Cheap Train & Coach Deals Streamline the cost of travel tickets with the latest discounts

ScotRail £19 returns for over-55sBuy online, by phone or at stations

If you're over 55, you can travel between ANY two stations in Scotland, standard class, for £19 return with ScotRail when you book online, over the phone or in person at the station (no need to book in advance).

Outbound journeys must be made by Sat 30 Jun 2012 and you must return within a month. An off-peak Aberdeen - Glasgow return would usually cost £55.80 and Aberdeen - Edinburgh return £54.40, so £19 is a good saving.

Senior Railcard holders and Disabled Railcard holders will also get an extra £2 off per return. You can travel on most services from Monday to Friday and on the weekend, see below for restrictions. If you want to upgrade to first class, it's £26 return.

• Routes included: All the ScotRail network.
• How to book: On the ScotRail Club 55 site, from any staffed ScotRail station or phone 08457 55 00 33. There are no booking or credit card fees.
• When does it end? Sat 30 Jun 2012
• Restrictions: Not valid on Caledonian Sleeper and Jacobite Steam Train services. Mon - Fri excludes arrival into Glasgow Queen Street/Central, Edinburgh Waverley/ Haymarket, Dundee or Aberdeen before 9:30am and departing from Glasgow Queen Street/ Central or Edinburgh Waverley/ Haymarket between 4:42pm - 6:09pm.
  
  Also excludes the 6:15pm Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street either way service. Not valid on East Coast services on Sundays between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, in both directions, as well as to stations in between the two. Excludes travel between Carlisle and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Southern 20% off Advance rail tickets Online only

Grab 20% off Southern Advance single tickets until Thu 23 Aug 2012 when you buy online at Southern Railway. Senior, 16-25, Family & Friends, Disabled Persons, HM Forces and Two Together railcard holders get the discount too, although Network Railcards and group discounts are excluded.

You can buy tickets up to 12 weeks in advance, so the last travel date's Thu 15 Nov 2012. The latest you can book an advance journey is 6pm the day before travel. The discount (applied automatically), is only available for certain off-peak journeys entirely on the Southern network when bought online. There are no booking fees or credit card charges.

• Routes included: London to Gatwick, Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton, among others. See the Southern rail map, though there will be some exclusions.
• How to book: Visit the Southern Railway website
• When does it end? Thu 23 Aug 2012 (last travel date's 12 weeks later).
• Any restrictions? Not valid on bank holidays and you can't break your journey in either direction. Max eight passengers per booking, per day.

Chiltern Railways London to Birmingham 25p singleRegister 'n' print

Adults and children can travel from London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street and back for 25p each way. The offer's valid on selected train journeys from Mon - Sat via the Chiltern Railways website.

You can book till Fri 25 May or before 40,000 single journeys are sold, whichever's first. You can travel till Sat 26 May 2012.

There are limited 25p single tickets per train. You will only find them if you're travelling from London to Birmingham in the morning and Birmingham to London in the afternoons or evenings. To book, register, then choose your travel dates (excluding Sundays, Sat 5 May and Mon 7 May 2012). You must print the tickets at home.

Routes include: London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street only, in either direction.
How to book: Online via the Chiltern Railway/Evening Standard offer page.
When does it end? Book by Fri 25 May 2012.
Any restrictions? Valid on standard class only and you can't break a journey in either direction. Tickets are non-refundable.

Megabus £1 e/w UK to Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam tix

Get a single adult or child ticket from the UK to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam and back from £1 (plus 50p booking fee per transaction) when you book in advance. Go quick though, £1 tickets are limited per day and per route.

Once the £1 seats have sold out, the most you'll pay for journeys is £10 (plus 50p per transaction).

• Routes include: Birmingham, Coventry, London to Boulogne Gare du Maritime and Paris Porte Maillot Coach Park and Leicester, Milton Keynes and London to Brussels Rue du Cardinal Mercier coach stand and Amsterdam Zeeburg. See the Megabus route map.
• How to book: Go to Megabus or call 0900 160 0900 Sun - Sat 7am to 10pm (calls are 61p/min from a BT landline) up to six weeks in advance.
• When does it end? Ongoing.
• Any restrictions? £1 tickets are limited. 50p booking fee per transaction.

Plusbus £1.50 bus ticketsOnline only

Get Plusbus tickets online for £1.50 (worth up to £4.80 depending on where you're going) till Tue 31 July 2012. Plusbus provides bus and tram tickets for passengers travelling to and from railway stations. You must be travelling by train to be eligible for a Plusbus ticket.

Plusbus tickets can be bought from ticket offices and over the phone, but the £1.50 daily ticket can only be bought online and in advance.

