Trains to London | Buy Cheap Train Tickets to London | Trainline

London is home to over 8.7 million people, more than 3,500 pubs, and a staggering 369 train stations! Whether you’re travelling from the north for a night out, the west for a weekend away, the south for a city adventure or the east for the ultimate urban experience, we’re your one-stop-shop for tickets, times and info about how to get there by train (and coach, too!).

Known for imposing landmarks such as Big Ben, the London Eye and Tower Bridge, as well as its iconic red buses and telephone boxes, the city is a centre of architectural greats and harbours a rich history. Literary giants such as Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens resided here, and thousands flock to the Globe theatre each year to see authentic renditions of Shakespeare’s world-famous plays.

So, if you’re looking for trains to London, start your search for times and tickets above, or continue reading to find out more about the journey, train companies, timetables, how to find cheap tickets, and much more.

How to find the cheapest train tickets to London

To get the cheapest train tickets to London, you’ll need to be super-savvy when searching for tickets. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you with our top tips for saving money on rail travel. Before you know it, you’ll have a few extra quid to spend when out and about in the city, instead of just using it to get there!

Our top tips for finding cheap train tickets to London:

• Get a Railcard:

   

  Save up to 1/3 for a whole year

• Book tickets to London in advance:

  UK train companies including Avanti West Coast, LNER, GWR, East Midlands Railway

  usually release tickets 12 weeks in advance

• Travel Off-Peak:

   

  Tickets are usually cheaper during quieter times on weekdays and weekends

• Use GroupSave:

   

  If you’re travelling in a group of 3-9 people you could save 34%

• Split your train tickets: Break your journey into separate tickets

You can find more details about each of these tips below.

1. Get a Railcard

First up, you’ll want to think about using a National Railcard. If you don’t quite make enough journeys to warrant buying a Season Ticket, but you’re still going to travel by train more than a few times a year, then a Railcard is well-worth your time. Their big selling point is that they can allow you to save up to 1/3 off the price of your train tickets*. Railcards cater to different age ranges and circumstances so, from the Senior Railcard to the Disabled Persons Railcard and the newly-introduced 26-30 Railcard (Millennial Railcard), you’ll be sure to find your match. Check out our Railcards page if you’d like to purchase one online or see the various eligibility requirements for each type.

2. Book tickets to London in advance

Next up on our money-saving checklist, make sure to buy your train tickets in advance. In some cases, the price of a train ticket can rise as the date of departure edges nearer. So, by purchasing an Advance ticket as far ahead as possible, you’ll be giving yourself a better chance of securing cheap train tickets to London. These tickets typically go on sale 12 weeks in advance, but you can sign up for our handy Ticket Alerts and let us do the work for you. As soon as tickets go on sale for your route, we’ll email you. Remember to combine your Railcard with your Advance ticket for a killer money-saving combo!

Want to learn more? Visit our Advance train tickets page for a complete guide.

3. Travel during Off-Peak times

When purchasing your Advance ticket, try to book an Off-Peak time. Make sure to check all the tickets in the drop-down menu when using our Journey Planner, as we’ll highlight the cheapest Off-Peak tickets available. Once again, add your Railcard discount if applicable, and you’ll be laughing!

For more info, head over to our Off-Peak train tickets page.

Before you buy your ticket, make sure to check that the price of your Return ticket is, in fact, lower than that of two single train tickets. Sometimes, one method may be cheaper than the other. The same goes for selecting your arrival station. Try checking the differences in price when selecting ‘London, Any’ versus a specific station.

4. Travelling as a group? Use GroupSave

Are you travelling to London in a group of three to nine people? Then you may also be able to get a discount of 34% on Off-Peak services thanks to GroupSave. This is a useful discount that doesn’t require you to purchase a physical Railcard (but which does appear in the Railcard dropdown when making a booking). Please bear in mind that GroupSave is not applicable for all journeys by the different train companies and will automatically be applied if valid for your journey and selected in the Railcard dropdown. All tickets must be purchased in a single booking, and all passengers must travel together on the day of departure.

If you’re travelling with your family to London, make sure you take advantage of the Kids for a Quid deal offered by different UK train companies – if you travel in Standard Class during Off-Peak times, you can get £1 train tickets on a return journey for up to 4 children.

If you need a few more hints on getting the cheapest train tickets to London, check out our cheap train tickets page.

5. Split your train tickets

Did you know it’s sometimes cheaper to break your journey down into parts and buy separate train tickets for each leg of the journey? Our latest money-saving feature – SplitSave – finds clever combinations of tickets to save you money on most routes across the UK and automatically ‘splits’ your trip into multiple legs, without any need for you to change trains unnecessarily. Just look for the SplitSave icon when searching in our app. 

*Conditions and peak travel time exclusions may apply on some Railcard types.