Late ticket-buying Brits face losing £43million this Christmas by missing out on advance ticket deals.
Trainline has calculated how much money festive travellers could unnecessarily spend if they forget to get their tickets ahead of time in the pre-Christmas rush.
The booking company has compared cheap advance tickets to those available on the day, which tend to cost more as fewer seats are left.
They calculate that the average traveller will end up spending £88 more if they forget to book in advance - severely souring the journey home for Christmas.
Last year Trainline customers saved £43,756,239 by booking on Trainline rather than paying on the day between 18 December and January 3.
The company has calculated that average savings of £138 can be made by booking in advance between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston, £138 between Leeds and London Kings Cross, and £129 between London Kings Cross and York.
Those looking to take the train home and save some money should keep their eye out for advance tickets.
While some are available for the Christmas period already, others will be ready to buy soon - you can find out more on trainline.com.
There are others way to secure cheap train tickets however, according to Iain Griffin, founder and CEO of rail ticketing app Seatfrog .
He recommends checking whether there is a railcard that may help you get a discount, with millions of Brits able to get a third off the standard price.
“Don’t assume that railcards are just for students or OAPs," Iain continues.
"Most people have no idea that there’s nine different types that can save you up to a third of the cost. Check them out on the national rail website, they are well worth it."
Iain also advises people to buy a special kind of bundle ticket which can significantly reduce the cost of travel if you are return to the same place repeatedly.
"One of my favourite hacks is to buy a carnet. Hardly anyone knows about them," he said.
"They are essentially an old school stamp book of pre-paid tickets for a specific journey. So if you like heading off to a specific location for weekend getaways or minibreaks, this is a much cheaper alternative than buying your tickets at the station on the day.”
These can be a better investment than inflexible advanced tickets, which can lead to significant losses if your plans change.
Saving money where possible this Christmas will be important for an increasingly large section of the population, as inflation makes both the everyday essentials and festive luxuries that much more expensive.
A new survey of 2,000 adults across the UK found that 67% are planning to spend less money celebrating Christmas this year.
Almost half (46%) say they will prioritise travelling to see family and friends over buying a gift, while a third have suggested that someone travelling to see them is their present this year.
A quarter asked have offered to pay for a loved one’s travel so that they can spend Christmas together.