• Routes included: 284 towns on the Plusbus network, such as Chelmsford, Cardiff, Manchester, Plymouth, Reading and more.
• How to book: Plusbus £1.50 tickets can be bought online when buying a rail ticket from Arriva Trains Wales, C2C, Cross Country Trains, East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect, First Great Western, Greater Anglia, Qjump, Scotrail, SouthWest Trains, Tpexpress, Thetrainline, Virgin Trains.
• When does it end? Book and travel by Tue 31 July 2012.
  
• Restrictions: Excludes group travel rail tickets eg. GroupSave, Family & Friends Railcard and Plusbus season tickets. Max 10 one day Plusbus tickets per booking.
  

Gatwick Express 35% off for 2 passengersOnline offer

Two adults travelling together from London Victoria to Gatwick can get 35% off an anytime return ticket when booking online via the special Web Duo Anytime Return page. With an anytime return ticket, your return journey must be within a month of your outbound journey.

These tickets usually cost £33.20 each, so you're getting them both for a total of £43.10 (usually £66.40).

• Routes included: London Victoria to Gatwick.
• How to book: Via the special Web Duo Anytime Return page
• Any restrictions? Return journeys must start from London Victoria (not valid for return journeys starting from Gatwick). Two adults must travel together at the same time in both directions. Excludes First Class and kids. Can't be combined with railcards or other offers.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Buy train tickets with Tesco Clubcard RewardsSlice the cost

You can now buy rail tickets using Tesco Clubcard vouchers on rail site Redspottedhanky. £10 in vouchers gets you £20 in rewards. Check the rest of this Deals note for individual operators' sales though as Redspottedhanky's system doesn't tend to factor in sale prices. Full details in the Cheap Train Tickets Guide.

• Routes included: Routes available on Redspottedhanky
• How to book: Using Tesco Clubcard vouchers on rail site Redspottedhanky
• When does it end?: Currently ongoing

Family, 16-25 and Senior Railcards £14 in Tesco pts Online only

What's the deal?

Get a 16-25, Family & Friends or Senior railcard for £14 in Tesco points instead of the usual £28. The cards get you up to a third off rail fares.

How to get it

Go to the 16-25, Family & Friends or Senior Tesco rewards page and buy. You'll be sent a code that can be used on the Railcard checkout.

How Tesco Clubcard Rewards work

While worth 1p in store, Clubcard points values are up to tripled when converted to Tesco Clubcard Rewards Vouchers, which include days out, magazine subscriptions, holidays etc; eg, Alton Towers ticket for £11 of points, or a year's Company mag subscription for £8.

Other deals can be better value than the railcards but if you're buying them anyway, and don't need any other deals, it's a good conversion. Read more in the Loyalty Points Boosting guide

What discounts do the railcards get you?

16-25: A third off fares if you're over 16 and under 26 or a full-time student.
Family & Friends: A third off adult and 60% off child fares, a minimum of one adult and one child, up to four adults and four children (age 5-15) can travel using one card.
Senior: A third off fares for over 60s.

• How to book: Exchange Tesco vouchers then use code on Railcard website
• Any restrictions: Check the railcard site for restrictions and to ensure you're eligible before exchanging your vouchers.
• When does it end? Ongoing until at least Jul 2012.

Southern £12 unlimited day travelOnline only

Get a £12 DaySave ticket for unlimited off-peak travel every day. The ticket must be bought from the Southern Railway website at least seven days in advance of travel (or 14 days in advance during school holidays, Christmas, Easter etc). It's only valid on the Southern network, including lines to south London, Portsmouth, Ashford, Brighton, Guildford and more.

Plus, groups of three or four (adults and children) travelling at the same time can buy a DaySave ticket for £24. For any additional children travelling, it's £1 extra.

As it's an off-peak ticket valid for one day, you can travel any time on Saturday, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. It can also be used on weekdays, but not before 10am or between 4.45pm-7,15pm when boarding trains from East Croydon and London stations such as Victoria, London Bridge and Clapham Junction. Railcards and other discounts can't be used with this offer and it excludes Gatwick Express services. Tickets can't be refunded or exchanged. You'll need to register with Southern before buying tickets.

• Routes included: London Victoria to Portsmouth, Brighton to Southampton, Eastbourne to Ashford. See the Southern network map for full journey info.
• How to book: Visit Southern Railway website
• When does it end? Ongoing
• Any restrictions? Excludes Gatwick Express. You must travel on the date shown on the ticket and buy at least seven days in advance, online only.

Southeastern Kids for a QuidBuy at the station

Up to four kids (5-15) travelling with an adult with a valid off-peak ticket can go for £1 on Southeastern trains. The adult's fare can be bought online but the kids' tickets must be bought at the station. Journeys can't originate and end in London zones 1-6, only from further afield e.g Orpington to London Bridge.

