If you’re travelling home for Christmas by train this December, here are some top tips to keep travel costs as low as possible.

• Find out when cheap tickets are likely to go up in price
  Trainline has a free Price Prediction tool which shows you when cheap tickets are likely to go up in price or sell out. You can check out specific routes, dates and times so you can see what’s most economical for your travel plans.
• Singles can be cheaper than returns
  Make sure you check the cost of a single ticket when booking a journey as it can be cheaper to buy two single tickets rather than a return.
• Split your tickets (not your journey) to save you £s
  Instead of buying tickets for the whole journey, buying tickets for the parts that make up the journey can save lots of money, even if you don’t change trains. The only thing to keep in mind is that that train must call at all stations you buy tickets for.
• Bag a railcard – and get a 16-25 Railcard until your almost 27
  You can get a third off most rail fares with a railcard. You can keep using the 16-25 Railcard after you’ve turned 26 by buying a three-year railcard the day before your 24^th birthday, or a one year railcard before your 26^th birthday to bag the discount until you’re 27.
• Check if advance tickets are still available, even if you book late
  If tickets haven’t sold out, some rail companies let you buy advance tickets on the day or the day before you travel. Just check what’s available before you buy your ticket.

Find out more about the tips above, and additional top money saving tips for train travel on the Money Saving Expert website.