cheap rail travel for students

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On the go, or in advance – Trainline means everyday savings of 35%*

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Student train tickets to London

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We know life as a student can be a little tough on the purse strings. For those living away from home at university, or commuting into college, travel is both a necessity and a big expense. Whilst there’s no such thing as an official student train ticket, there are plenty of ways to save money on train travel.  

Our guide to student train travel will show you money-saving tips including when to travel, when to book and how to make the most of student discounts. Read on to find out more and book your student train tickets.

Save 1/3 off train travel with a digital Railcard

Planning to travel by train around the UK? A Railcard is a great way to save money on train tickets as a student, and you can now buy 16-17 Saver, 16-25 and 26-30 Railcards directly from Trainline in just a few clicks.

16-17 Saver

For ages 16-17 Passengers get 50% discount on most tickets, including Season tickets

Great for: School and college students

Digital only Railcards live in your account in the Trainline app so you can use them on any of your compatible devices . No download codes are needed!

16-25 Railcard

For ages 16-25 Get 1/3 off train travel across Great Britain. Minimum fare applies

Great for: Teenagers, students, graduates, and young professionals

1- or 3-year validity available Save £20 with a 3-year Railcard

Renew in minutes Sign into your Trainline app and you'll renew your 16-25 Railcard in no time!

26-30 Railcard

For ages 26-30 Get 1/3 off train travel across Great Britain. Minimum fare applies

Great for: Millennials, graduates, and young professionals

Renew in minutes Sign into your Trainline app and you'll renew your 26-30 Railcard in no time!

How to find cheap train tickets for students in the UK

There are a few different ways for students to save some extra pennies on train travel. On the go, or in advance – Trainline means everyday savings of 35%*. We’ve put together our top tips for buying cheap train tickets below.

Split your train tickets with SplitSave

You may have already heard about split ticketing, or even tried it yourself! In essence, split ticketing involves buying separate tickets for two legs of your journey rather than one ticket for the entire journey - taking advantage of off-peak windows to save money. Our app will now do that for you automatically , courtesy of our clever SplitSave feature.

Using SplitSave is super-simple. Just download our app , search for your journey and if there are split tickets available, we'll show you the savings in the results page. Don't worry - it's completely legal and you won't have to change trains for the second 'leg' of your journey.

Learn more about how it works here .

Get a Railcard

One of the simplest ways for students to save money on train travel is with a Railcard . Save up to 1/3 on your train tickets for a whole year for just £30 – trust us when we say this Railcard pays for itself in no time! The most popular option for students is the 16-25 Railcard , often referred to as the Young Persons Railcard. You can also now pick up the new 16-17 Saver if you're a younger student – for a whopping 50% discount on train services. If you haven’t already, get yourself one of these to save money on those journeys to university, college, work or home.

Book in advance

Train companies in the UK release Advance tickets for a journey 12 weeks before the departure date – usually at a much cheaper price than booking on the day. Snapping up one of these Advance tickets is a great way to save money (and be organised)! It’s also more likely you’ll be able to reserve a seat, perfect for long train journeys home or away during the holidays.

Find more details about Advance train tickets or sign up to our handy Ticket Alert service – let us know the date and route you’d like to book and we’ll ping you an email when Advance tickets go on sale.

Travel as a group

If you’re heading somewhere with friends (three to nine friends to be exact), you may be able to buy a GroupSave train ticket to save up to 34% on your UK train travel. It’s completely free to apply a GroupSave discount on eligible journeys when booking with us, all you have to do is hit ‘Add Railcard’ and pick GroupSave when booking train tickets as a group.

To find out more about how GroupSave works and the train companies that offer this discount, visit our dedicated GroupSave train tickets page.

Travel Off-Peak

In the UK, train tickets are generally cheaper outside of Peak hours (Monday to Friday rush hours), travelling during Off-Peak train times or even Super Off-peak times (between 10:00 and 15:30 and from 19:15 onwards Monday to Friday) is an easy way to cut the cost of train tickets.

When searching for train times in our Journey Planner , we’ll mark each route as either Peak, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak.

Heading to the capital for the weekend? Or maybe you’re at university or college in London? Travelling into London by train can be pricey at times, luckily there are a few extra ways for student to save money on tickets.

If you have a 16-25 Railcard, you can also apply the 1/3 off savings to Off-Peak Day Travelcards (subject to a minimum fare of £8.60) and Anytime Day Travelcards when brought as part of a train ticket to London from outside zones 1-6 (subject to a minimum fare of £18.60).

Even better, your 16-25 Railcard discount can also be applied to Oyster cards, they just need to be linked up.

Find out more about travelling to London by train on our dedicated trains to London page.

Save money on your Railcard with Student Beans

Popular student destinations.

We've listed some of the most popular destinations in the UK students like to visit by train. You can also discover top destinations, travel tips, money-saving ideas and much more in our summer train travel guide.

