If you’re travelling by train to visit family, friends, markets, or going away on a break this Christmas, you could save an average of 39% by booking in advance with the thetrainline.com. Cheap advance tickets are now on sale for all routes where available.

With very high travel volumes expected during the Christmas holidays and everybody looking to get the best deals during the credit crunch, cheap train tickets are selling out fast so buy now. Why not take a look at our top tips for a smoother, cheaper Christmas journey.

Book in Advance

Tickets for travel over Christmas are now available to buy. Cheap advance tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis so the more popular routes often sell out fast. Advance tickets are available until the day before you travel, so if you haven’t planned ahead don’t panic, you may still be able to grab a bargain. Book now to make sure you get the cheapest ticket for your journey.

Best Fare Finder

Is your travel date flexible this Christmas? Our new tool Best Fare Finder can help you find cheap tickets faster. Best Fare Finder shows you when cheap tickets are available on and around your preferred travel date so you can see whether travelling at a different time or on a different day could save you money.

Use a railcard

If you’ve got a railcard you can get around a third off most rail tickets. You’ve still got time to buy one before Christmas so go to www.railcard.co.uk to see which railcard you may be eligible for.

1st class post

If you are travelling on Christmas Eve tickets must be booked before 3pm on 17th December. This is to ensure you receive your tickets by 23rd December. If you miss this deadline don’t worry, you can still book tickets after the 17th December but you’ll need to collect them from a station self service ticket machine.

Self service ticket machine

If you want the flexibility to collect your tickets when and where is most convenient for you then pick up your pre-paid ticket from a station self service ticket machine. Tickets are ready for collection just 2 hours after booking online which means you can book your tickets right up until the day before Christmas. For more information click here

Reserve a seat

Most trains require you to have a seat reservation for Christmas travel. At thetrainline.com we’ll automatically reserve you a seat where available and you can even choose where you sit (direction of travel, table access, quiet carriages, near power points or toilets etc).

Avoid the Christmas rush

Avoid the busier times of day and travel off peak which could also be cheaper and less stressful. If you can, try to travel after 9.30 in the morning and avoid travelling between 3.30 and 6.30 in the afternoon.

Allow extra time

Stations are very busy over the Christmas period. Please give yourself extra time before your train is scheduled to depart.