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- This never impacts our editorial recommendations – if it's in, it's in there because we independently rate it best.
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National Rail deals
0 Current Deals
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Get a 16-25, Family & Friends, Senior or Two Together Railcard via Tesco Clubcard* for £15 in Clubcard vouchers instead of the usual £30. You'll be sent a code that can be used at the Railcard* site.
You can use Clubcard vouchers for the Disabled Person's Railcard, but Tesco says a technical error means you can only exchange £18 of vouchers for this, and as the railcard costs £20, you would need to pay the £2 difference separately.
What discounts do the railcards get you?
16-25: A third off fares if you're aged 16 and over and under 26.
Family & Friends: A third off adult and 60% off child fares, a minimum of one adult and one child, and a maximum of up to four adults and four children (age 5-15) can travel using one card.
Senior: Those aged 60 and over get a third off rail fares.
Two Together: A third off rail fares for two named adults when they travel together.Check the railcard site for restrictions and to ensure you're eligible before exchanging your vouchers. See our Tesco Clubcard boosting guide for other ways to use your points.
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If you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult, you may qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard (see 'Are you eligible?' below).
It costs £20 for one year, or £54 for three years (equivalent to £18 per year), and gets you one-third off most train travel. That means if you spend over £60 on eligible rail fares in a year (or £55 if you have a three year card), then it's worth getting one as the savings beat the cost of the card.
Unlike most other railcards, there are no time restrictions for when the Disabled Person's Railcard can be used, although it won't work on season tickets. What's more, if you travel with another adult, they'll also get one-third off. The accompanying adult does not have to have a disability, but does need to travel the whole duration of the journey with the card holder to qualify.
Are you eligible?
You should qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard if...
- You are registered as deaf or use a hearing aid.
- You are registered as having a visual impairment.
- You receive personal independence payments (PIP) or adult disability payments (ADP).
- You receive disability living allowance (DLA) at either the higher or lower rate for the mobility component, or the higher or middle rate for the care component.
- You have epilepsy and have repeated attacks, even though you receive drug treatment, or are currently prohibited from driving because of epilepsy.
- You receive attendance allowance, severe disablement allowance, or pension age disability payment.
- You receive war pensioner's mobility supplement.
- You receive war or service disablement pension for 80% or more disability.
- You buy or lease a vehicle through the motability scheme.
You'll need to provide evidence of your eligibility when applying – see the Disabled Person's Railcard site for a list of accepted proof.
The railcard can't be bought at station ticket offices, but you can pick up an application form which you'll need to complete and post – or you can apply for either a physical or digital card online.
Can children get this railcard?
If your child (aged 5-15) has one of the eligible disabilities, you can apply for a Disabled Person's Railcard on their behalf. They won't get discounted child fares, but the card will allow one adult travelling with them to get one-third off.
Latest Expired Deals
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2for1 theme parks & attractions with a National Rail ticket
Get a code to pre-book an attraction online, then show a valid train ticket at the venue
ExpiredIf you register with Days Out Guide and buy a National Rail ticket, you can get 2for1 entry to 250+ UK attractions, including Thorpe Park, Kew Gardens, Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor (see the full attractions list). You must pre-book the attraction tickets online – though confusingly, the 2for1 is only valid on full-price tickets, so you can't get 2for1 on the usually-cheaper 'advance' price.
How to get 2for1
- Choose which attraction you want to visit at the Days Out Guide website and you'll be given a 2for1 code.
- Go via Days Out Guide to the attraction's own website and use the code to book two full-price tickets online.
- On arrival at the attraction, you'll need to present your tickets alongside a valid train ticket (one for the station nearest the attraction) dated for the same day. Only one discount voucher may be used per two people. You must print your ticket – those shown on a phone will not be accepted.
If you don't present a valid train ticket at the attraction on the day, you'll be required to purchase your second ticket on the gate.
