Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Special email: New free TicketySplit tool takes on train pricing farce

New split ticket tool reveals hidden cheap rail fares!

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Martin Lewis

MoneySavingExpert.com special email

Cutting your costs, fighting your corner NEW SPLIT TICKET TOOL: AVAILABLE NOW!
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Special Email:
New free TicketySplit tool takes on train pricing farce
Same train, same time, even the same seat - just pay less by splitting your tickets

We've finally cracked it. Our new advanced tickets TicketySplit tool takes on the ridiculous train ticket pricing anomaly that means buying two separate tickets sometimes costs less. It can save some regular travellers £1,000s. Here's an example...
Tickety
Birmingham to Newquay advance single = £150

This train stopped at Cheltenham so instead the tool suggested...


Birmingham to Cheltenham advance single (£21) + Cheltenham to Newquay advance single (£44) = just £65.

Bookmark our free TicketySplit tool. Tell it when & where you're travelling and it crunches thousands of advance & walk-on ticket combos to check if you can split and save. If so, you can buy them with just a few clicks.

Please report your savings in our forum or email splitticket@moneysavingexpert.com with any errors, glitches & suggestions.

  Important quick TicketySplit Q&As

Q.

Why is this a 'special email'? A. We wanted to put this in a normal Martin's Money Tips email. Yet as the tool needs to interrogate thousands of ticket times and prices with every search, telling 9m people at once risks putting a strain on the UK ticket system. So we're sending this special email out in batches over a few weeks to avoid web crashes.

Q.

Don't you already have a TicketySplit app? A. Yes, you can get it on iPhone (key updates coming) - but it can only cope with walk-on fares. The new tool also covers advance tickets which are far cheaper. The huge number of tickets and journeys needs massive server power, so this has been an enormous job that's taken us a long time to crack.
Q. Can I buy the splits via the tool? A. Yes, via thetrainline.com (or take the info and buy the tickets elsewhere).
Q. Why are you working with thetrainline.com? It charges a booking fee. A. This tool needs huge server power, so we needed help from a company with a database that interrogated the timetable. That wasn't easy as some train operators aren't pleased about this tool. So it was brave of thetrainline.com to agree to partner with us.

As it charges a £1.50 booking fee we provide all the info needed so that if you choose you can go via another booking route to avoid that. However do note clicking via thetrainline.com helps ensure we can continue to run this tool, as it provides it an incentive to keep partnering with us. We also get a tiny cut of revenue to help offset what we have to pay to be able to offer you this search.
Q. holiday saving Why does split ticketing work? A. Because train fares and logic go together like marshmallows and tomato soup. Yet it does work and is totally legal. The big warning is that the train MUST call at all the stations you buy tickets to and from (which is what the tool shows you). If you have time-specific tickets and your journey has changes, you may have to pay extra if you're delayed before you split. We'll tell you if you need to change, see Split Ticket help for full details.
Q. Does it include special discount tickets? A. On occasion train operators offer special promos. The nature of the tool means we can't include these, but see our Train Deals and Discounts page for the latest deals.
Q Can you split return tickets? A. Yes, but the tool doesn't yet cover returns. Having said that, singles are often (not always) cheaper or the same price. We hope to include returns in the future, though it's more complex as there are many more options. For now, to locate cheap return splits, check where the train stops and use trial and error.
Q. Is it possible to split the tickets more than once for a journey? A. Yes. Three or more tickets for a trip may be cheaper, but that's beyond the power of our tool. For info on how to check manually, see the Cheap Trains guide.
Q. Can I use a railcard, eg 16-25 or Family & Friends, on splits? A. Yes, it works exactly the same way - as long as your railcard is in date and the tickets are being used at the correct time.
Q. Are there any other ways to save cash? A. Yes, lots. The number one rule with train fares is to throw the logic book out of the window. See our Cheap Trains guide for more.
Q. I love the tool. Can I link to it from my website/blog? A. Of course we're always happy for people to link to us at www.moneysavingexpert.com/split-cheap-train-tickets, just as long as it doesn't imply a recommendation from us.

Try it, the results can be astounding (and sometimes not - but do check!)
TicketySplit Tool

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What you need to know

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