The festive season is upon us, and it's time to embrace the magic of Christmas and the excitement of the New Year. Whether you're planning a journey to visit family, friends, or exploring new destinations, there's no better way to enjoy the holiday spirit than by embarking on a stress-free train adventure. With Trainsplit's innovative and clever split ticketing algorithm, you can make the most of your travels while securing affordable Christmas and New Year travel tickets.

Unwrap the Gift of Affordable Train Travel

When planning your Christmas and New Year's travel, finding affordable tickets can often be a challenge. However, with Trainsplit, you can effortlessly unlock the best deals and maximise your savings. Through the platform's smart algorithm, you have the opportunity to split your journey into multiple segments, providing you with access to cheaper fares without compromising on the quality of your travel experience.

Christmas Fare Comparison with Trainsplit

At Trainsplit, we understand the importance of finding the best deals to make your Christmas journey both magical and budget-friendly. Let's take a closer look at how Trainsplit compares in offering the most cost-effective Christmas fares.

Key Benefits of Choosing Trainsplit:

1. Unbeatable Savings: Our Christmas fare comparison reveals that Trainsplit consistently offers the most competitive prices, allowing you to save significantly on your festive travels.

2. Transparent Pricing: At Trainsplit, we believe in transparency. Our detailed fare breakdown ensures that you know exactly where your money is going, giving you peace of mind.

3. User-Friendly Interface: Booking your Christmas journey with Trainsplit is simple and convenient. Our user-friendly interface allows you to easily compare prices, select the best options, and secure your tickets hassle-free.

4. No Booking Fees: Unlike some competitors, Trainsplit prides itself on providing a seamless booking experience without any additional fees. What you see is what you pay.

5. Flexible Travel Options: Whether you're heading home for the holidays or exploring a new festive destination, Trainsplit offers flexible travel options, ensuring you find the perfect journey to suit your Christmas plans.

This Christmas, let Trainsplit be your festive travel companion, offering unbeatable savings, transparent pricing, and a hassle-free booking experience.

Top Tips for Securing Cheap Christmas Travel Tickets

1. Early Booking Advantage: Secure your tickets well in advance, taking advantage of discounted fares released up to 12 weeks before your travel date.
2. Flexibility Matters: Consider traveling during off-peak hours or less popular travel days to access more affordable ticket options.
3. Harness the Power of Railcards: Invest in a suitable railcard to enjoy substantial discounts, catering to your specific travel needs and preferences.
4. Opt for Split Ticketing: Explore the option of splitting your journey into different segments, taking advantage of potential cost-saving opportunities. Don't worry, Trainsplit does all the hard work for you so you don't have to. 

Discover the Magic of Christmas Train Travel

There's something truly special about travelling by train during the holiday season. Picture yourself comfortably seated, enjoying breathtaking winter landscapes while sipping a warm beverage, and feeling the festive anticipation in the air. Train travel not only offers convenience and comfort but also allows you to contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly way of exploring the country.

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The Trainsplit app is more than just a way to save money on train travel. It's a great way to explore new places and meet new people.

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Ensure a Smooth Journey this Christmas and New Year

As Network Rail strives to enhance the railway, there are planned essential engineering works and upgrades scheduled. It is advisable to meticulously plan your travels over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Please note that certain train services will be affected, leading to disruptions on various routes between Christmas Eve (Sunday, 24th December 2023) and Tuesday, 2nd January 2024. To accommodate the number of travelers, some train companies will be adjusting their timetables and service times.

Additionally, there is a possibility of unforeseen disruptions due to potential industrial action. Therefore, it is imperative to stay informed before your journey. Make sure to check the National Rail Journey Planner for up-to-date information.

Please find below the details of the service changes being implemented by each train company during the Christmas and New Year period:

Christmas and New Year changes being made by your train company

​​​​​​​Details of the service each train company will be providing are listed below. 

• Avanti West Coast
• c2c
• Caledonian Sleeper
• Chiltern Railways
• CrossCountry
• East Midlands Railway
• Elizabeth line
• Gatwick Express
• Grand Central
• Great Northern
• Great Western Railway
• Greater Anglia
• Heathrow Express
• Hull Trains
• Island Line
• LNER
• London Northwestern Railway
• London Overground
• Lumo
• Merseyrail
• Northern
• ScotRail
• South Western Railway
• Southeastern
• Southern
• Stansted Express
• Thameslink
• TransPennine Express
• Transport for Wales
• West Midlands Railway

Booking horizons

Below is a summary of the farthest future travel dates for which it's possible to reserve seats today. These details apply to Train Companies offering seat reservations and Advance tickets.

Typically, the timetable for any specific day is confirmed 12 weeks in advance. However, for a temporary period, Network Rail is unable to confirm timetables more than 8 weeks in advance. Please refer to our website for further information.

Not all train companies offer Advance tickets or seat reservations. However, for those that do, you can find the information below.

Avanti West Coast

• Saturday service: 23rd December
• Sunday service: 24th December
• Monday to Friday service: 17th January

Latest time of reservation: Customers can make a seat reservation up to 10 minutes before departure from a station on all services, subject to availability.

Caledonian Sleeper

For those planning ahead, Caledonian Sleeper enables bookings up to 12 months in advance.

