Soon, but not too soon

When it comes to British rail fare, time is money, but in a real-life Goldilocks dilemma, you need to get it just right

Like virtually every rail ticket I know of (with Canada's Via Rail being one of the few exceptions), you'll save money on British rail tickets when you order them in advance. Unless you're planning multiple long trips, which I heartily advise against, you'll save dramatically more money by early ordering than you will with a BritRail or "Eurail" pass.

But here's the rub.

Even though tickets go on sale 3 to 6 months early, you don't want to get your tickets as soon as they're available, or you'll pay more.

Weird, isn't it? Makes no sense. Welcome to the wonderful world of travel.

British rail is no longer state-owned, which is the biggest factor contributing to the changes in the "Eurail" pass that longtime travelers remember. Although the companies get state "approval" of sorts, you now deal with several rail companies that have varying rules and timeframes.

The result is a collection - I avoided calling it a hodgepodge, although that's how it feels to travelers - of rail providers.

The Man in Seat 61, who was a British rail employee and is still a well-known rail enthusiast, writes that most Brits buy their tickets a month ahead of time for the best deals.

Not willing to take his word for it, I studied this on my own, tracking trips from Manchester to York and London to a number of locations, and I found him to be exactly right. Although some steeply discounted "Advance" fares may be released, the overall ticket prices were higher when I checked them 3 months out and lower when I checked them 1 month out.

The difference varies according to the provider - remember, you're dealing with a lot of them now - and to the distance traveled. It seems to run from 5 to 20 British pounds. Enough to be worthwhile.

I like using nationalrail.co.uk as an aggregator, just to see what's available. You won't buy through this site; it connects you with providers when you're ready to buy a ticket. But it's a good overall starting point.

Rome2Rio is another way to see your options, although it comes with all the same cautions. Although it's a much-heralded site for many travelers, I'm less trusting and use it only after other sites have failed, never relying fully on the information there.