A journey that won't drain your wallet at least (thetrainline.com)

Member Name: davey_26

Product:	thetrainline.com
Date:	23/10/09 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, cheap fares, have tickets sent to your address

Disadvantages: Sometimes you have to be very flexible with times, have to book in advance

I don't many train journeys but when I do, I never cease to be shocked and amazed at the never ending price rises. I thought we were hitting deflation mr train operator!. Unfortunately I don't control the prices of these train fares but what I can do is search for the cheapest prices I can find for any given journey. This is of course where trainline come in.

When attempting to make some real savings on train fares, the key approach is to book very early, I had noticed advanced bookings before but had not really paid them close attention. However now I have, I appreciated the huge savings which can be made on all manner of journeys including 60% plus savings to both Birmingham and Manchester but you have to book at least 5 weeks in advance.

The site works by asking you to detail what your journey will be and when you intend to make it, from there, you simply search on this given criteria and all of the possible times and prices will be displayed. Often I have noticed that the best savings are ironically not always return journeys and are single journeys, but you will likely have to be a little flexible with times in order to secure the best deals.

From there you are providing with a link which allows you to book the tickets on your credit card or debit card and offering you the choice of picking up the tickets from the train station or having them sent. I prefer the latter as then I know they are in my hand and no last minute panics!. For someone like myself with the uncanny talent of always turning up late or last minute, this is peace of mind I definitely need.

This is a well presented, easy to use website, which can potentially save you a lot of money on train fares but get in early!

Summary: A very useful resource