The United Kingdom is an established economic powerhouse in Europe, and its infrastructure is very developed. Trains have a history of more than 300 years here, but now British trains are completely incomparable with Chinese trains, and the way to buy train tickets is also different. Here's your guide to buying train tickets in the UK.

British train ticket buying strategy

British train tickets are more expensive than those in Schengen countries, especially long-distance trains. You can book early and buy delicious food.

Discount tickets are usually provided on the official website 2 or 3 months in advance, and sometimes they are even discounted by half.

There are many ways to buy train tickets in the UK. The most commonly used ones are:

1. National Railway official website

The advantage is that it is a formal official website with no handling fees. The disadvantage is that you have to go through the wall to buy tickets and the Internet speed is slow.

2. Trainline application

Recommended personal APP. Although it requires some fees, the operation is simple and efficient. The handling fee is also completely acceptable. You can use your mobile phone to show the electronic ticket, eliminating the need to collect the ticket.

Very convenient. If you want to go to a local train station to print your ticket, you can use your reserved ticket number and payment credit card to pick up your ticket at more than 1,000 train stations in London.

I have purchased round-trip air tickets from London to Edinburgh in September at a discount of nearly 50%. ￡118 for two people. Legend has it that the price chosen in July was almost 112 pounds per person. Isn’t there a big difference?

Secondly, tourists can get a rail card for two people to ride together.

Fill out the application online in advance, then take a photo and go to a major train station in London. You can save a lot of money if you travel more by train.

I am lazy and unwilling to apply.

Another very important point: London has three main train stations, some of which can reach the same place. Therefore, it is recommended to search and compare when booking tickets. The price of air tickets will be much different.

For example, when I booked London-Cambridge, both King's Cross Station and Liverpool Station can reach Cambridge. The fastest departure time of the King is 50 minutes, and the round-trip fare is 36 pounds per person (departing at 8 a.m. and returning at 16 p.m.).

But if you depart from Liverpool Station, the round-trip fare for the same time period is 18 pounds per person, which is basically a 50% discount. The arrival time is slightly longer than that of the King, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. The hotel I stayed in was very close to Liverpool Station, and I felt like I had made a profit.

So when booking tickets, search and compare based on your accommodation location, you may be surprised.

Of course, some short-distance trains, such as London to Windsor, do not require advance purchase.

Buy on the spot at the same price.