• Where can you travel? On the Southeastern network
• How do I get it? Buy at a Southeastern station. See network map.
• Any restrictions? Not valid for journeys only within London zones 1-6. The child must be 5-15 years old.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Gatwick Express 10% off singlesOnline offer

Get 10% off single tickets on the London Victoria-Gatwick non-stop route when you book online at Gatwick Express. There's no promotional code needed, just book online and the discount should be automatic. Your ticket can be sent via email and/or to your mobile.

The offer's for both Express and first class travel for children and adults and can be booked for travel up to six months ahead. Railcards and other discounts can't be combined with the offer. There's no booking fee.

• Routes included: London Victoria to Gatwick
• How to book: Online at Gatwick Express
• When does it end? Ongoing
• Any restrictions? First Class Anytime return

50% off First Transpennine with 16-25 RailcardRailcard offer

First TransPennine Express is offering holders of the 16-25 Railcard 50% off advanced fares when they book through the Transpennine Express website. This beats the usual 34% discount.

Tickets are non-refundable and only valid on the specific train booked. The offer's ongoing. Airport Advance tickets to and from Manchester Airport aren't included.

• Routes included: All First TransPennine Express routes except tickets to and from Manchester Airport.
• How to book: Online only, via the special Transpennine Express web page.
• When does it end? Ongoing
  

East Coast 33% off for groups of 3 plusBook online via the special page

East Coast is offering 33% off standard or first class advance (single) tickets for groups of three to nine people, when you book online.

• How do I book? Book via the special East Coast 3 plus web page.
• Are there any exclusions? It's subject to availability, only available via the link above and you can't use railcards or other offers.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Chiltern Railways free parking for carsharersFor 3+ passengers sharing

Rail passengers travelling together by car to a Chiltern Railways station can get the parking free.

As long as there are at least three people in the car planning to travel and you arrive between 6am and 9am, Monday to Friday, simply tell the car park attendant you'd like a Carshare voucher and the parking shouldn't cost you a penny.

The offer excludes Saunderton, Hatton, Little Kimble, Lapworth and Kings Sutton stations. See Chiltern's network on the Chiltern Railways website.

Buy Eurotunnel tickets with Tesco Clubcard RewardsSwap points for rewards x3

Grab Eurotunnel (vehicle) tickets from Folkestone with Tesco Clubcard vouchers. £10 in vouchers gets you £30 in rewards. Use in full or as part payment.

• Routes included: Travel from Folkestone only (NOT Calais)
• How to book: Order Tesco Clubcard Reward 5 days before booking. Book at least 14 days before leaving
• Any restrictions? Not for FlexiPlus tickets
• When does it end? Ongoing

ScotRail Bargain Berths from £19Register 'n' print voucher

If you’re planning a trip between London and Scotland, check ScotRail’s Bargain Berths section, where Caledonian Sleeper single fares start at £19.

While you can book tickets up to 12noon on the day of travel if available, it's best to start looking as early as you can as the cheap berths go quickly (especially weekend tickets). To get the cheap tickets, type in the dates you're thinking of travelling, then click the dates on the calendar and it'll tell you how many berths are still available for those dates.

Once you've booked you'll receive an e-ticket to your email address, or a text to your mobile, whichever you choose.

• Routes included: ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper routes to London Euston including Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness. See the Caledonian Sleeper map for all routes.
• How to book: The Bargain Berths section of the ScotRail website.
• Any extras? Entitles you to join the Advance Loyalty Club
• When does it end? Ongoing

CrossCountry trains 10% Student/Graduate discountAvailable for NUS holders

Students who have an "NUS Extra" or "Graduate Extra" card can get an extra 10% off on certain CrossCountry advance tickets (the applicable tickets will show up in green in a search).

You can get the discount in addition to the 16-25 railcard discount if you have one.

• When does it end? Ongoing

Megatrain & Megabus £1 faresOnline offer

Megatrain and Megabus - you need to go via the Megabus site - offer train and bus fares across the UK for £1 each way plus a 50p booking charge per transaction. Go to the Megabus site, pick where you're travelling to and from, and opt for train or bus to find available fares.

• Routes included: Aberdeen, Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh Airport, Exeter, Leeds, Leicester, London, Oxford, Sheffield & many more. See the Megabus and Megatrain route maps.
• How to book: Go to Megabus (site is the same for Megatrain)
• When does it end? Ongoing

Gatwick Express 15% off ReturnsOnline discount

Get 15% off standard "Anytime" and "Day" return, and "First Class Anytime" return Gatwick Express tickets when you book online at Gatwick Express by Thu 23 August 2012. There's no promotional code needed, just book online and the discount should be automatic. Your ticket can be sent via email and/or to your mobile but not for same-day travel.

The offer's for children and adults. It can't be combined with other online offers. There's no booking fee.

