Advice requested for cheap London - Edinburgh journeys

[Skimpot flyer]

I have a friend who is wishing to travel with her daughter for a University Open Day in Edinburgh. They plan to travel on Friday 6th October, staying in the city on Friday and Saturday night, and travel back on Sunday 8th October.

I just looked on Virgin Trains East Coast and the cheapest advances still available to/from Kings Cross seem to be £68, for a total outlay of £272.

I realise they should have been booking a lot earlier to get the best prices, but is there any way they could get the cost down? I have heard of split-ticketing, but have no idea whether this could be viable. They would prefer to travel out on Friday morning about 10am and back about 3pm on the Sunday leg.

Can anyone think of any way they can reduce their outlay ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Fly .................

£94.00 RTN

https://www.skyscanner.net/transpor...true&inboundaltsenabled=true&ref=home#results

 

[Blindtraveler]

Or if up up for suffering Ryanair from Stansted you could get that down a bitty more, spliced with 2 advance singles on the Stansted Citylink coach from St P to Stansted.

Do they need accommodation up here?

 

[Puffing Devil]

Providing they travel after 9:30 on the Friday, a Two Together railcard will shave 1/3 off the fare, less the £30 fee, saving about £60 net on the fares quoted.

 

[Romilly]

Without any railcards, it will be hard to beat £55 each on the 0730 out of Kings X on the Friday and £55 each on the 1300 or 1730 out of Edinburgh on the Sunday. Total £220.

If the daughter has a 16-25 railcard, that will still be the best option, with one of the £55 fares coming down to £36.30 each way, so a total of £182.60 (plus cost of railcard if not already held).

With a Two Together railcard as suggested, £89.80 on the 0930 out of Kings X on the Friday, and £72.60 on the 1300 or 1730 out of Edinburgh on the Sunday, total £162.40 (plus cost of railcard).