Save on travel home at Easter

Photo Credit: Thomas Leuthard via Compfight

If you’re travelling home for Easter, you can save on train tickets and other travel by booking in advance and shopping around. Here’s our discount travel top tips.

1. Book in advance

Check the advanced fares on a number of websites as different providers may have specific discounts. Like flights, train companies offer a specific number of advanced tickets at a certain price. When these run out, they offer another batch at a slightly higher price, and so on. The earlier you can book the better.

2. Travel as a group

If you are travelling in a group of three or four of you, you can save up to half with a group save ticket from Southern Rail. Even if you are only travelling part of the journey in a group, to London for example, it could still work out cheaper to buy a group save ticket for that segment of the journey, and buy a separate ticket for the remainder. These fares can also be used with travel cards, but check with the service provider.

3. Open return Vs two singles

An open return train fare enables you to make the return journey any time within a month (off-peak). Check to see if your journey is cheaper in two singles, or an open return.

4. Bus and coach alternatives

The journey might take a bit longer, but the savings can be massive. Book in advance as tickets on the day can be more expensive or sold out. It’s also worth noting that National Express coaches were running more regularly than the trains during the recent adverse weather! http://www.nationalexpress.com/waystosave/cheapcoachtickets.aspx  and http://uk.megabus.com/

5. Car share and save on the petrol

If you’re driving back home, find a friend to share the petrol with. Or try Bla Bla Car, a great website for finding people making the same journey as you. You’ll save on petrol and can meet some new people!

The Money Matters pages have loads more on traveling while at university http://www.brighton.ac.uk/moneymatters/ways-to-save-money/travel/

Whichever way you get home, make sure you leave your term-time property secure, and turn the heating down or off so you’re not heating an empty house.