• How to book: Online at Gatwick Express
• Where can you travel? London Victoria to Gatwick
• When does it end? Thu 23 August 2012
• When can I travel? Outbound, up to 12 weeks from booking. Inbound, within 30 days of outbound

Virgin London – Manchester from £12 e/wVirgin cheap fares

Get advance tickets from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly from £12 each way. To find the tickets, enter your chosen travel dates, currently up to Wed 15 Aug 2012, on the Virgin Farefinder. Tickets are subject to availability.

• Routes included: London to Manchester
• How to book: Via the Virgin Farefinder
• When does it end? Tickets currently available to Wed 15 Aug 2012

Chiltern Birmingham - London return from £10Book online

Use the Chiltern Railways self-print or ticket to your mobile service and with tickets costing from £5 each way, you could pay just £10 to travel from Birmingham to London and back.

While the route is slower and takes you from Birmingham Snow Hill or Moor Street to Marylebone rather than Birmingham New Street to Euston, if you're willing to spend a little longer getting there, then the price difference could be huge.

• Routes included: London to Birmingham
• How to book: Visit Chiltern Railways website.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Earn/spend loyalty points on Stagecoach busesEarn loyalty points

You can now earn loyalty points when you buy Stagecoach Megarider and Unirider season tickets or Smartrider smart cards via loyalty points scheme MyICE. You'll earn 3 ICE points for every £2 you spend. Each ICE point is worth 1p, which can be spent on further season tickets.

The season tickets and smartcards are sent out by post or can be collected from electronic ticket machines. Postage cost depends on method chosen.

• Routes included: Stagecoach routes outside London
• Any exclusions: Stagecoach's Smartzone tickets and Megarider Smartzone tickets in Oxfordshire.
• How to book: Using loyalty points site MyICE
• When does it end? Ongoing

Earn/spend loyalty points on Arriva busesEarn loyalty points

You can now earn loyalty points when you buy some Arriva bus season or multi-journey tickets via loyalty points scheme MyICE. You'll earn 3 ICE points for every £2 you spend. Each ICE point is worth 1p, which can be spent on further season tickets.

Season tickets can be sent by post or to your mobile phone. Postage costs depend on the postage method chosen.

• Routes included: Arriva routes outside London. See Arriva's bus network
• Any exclusions?: Single, return, day saver and weekly saver tickets.
• How to book: Using loyalty points site MyICE
• When does it end? Ongoing

Buy Megabus tickets with Tesco Clubcard RewardsSwap points for rewards x2

Grab Megabus tickets using Tesco Clubcard vouchers. £5 in vouchers gets you £10 worth of rewards, in the form of four £2.50 token codes.

• Routes included: Routes available on Megabus.com
• How to book: Using Tesco Clubcard vouchers
• Any fees? 50p booking fee payable by card
• When does it end? Ongoing

Greyhound journeys from £1Book online

Greyhound has routes in the UK starting at £1 each way between Swansea and Cardiff. Other services include London to the Isle of Wight from £12 each way.

A booking fee of 50p applies on all fares, and the offer's currently ongoing.

• Routes included: Swansea, Cardiff, Isle of Wight.
• How to book: Visit Greyhound UK.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Megabusplus Yorkshire £2.50 return faresBook online

Megabusplus, set up by Megabus, provides combined rail and bus journeys. For example buy a ticket from London to York and you'll journey from London to East Midlands Parkway by train, and between East Midlands Parkway and Yorkshire by coach.

• Routes included: York, Castleford, Harrogate, Hull, Halifax, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Huddersfield and Bradford.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Oxford Tube to London from £7 return

Day/next day return prices for under 16s for a 'Nightrider' on the Oxford Tube Coach service are £7, longer term returns are £10 (students/over 60s are £13 and £15 respectively).

To get it you have to travel between 3pm and midnight. There are also discounts for Railcard and coachcard holders. Kids up to two can go free with a paying adult.

• Routes included: Oxford to London (Hillingdon, Shepherd's Bush, Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch and Victoria).
• How to book: Tickets & passes up to a month in advance can be bought from the driver, while the service's full range of tickets can be bought on the Oxford Tube website, by phone or from Gloucester Green travel shop.
• When does it end?: Ongoing

Easybus airport travel from £4 return

Cheap bus operator Easybus offers journeys from central and west London to Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports starting at £2 each way. You don't have to be flying to use the service.

• Routes included: Gatwick, Stansted and Luton to London.
• How to book: Visit the Easybus website or buy at the departure point.
• When does it end? Ongoing

Liverpool Airport to Manchester for £12 return

Low-cost city shuttle bus company Terravision offers fares between Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester city centre for £8 one way or £12 return.

• Routes included: Liverpool to Manchester
• How to book: Visit Terravision website
• When does it end? Ongoing