@keyboardpipette@genomic.social
Post #2437789
2026-05-10 17:30 UTC
Replies (13)
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@keyboardpipette@genomic.social 2026-05-10 18:33
Adding some details, there will three of us (two adults, one child under 10), and whilst we don't have our journey finalized, it will not be far off from Stansted -> Cambridge -> London -> York -> Edinburgh, with several days stay at each place.
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@sarahdal@crispsandwi.ch 2026-05-10 17:32
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social Trainline charges a booking fee, which the rail operators don't. I tend to use Scotrail or LNER's apps, they'll book you tickets on any company's trains without a booking fee
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@shemjm@social.vivaldi.net 2026-05-10 17:33
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social I use Trainline, not had any problems with it.
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@quixoticgeek@social.v.st 2026-05-10 17:33
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social you do know that interrail works in the UK and is the cheapest way to travel on the UK rail network?
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@jimgar@hachyderm.io 2026-05-10 17:47
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social Trainline definitely seems to have taken over in my social circle. Yes, it charges a booking fee, but they also check for split tickets, which I don't think LNER or Scotrail etc will do. Split tickets are when, for some quirk of the system, it's more expensive to get a ticket from A to Z, than to get tickets from A to Q to Z. Trainline do split tickets in such a way that you don't have to change seat during the journey. The one thing to look out for is transfer times between trains. Sometimes they're way too tight for my liking.
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@hugh@social.crablab.uk 2026-05-10 17:50
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social TrainSplit, which is an independent retailer. They do the best split tickets, have an extremely powerful booking engine (which lets you search for itineraries other engines simply can't find), seat maps for most (every?) train, actual customer service who reply to emails... But as has been observed, Interrail (or BritRail) is likely to be the cheapest method if you're not a resident.
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@u0421793@toot.pikopublish.ing 2026-05-10 17:54
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social in general most of us have stopped using Trainline, in favour of using the specific train company’s own app. I used to use Trainline to do it all but now I only have the Trainline app on my iPhone because that’s where my senior railcard is, the ticket will be booked using the train operator’s own app now.
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@dash@social.coop 2026-05-10 17:59
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social Do you want it to be an app? Or are you just assuming that it is only possible with an app? I always use Transport for Wales, precisely because it was the first/only ticket seller I found that *doesn't* force you into an app or account. Book on website. No booking fee. Guest checkout. Tickets arrive by email as pdf attachment.
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@OneInterestingFact@mastodon.ie 2026-05-10 18:02
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social It's likely to depend on what you need to do - one end of the country to the other or around a series of localities. They probably all tie back to NationalRail in one form or another. I think I'd recommend asking the same question on forums.moneysavingexpert.com
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@Workshopshed@mastodon.scot 2026-05-10 18:10
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social Trainline is on when you are travelling multiple train company trains. But be very careful about restrictions on tickets as it will get you tickets that only work if you take the exact train/time it specifies. You might find it easier to get all the different train company apps or just use their websites
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@EF@mastodon.bsd.cafe 2026-05-10 18:28
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social trainpal or splittickets. They all churn out different prices. Buying early is better. Be prepared for the ticket prices to burn a hole in your pocket... !
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@jetlagjen@gts.phillipsuk.org 2026-05-10 18:51
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social Trainline is ok IF you can book in advance, be flexible on when, and then stick to the exact trains. If you buy on the day (including if you miss the train you booked) it can be several times more expensive. One good thing Trainline does is split tickets - book one seat on one train, but pay for separate tickets to and from a stop partway along. There is no sensible world in which A-C&C-B should be cheaper than A-B, but UK ticketing is not sensible.
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@CommonMugwort@social.coop 2026-05-11 15:28
@keyboardpipette@genomic.social I was always happy with Trainline.