The cost of rail tickets in the UK has sky-rocketed in recent months, proving costly for commuters, students, tourists and shoppers alike. Rising inflation has left customers forking out more cash for standard tickets, with rail travel becoming unaffordable for many.
One of the cheapest and fastest ways to get money off your train tickets is with a railcard , which offers up to a third off your rail tickets . Usually, the railcards cost £30 per year, but to mark the new academic year and give students and other travellers more affordable travel options, Trainline have launched a sale that sees them slashed by a tenner.
Shoppers can get 33 per cent off the price of a one-year railcard until the end of this month (October 31) when they enter the code NEWTERM33 at checkout here. This deal makes the annual railcard just £20, saving £10 on the investment, plus up to a third off their tickets each time they travel.
READ MORE: I paid £20 for a railcard and I’ll save £174 travelling to Manchester this year
For those travelling to and from the city centre, the price of a return ticket from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston with a railcard costs £146.15, but the same ticket without a railcard would cost £221.60, that's £75 more expensive, and makes the railcard worth the initial cost in just one trip.
On a slightly smaller scale, typically for commuters, return tickets from Manchester Piccadilly to Congleton, in Cheshire, usually cost £11.30, but are £7.45 with a railcard . Travelling five times a week, your railcard would have saved you more money than you’d spent on the railcard in less than a week. It could even save you £1,001 over the course of 12 months.
There are seven different types of railcards available for national travel, so be sure to see which one would be the best for you.
Here are all the different types of railcard you could get:
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16-17 Saver - 50% off adult rail fares
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16-25 Railcard - 1/3 off rail fares
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26-30 Railcard - Railcard1/3 off rail fares
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Family & Friends Railcard - 1/3 off adult fares and 60% kids' fares
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Two Together Railcard - 1/3 off adult fares for two named people travelling together
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Senior Railcard - 1/3 off adult rail fares
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Network Railcard - 1/3 off adult fares and 60% off kids' fares in London and the South East of England
Travellers can enjoy even better savings when opting for a three-year railcard, especially if planning to do a lot of travelling over the next three years. Plus, there’s no need to worry about renewing it every year after it expires.
The 16-25, Senior, Family & Friends and Veterans railcards are available as a three-year option for £70, meaning you can save £20 on the cost of three individual Railcards. The discount code sees them further reduced to £47, meaning a potential saving of up to £43.
With October half term and the Christmas holidays coming up there couldn't be a better time to invest in a railcard and start saving money on your journey. You can buy your railcard on the Trainline website, and get the discount by entering NEWTERM33 at the checkout.
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