Train prices from Wakefield to London £239

[dave9]

I can't seem to find them cheaper than £239 return from wakefield to london.

Now, I know fares are going up but this is so unfair its only a 2 hour journey.

My friend booked 7 nights all inclusive in a 5 star hotel in Egypt for February including flights, all the food he could drink, coach transfers and accommodation etc etc etc and all the food you can eat for £249 yesterday.

Can anyone point me to any tips to getting a cheaper fare - I am not a student/pensioner i'm just a hard working white british male with no kids that seems to get screwed on everything!

cheers

[ewenm]

Going when?

[Mattt]

Don't book a return, 2 singles are often cheaper.

[dave9]

Tuesday to get there for 9am kings cross - this seems to be the killer as it's 'peak'.

don't travel on the train much always tend to drive but can't on tuesday sadly.

[okgo]

Mattt said:

Don't book a return, 2 singles are often cheaper.

Really? Can't say I agree

[timlongs]

Buy 2 singles, just found some for £28 each way...

http://www.thetrainline.com/

[dave9]

Mattt said:

Don't book a return, 2 singles are often cheaper.

you sir are a genius!

£83 to leave and £22 to come back so that's £105 which is far more reasonable. still feel it's a rip off but thanks for that tip.

why do they do that? just to trap people like me who have used a train about 4 times in their life!

thanks again!

[dave9]

timlongs said:

Buy 2 singles, just found some for £28 each way...

http://www.thetrainline.com/

thanks mate

[okgo]

okgo said:

Mattt said:

Don't book a return, 2 singles are often cheaper.

Really? Can't say I agree

Lol spoke to soon

[ewenm]

okgo said:

Mattt said:

Don't book a return, 2 singles are often cheaper.

Really? Can't say I agree

Nearly always true for the Bath-London line.

[Mattt]

Train fares are complete mystery.

First class can sometimes be cheaper too.

I'd like to see them changed to be more transparent in future, but don't think it will happen.

[Puggit]

As well as breaking a return in to 2 singles, it's often cheaper to break a single in to 2 sections of the journey (ie London-Cardiff being broken down to London-Swindon and Swindon-Cardiff).

Such unfairness wouldn't be such a problem if fares such as £239 weren't the norm.

[hesnotthemessiah]

Complete mystery to me also. I wanted to pop down to London from Sheffield the other day.

£141!

Cheap Day Return £241!

EH!

[dave9]

Puggit said:

As well as breaking a return in to 2 singles, it's often cheaper to break a single in to 2 sections of the journey (ie London-Cardiff being broken down to London-Swindon and Swindon-Cardiff).

Such unfairness wouldn't be such a problem if fares such as £239 weren't the norm.

it really is criminal the way that they work.

so unfair and so pointless but that's our public transport system.

i could drive down in my car and do the 400 ish mile round trip using 3/4 of a tank of fuel for say £50. Plus if there are 2 of you which there often are it works out at £25 each. Even paying for parking makes driving far easier it's just my car is out of action sadly.

i've thankfully never had to really ever get a bus in my entire life (think i have got a bus about 5 times)and only ever had to get the train a handful of times so i'm like a 5 year old in knowing how public transport operates. I'd be stuck without my car!!

[Mattt]

Which is why people won't abandon their cars for public transport - it isn't reliable, convenient or cheap.

Tax the cars anyway.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

HTH

[Puggit]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

HTH

Good call, if time is not an issue!

[Deva Link]

dave9 said:

i could drive down in my car and do the 400 ish mile round trip using 3/4 of a tank of fuel for say £50.

The problem with that is the real cost of running a car is more than just the fuel cost. However most of the cost is fixed, the variable part (fuel, tyres etc etc) is pretty small. Road charging will fix that though.

[Puggit]

Deva Link said:

dave9 said:

i could drive down in my car and do the 400 ish mile round trip using 3/4 of a tank of fuel for say £50.

The problem with that is the real cost of running a car is more than just the fuel cost. However most of the cost is fixed, the variable part (fuel, tyres etc etc) is pretty small. Road charging will fix that though.

Fair points, but he could hire a car and drive there and back for less than half of the train fare.

[Deva Link]

Puggit said:

Deva Link said:

dave9 said:

i could drive down in my car and do the 400 ish mile round trip using 3/4 of a tank of fuel for say £50.

The problem with that is the real cost of running a car is more than just the fuel cost. However most of the cost is fixed, the variable part (fuel, tyres etc etc) is pretty small. Road charging will fix that though.

Fair points, but he could hire a car and drive there and back for less than half of the train fare.

..not if it was £1 per mile to use the road!