Save $ with British Railcards

What they are, how they work and when you should get one (or more!)

My husband and I recently saved $244, after subtracting expenses, by using British railcards. As cheap travel goes, that's a lot of money, and you can save just as much, or even more.

Here's how we did it.

1. We used our own identification photos. Most railcards require identification photos and suggest "passport photos," but if you read the photo requirements, you can save the $16.99 Walgreen charged me the last time I got a passport photo in 2022. Yikes, $16.99 per person!

2. We chose a digital download of our cards (this was via app; you might not be able to just screenshot the card and save it as a photo). This saves the amount you would pay in international postage.

3. We shopped around and we compared costs. Don't get the first railcard you see; you'll likely qualify for at least a couple railcards, but one may be more applicable than the others. That's the one you want. For example, the Two Together railcard made the most sense for us; we were already planning to travel together most of the time, and it "halved" our per-person cost (15 pounds each).

4. We planned ahead. It doesn't mean you lose all spontaneity. Just build the flexibility into your schedule, because longer hauls are where you'll save the most. You might need to travel at specific times on some days (usually after the "peak" of morning rush hour, after 9:30 a.m.), while on other days you might not use your railcard at all. Although some of our trips were 100 miles or longer (this is where we saved the most), our shorter trips didn't prove much of a savings - think pennies - so we didn't use it. That's OK.

5. We followed the rules. Again, this doesn't mean that flexibility disappears. It just means that you use the railcard that you best qualify for, when it makes sense. Don't try to break rules to save a few bucks. Sure, you might get away with it, but if you lose, you'll lose big.

Look at the routes where you're going, analyze the ticket prices about a month ahead of time and compare costs. You may see a real potential for savings.

You've got this.