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As our roads become more congested and the pressures on the environment from our car journeys reach critical levels, is it time we started travelling by train again?

Not only is travelling by train more pleasurable than sitting in the long daily car commute, you’ll also be playing your part in saving the environment, but what are the best ways you can save money on train travel?

Choose the cheapest seats
When you’re first faced with all the train ticket choices it can seem overwhelming, but in reality, there are only four main types of train tickets. Anytime tickets offer the most flexibility but are the most expensive compared with an Advance ticket, often significantly cheaper, but you’re booked on to a specific train. Then there are the Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets- these are for travel outside peak times, i.e. Outside rush hour, and weekends- and offer a reduced rate compared with Anytime tickets.

Avoid peak times
Purchasing Off-Peak tickets is the simplest way to start saving on train travel. Traditionally peak time periods are times when commuters are travelling to and from work, perfect for work places with flexible working time. A word of caution- peak periods can vary between train company and train route, so it’s always worth checking before-hand.

Book in advance
Advanced tickets tend to be available 12 weeks prior to the travel date, but there are a limited number of Advance tickets available. Often the best way to save money by train travel, Advance tickets are perfect if you need to be somewhere on a specific date.

Buy singles instead of returns
For some routes and times, it can be cheaper to buy two single tickets instead of a return. The cheapest option would be to buy two Advanced Single tickets for your journey, making it much cheaper than an on the day return ticket.

Get a railcard
Not just for students and seniors, there are several types of Railcards available, including the 26-30 Railcard, Family and Friends Railcard and Disabled Persons Railcard. For £30 a year, you could save up to a third off train travel, and with no limit to the number of times you can use your Railcard, it’s the perfect way to save money on train travel, but remember to carry your card with you when you travel, or it may invalidate your ticket.

With 67% of the population still commuting by car, it might be worth investigating how travelling by train could help your commute time, improve your mood, save some money, and decrease your impact on the environment.