Check if booking online without this deal is cheaper
The 2for1 is based on the 'on the day' gate price (despite needing to book online), and these can be over-inflated at some attractions compared to the online advance price, which can be much cheaper at some venues – so always compare prices first.
We've picked out a few of the top attractions and compared the total cost of getting 2for1 tickets via this deal and the total price of simply booking in advance.
Attraction Total 2for1 price with this offer Total advance price for 2 adults booking normally Alton Towers £68 £72 Thorpe Park £64 £66 Chessington £64 £66 Legoland Windsor £66 £68 Kew Gardens £17 £34 Warwick Castle £39 £52 St Paul's Cathedral £23 £41
While for some the 2for1 saves a decent amount, for other attractions it's the same or very close to the advance price – and of course you need to factor in the cost of train tickets, to decide whether this deal is worth it or not.What if I live near the attraction/am travelling by other means?
If you're not travelling by train but this deal would still work out cheaper for you, you can buy a cheap single ticket (usually for a couple of quid) to the nearest station to your attraction – just get a train ticket from the next station along.
Other need-to-knows
- You can visit multiple attractions on the same day that your rail ticket is valid, so if you're travelling to 'London Terminals', you can go to several attractions in London on the same day.
- Electronic ticket barriers can sometimes retain your ticket (especially if it's a single), so to make sure you don't lose your proof of travel, ask a member of the station staff at a manned gate to help you through.
- Excludes Oyster cards, Freedom Passes, DLR, bus, Eurostar, Heathrow Express and tickets and travelcards bought from London Underground.
- This deal can't be used with other offers or promotions. However, Railcard-discounted National Rail tickets are valid for the offer.
Visit the full Days Out Guide terms and conditions for more.
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5% off one-year 16-25 Railcard
If you have an NUS Extra/TOTUM card
ExpiredIf you're an NUS Extra/TOTUM card holder (card costs £15 a year), you can get 5% off a 16-25 railcard online (norm £30) until Tue 31 Dec.
Log in via the specific link above to get your unique promotional code and as the terms and conditions state, enter the code at the checkout on the 16-25 Railcard* website.
The railcard is for 16 to 25-year-olds or mature students aged 26 or over in full-time education, and gets one-third off most rail fares. That means if you're spending over £90 in a year, even on a one-off trip, it's worth getting one.
If you use a 16-25 Railcard before 10am Mon-Fri, there's a minimum fare of £12, except in Jul/Aug and public holidays. For full terms, see 16-25 Railcard*.
It's worth noting that you can get a three-year 16-25 Railcard for £70, so if you can afford it, then even with the 5% off on a one-year railcard, it's slightly cheaper in the long run to buy a three-year one if you'll use it (and if you'll still be eligible).
For more train tricks including how to split tickets to slash costs see the Cheap Trains guide.
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Use the Money Mantras
Before spending, use Martin’s Mantras. If you answer 'NO' to any, then don't buy!
Then ask:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
- Have you checked prices elsewhere?
Then ask:
- Will I use it?
- Is it worth it?
Free protection for all shopping!
There's a little-known piece of legislation that turns any credit card into a financial self-defence superhero. 'Section 75' of the Consumer Credit Act means your plastic must protect anything you buy for more than £100 for free, so if there's a problem or the company goes bust, you can still get your money back.
And although Section 75 doesn't apply to debit cards, there is something else to fall back on if you've paid using a debit card, or used a credit card for a purchase under £100. Known as Chargeback, this is part of banks' and card companies' internal rules and not a legal requirement. Read full details of Section 75 or Chargeback, plus how to claim, in our guides.
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If a link has an * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.
You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How this site is financed.
Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com:
17 September 2024
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Martin's 16 do-nows
To prep early for Christmas
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150Mb broadband
From just £14 a month
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Even if years ago & your choice?
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Back-to-uni help
Student loans, bank accounts & more
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And more coupons
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From E.on & more
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Pizza Express 2for1 pizza £1
ANY day
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