How to get cheaper Railcards with TrainPal and save yourself a few quid

Is it just me or have train tickets got ridiculously expensive? Honestly, sometimes it’s cheaper to fly abroad than get a train to London!

Anyway, I recently needed a Railcard and, being me, I wasn’t about to pay full price if I could help it.

I had a little look around and found that TrainPal offers discounted Railcards, so I managed to save myself some money before I’d even booked a train ticket – instead of £35 I paid £26.95. I did have to enter a code, and as you could be reading this anytime, just search online for one. I believe that TRIP also has discounted railcards. These are digital though, so if you prefer a card, then you may need to pay full price.

Two Together Railcard

If you regularly travel with the same person, have a look at the Two Together Railcard. It normally costs £35 for a year and gives you a third off eligible train fares when you’re travelling together.

You don’t have to be married or even in a relationship. You could get one with your partner, mum, sister or best mate. You just both need to be 16 or over and travel together when using it.

Just remember that the Two Together Railcard can’t be used before 9.30am on weekdays, but there’s no morning restriction at weekends or on public holidays.

So is it actually worth getting one?

Well, let’s say you’re planning a trip from Birmingham to London with someone.

If your train tickets were £45 each, that’s £90 for the two of you. With a Two Together Railcard, you’d pay around £60 instead, saving yourself £30 on that one journey. Or if your tickets were £60 each, you’d normally pay £120 between you. With the Railcard, that comes down to around £80. That’s £40 saved.

Obviously, these are just examples, and actual ticket prices depend on when you’re travelling, but it shows how quickly the savings can add up.

If you’re going to use the train a few times throughout the year, you could easily make back what you paid for the Railcard.

But here’s another one you might not know about… Chiltern Duo tickets!

If you’re travelling from Birmingham to London with someone, make sure you check Chiltern Railways Duo tickets before booking.

I think these are a really handy little money saver, especially if you’re planning a day out in London.

Basically, if two adults are travelling together on an eligible Chiltern Railways journey, you can get 25% off the combined fare. And you don’t even need a Railcard!

For example, if the normal eligible return tickets cost £80 for two people, a Duo ticket would bring that down to £60. That’s £20 saved, or £30 each for a return trip to London.

There’s one really important thing to remember though! You need to book your Duo tickets by 11.59pm the day before you travel.

There are a few other conditions too. You both need to travel together, and on weekdays there are restrictions on when you can travel to and from London.

Duo tickets are available on selected Chiltern routes, including journeys from Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill to London Marylebone.

You can read about them here:

https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/duo-ticket

So which is cheaper?

This is where I’d spend five minutes checking both options. If you’ve already got a Two Together Railcard, you could save a third on eligible fares, which is actually a bigger percentage discount than the 25% offered with Duo tickets.

But if you haven’t got a Railcard, or you don’t travel by train very often, a Duo ticket might work out better because there’s no Railcard to buy.

And don’t forget to check Advance tickets too. Sometimes booking a specific train ahead of time can work out cheaper than either option. The main thing is not to just book the first price you see.

I’m always looking for little ways to save money, and train tickets are definitely one of those things where it pays to shop around.

So if you’ve got a trip planned, have a look at TrainPal for discounted Railcards, check the price with a Two Together Railcard and don’t forget those Chiltern Duo tickets.

And let’s face it, I’d much rather spend that extra £20 or £30 on a nice lunch or a wander around the shops in London than hand it over for a train ticket!

Just remember that train fares, Railcard offers and ticket availability can change, so always check the latest prices and conditions before booking.