Chiltern Railways: between Birmingham and London Marylebone:

• Saturday service: 2nd December
• Sunday service: 3rd December
• Monday to Friday service: 8th December

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.

Chiltern Railways: between Oxford and London Marylebone:

• Saturday service: 2nd December
• Sunday service: 3rd December
• Monday to Friday service: 8th December

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.

CrossCountry: East to West routes (Between Nottingham and Cardiff via Birmingham, Stansted Airport, and Birmingham New Street via Leicester):

• Saturday service: 6th January
• Sunday service: 7th January
• Monday to Friday service: 12th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 21:00 the day before travel, but some routes may close earlier.

CrossCountry: North to South routes (Between Scotland and South West, Newcastle and Southampton, Manchester and Bournemouth/Bristol):

• Saturday service: 6th January
• Sunday service: 7th January
• Monday to Friday service: 12th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 15 minutes before customers board the train when booked through CrossCountry's website or app, and at a select number of online retailers/travel agents.

East Midlands Railway: between Liverpool and Norwich plus to/from Skegness:

• Saturday service: 20th January
• Sunday service: 21st January
• Monday to Friday service: 26th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 23:59 the day before travel.

East Midlands Railway: London route

• Saturday service: 20th January
• Sunday service: 21st January
• Monday to Friday service: 26th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 23:59 the day before travel.

Grand Central

• Saturday service: 20th April
• Sunday service: 21st April
• Monday to Friday service: 26th April

Great Western Railway (GWR)

• Saturday service: 13th January
• Sunday service: 7th January
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 2 minutes before travel at any station on Great Western Railway routes.

Greater Anglia/Stansted Express

• Saturday service: 23rd December
• Sunday service: 24th December
• Monday to Friday service: 29th December

Latest time of reservation: Up to 23:59 the day before travel.

Hull Trains

• Saturday service: 13th April
• Sunday: 14th April
• Monday to Friday service: 19th April

Latest time of reservation: Up to 15:00 the day before travel for early morning services. Other services up to 4 hours before departing point of origin.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

• Saturday service: 30th December
• Sunday service: 31st December
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 23:59 the day before travel for some early morning trains. Up to 40 minutes before departing point of origin.

Lumo

• Saturday service: 13th April
• Sunday service: 14th April
• Monday to Friday service: 19th April

Northern

• Saturday service: 23rd December
• Sunday service: 17th December
• Monday to Friday service: 22nd December

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.

ScotRail

• Saturday service: 16th December
• Sunday service: 17th December
• Monday to Friday service: 22nd December

Latest time of reservation: Up to 23:59 the day before travel for some early morning trains. Up to 2 hours before departing point of origin.

South Western Railway: between London Waterloo and Weymouth

• Saturday service: 13th January
• Sunday service: 14th January
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.

South Western Railway: West of England

• Saturday service: 13th January
• Sunday service: 14th January
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.

South Western Railway: Portsmouth route, Isle of Wight

• Saturday service: 13th January
• Sunday service: 14th January
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.

Southeastern

• Saturday service: 13th January
• Sunday service: 14th January
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Up to 18:00 the day before.

Southern

• Saturday service: 16th December
• Sunday service: 17th December
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.

Thameslink

• Saturday service: 16th December
• Sunday service: 17th December
• Monday to Friday service: 19th January

Latest time of reservation: Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.

TransPennine Express

• Saturday service: 6th April
• Sunday service: 7th April
• Monday to Friday service: 12th April

Latest time of reservation: Up to 23:59 the day before travel.

Transport for Wales

Advance tickets are available 6 weeks in advance of travel.

Latest time of reservation: Up to 19:00 the day before travel for some early morning trains. Other services up to 4 hours before departure point of origin.

West Midlands Trains

• Saturday service: 9th December
• Sunday service: 10th December
• Monday to Friday service: 15th December

Please note that NO trains will operate on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, some Train Operating Companies will run a very limited service, but most routes are closed.

The availability of Advance tickets could be affected by special events taking place along the route of the journey. Please check before travelling.

Please be aware that there will be NO train services on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, some Train Operating Companies will offer a very limited service, while most routes will remain closed.

The availability of Advance tickets might be influenced by special events occurring along the journey route. Please check your journey before you travel.

Concerned about potential disruption or strike action?

While the majority of our customers have recently had successful journeys, it's important to stay mindful of any ongoing industrial action and be informed about your available options. Typically, strikes must be announced with a 14-day notice, offering a sense of reassurance as the year progresses.

Trainsplit also simplifies the ticket refund process if you need to rearrange your travel plans. In most cases, this can be seamlessly managed online through our refunds system, provided you haven't already printed paper tickets.

If you encounter delays or cancellations during your journey and are holding Advance tickets, rest assured that you are protected by the National Rail Conditions of Travel. You are also free to board the next available service operated by your train company to reach your destination.

If your journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you may be eligible for compensation from the train company that operated your trip. Find out more details here.

Trains to...

• Birmingham

• Bristol

• Cardiff 

• Cornwall

• Durham

• Edinburgh

• Glasgow

• Liverpool

• Manchester

• Salisbury

• York

Check out our other blog posts

Frequently Asked Questions

Remember, if you have any questions about train travel or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our team. We're here to help you plan a memorable journey.

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