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Does anyone know of a cost-effective way of getting daily train tickets in the UK?

Currently the cheapest option I've found is a National Rail season pass which is at 140£/month. I've tried getting separate season passes from the two train companies that operate each leg of the journey but it ends up being way more expensive.

Any other ideas ? I will be taking the train from Leamington Spa to Rugby and back 5 days a week.

JonathanReez
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André Borie
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2 Answers2

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I'm afraid you've answered your own question there - the most cost-effective way is to buy a season ticket (as that is what they are designed for), and the longer you buy it for, the cheaper per-journey it gets, so the best option is an annual ticket.

Prices are currently:

Days/Months Price   Average journey price
7 Days    £36.60    £3.66
1 Month   £140.60   -
3 Months  £421.70   -
6 Months  £843.30   -
12 Months £1,464.00 £3.05

For comparison, it's 16.5 miles each way to drive between the two stations, so 165 miles per week. The AA suggest the average cost per mile for a car is around 20-30p/mile excluding the standing cost, so around £40 a week or slightly under £2000/year assuming 47 working weeks in a year - plus the cost of owning the car and parking it...

Nick C
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Just check all the prices, and all the possibilities. Take into account how often you will be travelling off peak, and how many days you may not be travelling at all; under 25 you might get a ticket with some generous rebate - which might only apply to expensive tickets, so you lose out. Travelling train and London underground you may have a cap on the daily ticket price with an Oyster card or registered debit card; for me that makes daily tickets actually cheaper than any alternative.

gnasher729
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