THE exact date you should buy your train tickets before heading off on holidays has been revealed by a travel expert.
According to train expert and insider Iain Griffin, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Seatfrog, travellers should buy tickets at least 21 days in advance.
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And Brits have been urged to get booking already as the Christmas holidays loom.
Ian said: “The prime time to get the best and cheapest deal is 21 days before you travel – or earlier! Most rail networks release their timetables 12 weeks in advance, so as soon as you know your dates, get booking.”
But the time to buy train tickets is only half of how you can get the best deal.
Commuters should also make sure to check what type of ticket they are purchasing to save cash.
According to Seatfrog, an app that helps customers buy tickets, Brits are wasting £700m a year on rebooking their trains – and are often hit with £100 fees for the swap.
Another tip to remember is to sign up for a railcard.
While Brits might think the deals are only for students or OAPs, there are in fact nine different types that can save you a third of the cost.
And Ian said with the Seatfrog app, it is possible to switch inflexible advance train tickets for as little as £2.50.
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With the app, Brits can swap their tickets on Northern, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express routes – and it is expecting to be nationwide by the end of the year.
Ian added: “It’s worth remembering that buying inflexible, ‘advance’ tickets can be costly if your plans end up changing. 1.2 billion inflexible tickets are sold each year which cannot be refunded or swapped – so if you want to stay an extra day somewhere or squeeze in one more festive visit before heading home, you can use the Seatfrog app to change these inflexible tickets.”
The app can also help you snap a First Class train ticket for just £5 – and to escape booking fees.
Ian said: ‘If you want to make your train journey extra special for Christmas and get a taste of the first-class lifestyle, use the Seatfrog app to upgrade any standard ticket to a first class one. T
“There’s two ways you can do this – either by paying a one-off flat fee or by joining our daily auctions where you can bid on seats that are otherwise empty. We’ve saved savvy Brits £43m to date.”
