Travelling by train is one of the more comfortable and convenient ways to travel, but the costs can add up. The good news is that split train tickets can help to reduce those costs and increase your travel options. If you don’t already know about splitting tickets then take a couple of minutes now to learn everything you need to know.
Split ticketing costs less than buying a traditional rail ticket. There’s a simple reason for that and there are several great benefits from making sure that you buy split tickets for every rail journey you make. Let’s look into exactly how split ticketing can work for you.
1. What Is Split Ticketing?
Split ticketing is a way to travel by train that can help you save money. In essence, splitting train tickets means you’ll buy anywhere from 2 to 10 separate tickets in order to reach your destination, instead of just the one you’d usually get. Though it may sound like something difficult, it’s actually very easy to do.
The main reason split train tickets enable you to save money is directly related to how the ticket prices are configured. In other words, there is fluctuating demand for different places. Say you want to go from London to Cambridge, for example. This is a popular route, which means that the entire ride could end up costing a hefty sum. However, the train you’d take doesn’t go there directly, it goes through different stops along the way. And not every stop is a highly sought out location.
So instead of buying a single ticket for your trip, you could buy as many as you’d like from one stop to the next. Because of the difference in popularity of different places, as well as the fact that the more you travel – the less distance there is from your true final location, the sum of all your tickets can often end up costing much less than it would if you bought just one.
The average saving for splitting a train ticket in the UK is £21.60 We also quickly found examples where over £70 was saved, for example, Cardiff to Newcastle and Birmingham to Inverness.
2. Is split ticketing legit?
Split ticketing is completely legal. The only condition is that the train actually makes all the stops you’re buying the tickets for. Ticket inspectors won’t bat an eye if you produce a dozen tickets or just one.
3. Easy ways to split your train tickets
Going through this manually can sometimes take a bit of time, which is why it’s always a good idea to find online websites that will do the grunt work for you. Not only will those digital services book and sell you the tickets, but they will do the math for you as well.
That means that you’ll only end up buying as many tickets as it’s optimal in order to save money. Sometimes that means you’ll only buy two tickets for the entire journey, other times it might mean you’ll get 6 or 10 of them. It’s important to note that, while you will be buying different tickets, you’ll still be on the same train you’ve boarded at your starting location during the entire ride.
Don’t worry if splitting your train tickets sounds like a time-consuming hassle. It takes no longer than booking a regular ticket. There are a host of specialist ticket splitter sites that will do all the work for you. Just type your full journey details into one of the following: Moneysavingexpert.com, Splitmyfare.co.uk, TrainSplit.com and splitticketing.co.uk,
4. Reserve Your Seat
A lot of people think that because you get to save so much, there must be a catch, and you’d have to sacrifice something else in return. However, this simply isn’t the case. Just like when buying a regular ticket, you get to stay comfortable during your ride and reserve your seat. You also get to decide where you want to sit, so there’s no need to worry about standing for the entire journey, getting a seat in a different car, or a place with a lot of noise.
You get to stay in the exact spot you want, and it’ll feel exactly as it would if you’d paid more for your ticket. Whether you prefer to reserve a sleeping car, a seat near the window, or any other spot you prefer, you get to do it as part of your split ticket as well. Obviously, this is a good thing in and of itself, but it’s especially great if you’re traveling with other people, and you want to sit next to each other.
5. Splitting tickets boosts your travel options
Any time you save money for something, you get to relocate it for other things. If you like to travel – what better way to increase your budget for that than while travelling? The more you travel, the more comfortable and enjoyable it becomes.
If you travel frequently, this is going to be a gratifying money saver, as it will help reduce the amount of stress that goes into your wallet because of a mere ticket.
Split train tickets also expand the options for group travel. Train travel as a family or group in the UK can be prohibitively expensive. For example, taking a family of four from London to Edinburgh can easily cost over £500 for a single trip. The savings from splitting tickets will enable you to take more of the family or to go more often.
If you are a group travel organiser then split ticketing quite simply increases your profit margins and makes your business more sustainable. It is a business travel no brainer.
6. Increase The Fun Money In Your Budget
We all have a limited amount of money we can spend on fun things. Going out, going to a bar with friends, a concert – it usually costs us a pretty penny. Splitting ticket fares is a great way to increase the fun money in your budget. While travelling itself can have a lot of charm, it’s what you do when you get there that really counts. So take advantage of this and let yourself go out more often than usual.
You might want to search online for fun things you could do once you arrive – even things that would normally be outside of your budget. Sure, you might not be able to go to a fancy dinner each time, but you can save enough by split ticketing to do it every two or three times you travel. Besides that, you might want to look into concerts, the theater, and other activities you could do while traveling – all of which can be much more affordable to you than they would be otherwise.
Split ticketing is an extremely useful way to travel. It’s not only a good way to save money for various things such as work, fun, or entertainment, but it also helps you cut down on the amount of stress that comes with travelling. You get to choose your spot just like you would if you bought a regular ticket and even get to control where to sit.
Split tickets are a smart way to travel, and the more you use it – the easier it gets. So next time you are booking a rail journey, take advantage of this extremely useful technique and enjoy the savings you will make.