FOOL'S EYE VIEW
Cheap Travel Tips!

By Alison Hunt (TMFAlly)
December 22, 2005

I don't know about you, but the prospect of a New Year always gets me thinking about visiting friends, having a weekend break and booking holidays. And cheap deals are always appreciated! So if you're the same, check out these money saving travel tips:

1. Train Travel

Renowned for being notoriously expensive, many of us ignore the option of travelling by train due to having heard various horror stories concerning £200 midweek standard returns from London to Birmingham. However, there are a number of value fares, if you know where to look. One way to often save money is to do the unthinkable -- book two single tickets instead of a return. Although historically single train tickets have always been the more expensive way to travel (one single ticket would often cost almost as much as a return) times appear to be changing. Rail companies seem to be adopting a more "budget airline" approach, allowing travellers the flexibility of choosing separate journeys and charging for them individually.

For example, I plugged in my details into the GNER website (you need to register first) to travel from London to Newcastle on 20 January 2006, returning on Monday 23 January. While a saver return ticket would have set me back a whopping £92.40, by choosing two single tickets at £20 each I found I could do the same trip for just £40. What's more, the GNER site claims that particular return trip can be done for as little as £20, with London to Edinburgh costing from £25 return and London to Leeds just £19 return. The trick is to book as early as possible -- at least 14 days in advance and check out the single ticket option. There are terms and conditions regarding these tickets -- you can only travel on your assigned train (you will have a seat reserved for you), tickets are non-refundable (although tickets can be changed for a £10 fee) but this can all be considered a small price to pay for the savings involved.

Additionally, always make sure you ask for the cheapest fare when booking tickets at the station, and if it's a journey you make regularly you may find it's worth checking out if there are any savings to be made by buying multiple tickets if you cross county borders. And National Rail Enquiries can provide details of offers from all train operators.

Finally, to celebrate the new direct Ashford to Brighton route, Southern Railway is offering free tickets on selected days in 2005/6. The offer's limited to 100 free seats per day to avoid overcrowding, and if you fancy a free trip, enter your details online here.

Family Railcard

If you have children, don't forget to check out the Family Railcard. For £20 a year, up to two adults and four children can travel together, with the adults saving a third on their train tickets and the children up to 60 per cent -- and under-fives travel free. You don't even need to be related. And as you can use the card to purchase off peak travel cards, you'll be able to zip around on the London tubes and buses for less, too. What's more, if you print off this voucher and take it to your local station before 31 December, you'll be able to buy the railcard for just £15, saving yourself a fiver!

Group Travel

If you're in a group of ten or more, you can save a fair amount when travelling by train. And by taking advantage of the GroupSave offer, up to four adults can travel for the price of two -- meaning that a return trip from Cambridge to London could cost from just £8.50 per person. Plus, you could bring up to four 5-15 year olds for just £1 each, return.

2 For 1 London Attractions

Train travellers to London can benefit even further as they are entitled to a number of 2 for 1 offer. Two people can visit the Cutty Sark, The Tower of London, Madame Tussaud's or the London Dungeon for example and pay for just one. Alternatively, pay for one ticket to see Saturday Night Fever, Blood Brothers, Chicago or the Rat Pack and get another free. Simply print off this voucher and show a valid train ticket at the attraction of your choice.

2. Bargain European Flights

Ryanair is currently offering flights from just £2. I found I could book a flight to Gothenburg from London Stansted on Friday 20 January, returning on Monday 23 January for £2 each way, per person. Of course, the booking fee bumps it up by around £15 each way, so the whole trip for two people the trip would cost a total of £69.26, but that's still a pretty good deal.

Of course, when using budget airlines you must always check exactly where your destination is. For example, Stockholm Skavsta is over 1½ hours from Stockholm. Always check the main carriers too -- British Airways is more expensive but the convenience of landing at a main airport (and the time saved) means it's often worth the extra cost.

3. Coach Travel

Coach travel is often the cheapest way to travel the country, but you will of course need to be prepared for longer journey times. The Megabus offers some amazing deals -- travel from Southampton to London for the weekend given in the example above and it will cost you from just £1 each way. What's more, it is currently giving away 2,000 free midweek seats (subject to a 50p booking fee) between Scotland, Manchester and London. A trip from Perth to London on Thursday 12 January could be purchased for as little as £6, with the return trip on Monday 16 January costing absolutely nothing!

National Express also provides a low cost way to travel the country, providing access to a large number of destinations. A return trip from Liverpool to Birmingham on Friday 20 January, returning Sunday 22 January can cost from as little as £3, if you take advantage of its "funfares".

So there you have it - some money saving travel tips to help you save some cash. Have a great trip!

> Five Great Money-Saving Tips