Optimum time to buy advance tickets

[BRX]

I used to go on the assumption that as far as advance tickets are concerned, the earlier you buy them the better. But sometimes it seems that cheaper tickets are released closer to the time (perhaps not very often but I'm sure it happens sometimes).

I'm just wondering if anyone's looked into this. Does it make sense always to buy as early as possible? Does it depend a lot on route/operator?

 

[Greenback]

Generally speaking, the earlier the better. If there any of the lowest tier of Advance fares available on the trains you want to catch, they will be snapped up quickly on most routes.

 

[graham43404]

Most of the TOC's in my experience have the cheapest fares from when they are released other than Cross Country who sometimes seem to start with one advance fare and then the week after that advance fare is cheaper still.

 

[Scooby]

For my journeys, the optimum time has usually been 10 weeks before travelling.

 

[All Line Rover]

Advance tickets are released up to 12 weeks in advance. How far in advance you can book is called a "Booking Horizon."

You can find out the "Booking Horizons" for most TOC's here: http://www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert/. I find this one to be the most up to date.

The remaining TOC's can be found here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html.

 

[BRX]

Advance tickets are released up to 12 weeks in advance. How far in advance you can book is called a "Booking Horizon."

You can find out the "Booking Horizons" for most TOC's here: http://www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert/. I find this one to be the most up to date.

The remaining TOC's can be found here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html.

That's useful - thanks for posting.

Partly what prompted this thread was looking at tickets Birmingham-London for this coming Sunday. Chiltern have some good offers at the moment but aren't offering any advance tickets on Sunday (although the are available on the preceding and following days). I presume this is because of the engineering works happening that day. Interestingly that link gives last Sunday as the booking horizon for Chiltern. So I'm wondering if I should hold out and hope that Chiltern will release tickets during this week, or play safe and get something from another operator now.

 

[supervalkoinen]

I've been thinking of posting a similar query before.

In summer (with about 10-12 weeks notice) I booked Stoke - Euston tkts (Advance Singles early morning) and subsequently bought connecting Chester-Stoke tkts. There were no decent advances Che-Eus available at the time.

Approx 6 weeks later much cheaper Che-Eus advance tkts appeared, which would have more than saved me the difference and time into the bargain.

 

[theblackwatch]

On the ECML, I'd say within an hour or two of the tickets going on sale! As an example, last year I was looking to buy an AP on a specific train. I checked at 09.30 - still not on sale, by 12.00 they were on sale but I didn't have time to do a booking, by 15.00 when I had the chance to book, the lowest priced tickets on that train had gone and the cheapest tickets available were twice the price they had been at 12.00. You have to be quick sometimes...