If you’re flexible, TheTrainline has a nifty Cheap Fare Finder tool . Tell it where you want to go and a range of dates and it tells you the cheapest day and time. Yet while it’s great for info, you can book more cheaply by going direct to the train company (read find cheap fares and book for less).

Currently it covers the 100 most popular routes, yet even if only part of your journey’s covered, you may be able to split your tickets and get a cheap fare for part of it.

How much can you save… Glasgow to London return cut from £204 to £81.

Searching for a return from Glasgow to London, leaving in a month’s time, the cheapest fare for the Saturday I was thinking about heading off was £204. Yet a five-second search on the Cheap Fare Finder shows the Saturday before costs just £81, saving £123.

How to find cheap tickets

Simply enter your dates and destination and it shows the cheapest tickets for that day. For the absolute cheapest day to travel, click on “show months” and it’ll show you the cheapest price for every day in that month.

Even if you’re not going anywhere, it’s a fun spot of train fare geekery. Results cut through train firms’ spin, revealing how much the cheapest fares really are and who’s meeting their contractual obligation to set the timetable 12 weeks in advance.

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