi there

 

I am trying to pre purchase train tickets for Heathrow Express & a day trip out of London, can anyone suggest a website they have found reasonably priced and reliable. I am trying to buy from Canada if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks

 

Whenever I buy tickets in the UK I buy them from eastmidlandstrains.co.uk. Most people recommend thetrainline.com but they charge a booking fee

Edited August 14, 2015 by Flygirl25

[SwissDave]

Heathrow express is a fixed price, you will notfind any deals for that. Only thing is it is it is more expensive to buy on train so just get them from the counter at the airport.

For others check nationalrail.co.uk

[markeb]

For Heathrow Express:

 

Download their app onto your smart phone and register. You will get a one-time 10% discount on tickets. You can buy tickets in their app, and on iPhone you can add them to your Passbook and they'll be available even without an Internet connection. There's also free WiFi onboard.

 

I'm sure Android has a similar function.

[markeb]

BTW, if you're doing a day trip, you're probably better off buying tickets at the station. Off peak "day return" tickets are a great deal, and I didn't find them online. For instance, a morning departure and afternoon return from London to Salisbury priced out at £76 for two. A day return ticket at Waterloo was £20 each. Something to consider.

Edited August 14, 2015 by markeb

[tartanexile81]

Hi there

 

I am trying to pre purchase train tickets for Heathrow Express & a day trip out of London, can anyone suggest a website they have found reasonably priced and reliable. I am trying to buy from Canada if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks

patreke, I travel a lot by train and I find the cheapest and most reliable way is to buy tickets from the company whose trains I'll be travelling on. However, there are numerous companies in Britain I'm afraid. Personally I don't find nationalrail.co.uk offer the best deals but if you say where you're heading on your day trip, I'd be happy to advise which line. Even companies that cover similar routs can charge more depending on how fast they are!

 

Heathrow Express: There seems to be a special deal on their website but I don't know if it would be useful to you or not.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com

[patreke]

Thanks everyone.

 

So far I think the national rail site seems to work best, I can book everything in one place and because there are 3 of us they are giving me a group discount.

 

Our particular travel needs are: roundtrip from Heathrow to Paddington ( i'm now leaning towards Heathrow Connect over the Express for the price savings(the extra travel time isn't really that great), we are then heading one way from London to Sudbury(Suffolk) on a Friday, then Cambridge city centre to London on the following Wednesday. Now I just need to make sure I pick the right stations.

 

I prefer to book ahead of time so that I can look at the schedules and when we have tickets we are more likely to get moving and not debate what time we should leave. Plus it all seems cheaper if I don't have to pay at the station.

[nmg85]

Cambridge to kings cross is a great northern service. You can book any journeys on any train lines web site. Not sure why you would get a discount without a rail card.

[Globaliser]

Our particular travel needs are: roundtrip from Heathrow to Paddington ( i'm now leaning towards Heathrow Connect over the Express for the price savings(the extra travel time isn't really that great) ...

If you're prepared to take the Connect over the Express, then would the Tube work for you? Much cheaper than the Connect, and for many journeys to central London, no slower.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Cambridge to kings cross is a great northern service. You can book any journeys on any train lines web site. Not sure why you would get a discount without a rail card.

 

3 adults would qualify for a GroupSave fare, but I'm not sure if that would show up on the National Rail main search.

 

OP, as you seem price sensitive (taking Connect over HEX) , a cheaper Cambridge-London route may be the Greater Anglia service to Liverpool Street, but it's really hard to help you without more specific details.

[patreke]

3 adults would qualify for a GroupSave fare, but I'm not sure if that would show up on the National Rail main search.

 

OP, as you seem price sensitive (taking Connect over HEX) , a cheaper Cambridge-London route may be the Greater Anglia service to Liverpool Street, but it's really hard to help you without more specific details.

 

The group save does show up on the National Rail site...that makes quite a difference in the prices. I booked the Grand Central from Cambridge to King's Cross, Liverpool Street doesn't work so well with the hotel we have booked on our return. Price is a bit important but I am travelling with my mom who is a bit older and prefers things to be simple so easy trumps price.

 

We are arriving & leaving during early morning rush hour so I am thinking that the Heathrow Connect might be easier than the tube with luggage when everyone is trying to get to work.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[Bob++]

If there are four of you, a pre-booked taxi would work out cheaper than HEX. In fact, given that you will need a taxi from Paddington to your hotel, it would be cheaper with three.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Bob++

[Cotswold Eagle]

We are arriving & leaving during early morning rush hour so I am thinking that the Heathrow Connect might be easier than the tube with luggage when everyone is trying to get to work.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Because of the intermediate stops and pricing, you will find that the Connect is also used by commuters. It has no great provision for luggage, either.