What is the Best Site to Book Tickets on ?

[Mutant Lemming]

I used to use East Coast until the rewards scheme stopped and have been using the individual train operators sites to book tickets (apart from East Coast and Virgin - have been using the LM site to book theirs). I know this will probably depend on people's individual circumstances but what is the best site to book on now ?
Apologies if there is already a thread about this.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Depends on the journey, really.

First TPE give 1% cash back via Quidco and Nectar points on all sales. Some TOCs can beat that on tickets for their own services (EMT offer 3.5% cash back via Quidco on EMT tickets, for instance).

It's normally best checking for the specific journey, but for general trips I'd say First TPE.

 

[Searle]

personally, I've stuck with EC, I'm used to their layout, I like booking specific seats and I like the nectar scheme as well.

 

[itsjustmyjob]

It really does depend what you are booking.

I travel to Dublin and Belfast by train and ferry and lots of sites just don't offer these places as destinations.

The site which repeatedly offers me the most flexibility for these journeys is http://www.raileasy.co.uk.

Now before I get shot down that it is a site with fees (which it is!) there appears to be a tie-in with another site which allows fee free booking at the moment, even though I haven't tried it....but as I'm going to Belfast in 3 weeks it won't be long until I do!

 

[Moonshark]

www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

 

[rebmcr]

I've been giving my custom to Grand Central, specifically to 'extra-boycott' VTEC's rewards butchering.

 

[Saint66]

Trainline, of course....

(Sarcasm guys, don't worry )

 

[Starmill]

personally, I've stuck with EC, I'm used to their layout, I like booking specific seats and I like the nectar scheme as well.

My default booking engine is TransPennine Express, so I get Nectar points on all my tickets, not just some I continue to use the VT East Coast website as long as they offer the discount on their own advances, for those tickets.

 

[thelongestroad]

Trainline, of course....

(Sarcasm guys, don't worry )

Ah yes, the Trainline. Where it seems to make everyone buy two CDS rather than a CDR.

 

[Starmill]

I've been giving my custom to Grand Central, specifically to 'extra-boycott' VTEC's rewards butchering.

I recommend you mosey on over to Hull Trains - the OAO worth bothering with on the East Coast (plus Nectar!).

 

[Jonny]

Ah yes, the Trainline. Where it seems to make everyone buy two CDS rather than a CDR.

As well as taking every possible opportunity to fleece you with a "booking fee".

 

[Kite159]

EMT site for EMT advances (£1 discount plus cash back)
VTEC for east coast advances
Grand central for GC & XC advances (10% NUS discount)

Everything else FGW (or SWT if they have a promotional fare)

 

[GatwickDepress]

I use Southern Railway's website, purely out of habit (and I have no reason to use Nectar points etc). WebTIS is quite nice to use, if a little janky.

Previously I'd use East Coast for large purchases purely for the rewards tickets.

 

[ASharpe]

I've started buying more tickets from counters and machines. Use grand central every week for the NUS discount. Still using EC one or twice a week due to a rather favourable fault on their website.

I've started using southern for their rainy day guarantee when I know I might not use a ticket. But normally a ticket office or onboard is better.

 

[scott118]

favourable fault?

 

[SaveECRewards]

I'm glad to see people looking at booking elsewhere, some discussion on the Rewards discussion thread about Quidco cashback which may help you to decide.

The only time it's worth booking on the VTEC website is for their own advance fares. Even so as the online discount seems to be 2% everytime I've compared it's not in my mind worth bothering with.

It's worth booking everything else elsewhere because the only chance we have of reinstating the rewards scheme is if they see their commission dropping.

If you want Nectar book with a FirstGroup website. They give points for everything (quite rightly because they earn commission on the sale). If you don't care about Nectar or Quidco then book on a site you're happy with that doesn't charge fees.

The FirstGroup, Govia and Chiltern websites use WebTIS so have the same UI as East Coast. Others are based on thetrainline, but unlike thetrainline itself don't usually have fees.

personally, I've stuck with EC, I'm used to their layout, I like booking specific seats and I like the nectar scheme as well.

Of course, I keep forgetting about seat selection. That's one good advantage of booking VTEC tickets through their own site, but you should still book other rail journeys eleswhere particularly if you like Nectar? (not sure how anyone can like it though, better than nothing is about the best I've heard it described)

 

[Dhassell]

I normally find arriva trains wales easier to use overall

 

[PeterY]

I find London Midland quite easy to use for advance tickets. They post them out, free of charge. That saves a trip to Watford Junction.

 

[mike57]

I use Transpennine, you get nectar points, OK it only works out at about 1% but its better than nothing. They post them out first class post free which is useful as our station with a ticket machine is 6 miles away.

 

[yorkie]

Apologies if there is already a thread about this.

A quick search finds there is at least one (though someone tells me there have been at least two, but the others are harder to find): What are the best train booking websites now?

As this thread already has more posts, I don't think we need to merge them.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

personally, I've stuck with EC, I'm used to their layout, I like booking specific seats and I like the nectar scheme as well.

Their layout is the same as other Atos WebTIS sites though. As for Nectar, you'd get more points if you booked on FGW or TPE as then you'd get points for all journeys, not just those on EC. TPE also give you a further discount on their advances if you click the "Student Promo" link
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've been giving my custom to Grand Central, specifically to 'extra-boycott' VTEC's rewards butchering.

That's more like it! They'll never learn their mistake if we don't make them realise there are consequences to their actions
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm glad to see people looking at booking elsewhere,...

Indeed

 

[fgwrich]

FGW For me too. Simple to use, Nectar points a bonus, and I can either have them posted First Class for Free or collect them from my local station. They are now also making rovers accessible online - you can order any rover ticket from FGW and either have it posted out to you for free or (and they are working on this suggestion as we speak so thanks FGW!) to be able to collect at a station or TVM as per other tickets.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

A quick search finds there is at least one (though someone tells me there have been at least two, but the others are harder to find): What are the best train booking websites now?

As this thread already has more posts, I don't think we need to merge them.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There may need to be the odd new one or two in the future as sites/franchises/owners etc change. ...or maybe someone could start up a train ticket booking comparison website (don't tell me it already exists out there somewhere...)