Cheap train tickets for summer – and the deals that don’t work

Cheap train tickets in the UK are hard to come by, so we crunched the numbers and looked at which train companies are actually cheaper.

The best train ticket deal we found was a whopping 67% cheaper for a family of six than the standard advance fare. Not every ‘deal’ was created equal. We found that a train company’s summer deal was almost never the cheapest way to travel.

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Cheap train tickets from Great Western Railway – are they a good deal?

Great Western Railway advertises a Long Weekender ticket which ‘saves over 50% compared to an Anytime Return’.

That may be true. But only because the returns at any given time from all providers are generally exorbitant.

We checked six Great Western journeys on a sample basis. An anytime ticket from London Paddington to Exmouth, Devon, on three separate dates over the next few months, departing on a Friday and returning on a Monday, costs a whopping £299 per adult. The Long Weekender – which also gives you the flexibility to travel whenever you like – is cheaper at £129. But you shouldn’t buy that either.

It’s £31 to £58 cheaper to book tickets in advance – even just a few days before departure. You can only travel on specific trains, but for a saving of £58 it’s worth it.

We found similar savings on the route from London Paddington to Bath Spa. The fare for three separate journeys was £247, while the Long Weekender was £89. Again, the pre-purchase fares are miles cheaper, saving you between £26 and £41 per ticket.

If you don’t want to commit to a fixed train, super off-peak returns – meaning you can travel more flexibly, but only at off-peak times – were also cheaper than the Long Weekender deal in our spot checks. You’ll save almost £20 on the Paddington to Exmouth route and £16 on the Paddington to Bath Spa route with those fares.

Where to find cheap train tickets for summer holidays in the UK

East Midlands Railway Summer Sale

East Midlands Railway deal offers up to 50% off selected train tickets, provided you book before 4th August and travel between 29th July and 1st September. And we’ve found some great deals.

For a weekend in August, a single ticket from London to Sheffield on sale was £41.40. That’s £22.10 cheaper than the cheapest ticket that wasn’t on sale.

You do need to take some time to search for the best deals.

Find cheap train tickets at East Midlands Railway

LNER family train tickets for summer

LNER claims you can save an average of 65% if you buy a ‘Family Single’ instead of the regular fares this summer. This is an all-inclusive single fare that covers two adults and up to four children for a fixed price.

We did a few spot checks on their offering and came across some great rates.

A family of six will benefit the most. For two adults and four children travelling from Leeds to London on Friday 23 August and returning on Saturday 24 August, you could save £233 by choosing two Family Singles (£116) instead of standard advance singles (£349). The savings are staggering.

And when you consider that a single adult travelling alone will set you back £109, you can see how much you can save by travelling together.

Find cheap train tickets at LNER

What about cheap train tickets in the UK from other providers?

We couldn’t find any other deals specific to summer, but we’ll update this article if new deals become available.

When is the Great British Rail Sale 2025?

The Great British Rail, which takes place annually, usually towards the end of January, offers discounted train tickets. Passengers can get up to 50% off advance and off-peak fares.