The best cheap train ticket deals for summer - and the ones that don't add up

Cheap UK train tickets are hard to come by, which is why we have done the numbers and checked which train company deals actually add up. 

The best train ticket deal we found was a whopping 67% cheaper for a family of six than the standard advance fare. Not every ‘deal’ was as good. We found that one train company’s summer deal was almost never the cheapest way to travel. 

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Great Western Railway cheap train tickets - are they a good deal?

Great Western Railway advertises that its Long Weekender ticket will  ‘save over 50% compared to an Anytime Return’.

That may be true. But only because anytime returns across all providers are usually exorbitant. 

We spot-checked six Great Western journeys. An anytime fare from London Paddington to Exmouth, in Devon, on three different dates in the coming months, leaving on a Friday and returning on a Monday, costs a staggering £299 per adult. The Long Weekender price - which also allows you the flexibility to travel anytime - is cheaper, at £129. But you shouldn’t buy that either. 

It’s £31 to £58 cheaper to book advance tickets instead - even just a few days before travel. You can only travel on specific trains, but for a £58 saving it’s worth it.

We found similar savings on the London Paddington to Bath Spa route. The anytime fare for three different journeys was £247, while the Long Weekender was £89. Once again, the advance fares are miles cheaper, saving you £26 to £41 per ticket.

If you don’t want to commit to a set train, super off-peak returns - meaning you can travel more flexibly but only at off-peak times - were also cheaper than the Long Weekender deal in our spot checks. You’ll save nearly £20 on the Paddington to Exmouth route and £16 on the Paddington to Bath Spa route with those fares.

Where you can find cheap UK train tickets for summer holiday travel

East Midlands Railway summer sale

East Midlands Railway deal offers up to 50% off select advance train fares, provided you book by 4 August and travel between 29 July and 1 September. And we did find some good deals. 

For a weekend in August, an advance single from London to Sheffield in the deal was £41.40.  That’s £22.10 cheaper than the cheapest advance fare not in the deal.

You do need to spend time browsing, though, to find the best offers.

Find cheap train tickets at East Midlands Railway

LNER family train ticket deals for summer

LNER claims you can save 65% on average if you buy a ‘Family Single’ instead of regular fares this summer. This is an all-inclusive single fare that covers two adults and up to four children for a fixed price. 

We put their deal to the test in a couple of spot checks and found some great fares. 

A family of six stands to benefit most. For two adults and four children to travel from Leeds to London on Friday 23 August, returning on Saturday 24 August, you could save £233 by choosing two Family Singles (£116) instead of standard advance singles (£349). The savings are staggering. 

And when you consider that one adult travelling alone would set you back £109, it shows just how much you can save by travelling together.

Find cheap train tickets at LNER 

What about cheap UK train tickets from other providers?

We couldn’t find any other deals specifically for summer, but we will update this piece if new sales crop up.

When is the Great British Rail Sale 2025?

The Great British Rail, which occurs annually, usually towards the end of January, offers discounted rail ticket prices. Travellers can get up to 50% off advance and off-peak fares.