Trains to Manchester

Trains to birmingham, trains to liverpool, trains to leeds, trains to newcastle, trains to edinburgh, trains to nottingham, trains to glasgow, trains to cardiff, how to find cheap student train tickets in europe .

Whether you’re planning a trip during the summer holidays or taking part in a study abroad program, it’s also possible to find cheaper student prices on  train travel in Europe .

Depending on the country you're visiting, student and youth discounts can vary between different train companies, types of train and when you chose to travel.  

We’ve put together a guide to finding  cheap European train tickets – so why not head there to find out more and start saving on your train travel in Europe.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Do students get discounted train tickets.

Two train companies offer discounted train tickets for students with TOTUM cards (formerly NUS Extra): CrossCountry (10%) and Grand Central (25%). However, several train companies offer discounted Season tickets for students in full-time education to travel to and from their educational institute, including Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern, and SWR.

You can also get 1/3 off the price of rail travel with a 16-25 Railcard - also known as the 'Student Railcard'. And if you're slightly too old for the 16-25, you can get a 26-30 Railcard for the same price of £30 for a year of discounted travel.

Does Trainline offer a student discount?

We don't offer a student discount at present but keep your eyes peeled on our Deals & Discounts hub for the latest deals on train tickets, rail passes, and more.

How do I find cheap train tickets?

The cheapest train tickets usually come on sale around 12 weeks ahead of the date of travel. Start your search early and you may well be able to find these cheap Advance tickets. You should also look to travel outside of busy periods (such as morning commuting hours), as this is when Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak fares are usually available. And using a Railcard will almost always pay itself off after a few journeys, so make sure you renew yours when it expires!

Can I split my train tickets?

Splitting train tickets takes advantage of peak and off-peak windows to reduce the price of the overall journey! Our app will split our tickets automatically, taking the hassle out of manually searching for split ticket discounts. Find out more about SplitSave .

*Average savings made by UK customers from Advance fares, SplitSave and/or Railcard discounts, where available v. equivalent flexible fare without a Railcard or SplitSave. Subject to availability and eligibility. See Trainline T&Cs for further info.

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Amtrak Is Offering 15% Off Tickets to Students Nationwide Through the End of the Year

If you're a student, plan on trimming 15% off your train tickets..

Traveling by train might not always be top of mind when you're looking to put together a trip. Amtrak is looking to change that for students. 

The company has announced a new ongoing discount for students aged 17-24. Students will be able to take 15% off tickets through December 30 of this year for trips taken from May 19 to December 31, 2021. Unlike some other sales the train service puts out from time to time that can be limited to particular routes, this discount is available throughout the national network.

That means vaccinated students can make summer travel plans or even take advantage of the offer later in the year for an easy way to head home for the holidays. (It's easy over short distances and for a longer trip, maybe you've had enough togetherness over the last year and would welcome taking the scenic route to Thanksgiving .)

Amtrak is keeping a number of its safety precautions in place for the time being. You can see the percentage of seats that have been sold on any given train at the time of booking, and there's no fee to change your ticket if that capacity reaches a level that you're not comfortable with. Additionally, passengers are still required to wear masks on the train and in the train station "regardless of vaccination status or state or local laws."

You can nab the discount at Amtrak's student discount page or by entering the code "V814" on the Amtrak app. If you're young but not a student, it's worth noting that the fine print says that a valid student ID has to be presented upon request. 

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Half price* with a 16-25 Railcard

A student train ticket is a ticket exclusively for students travelling with a 16-25 Railcard . Whether you’re heading off to uni or exploring all the great cities nearby once you’re there, you can bag yourself a bargain rail fare with our student discount offer. If you’re under 26 years old or a full-time mature student, with a 16-25 Railcard you can enjoy 1/3 off a host of different train tickets. And with TransPennine Express you can even enjoy half price Standard Advance Purchase train tickets when you book direct with us.   This offer is available exclusively via the orange ‘Buy Tickets’ button below or through the TPExpress App with code TPESTUDENT.

Buy tickets

How to claim your student Railcard discount

Download the TPExpress app  and claim your 50% off with promo code TPESTUDENT when you add a 16-25 Railcard. Once you’ve got the app, you can download your ticket straight to your phone, save time queuing at the station and treat yourself to some extra time in bed!

Save money with our student train tickets

If you buy in advance rather than on the day at the station, you can enjoy an even bigger student train discount. By booking direct with us and taking advantage of our student train pass offer, you’ll save a whopping 50%. Tickets can often be booked up to 12 weeks in advance, and because travelling at certain times of the day can be more expensive than others, the more flexible you can be on the time and days you travel, the more money you're likely to save. Take a look at how far ahead you can book Advance train tickets . Find out more about how to get cheap train tickets  with TransPennine Express.

• The additional discount from 34% to 50% is only available on tickets for TransPennine Express services
• Only available when purchased using the orange 'Buy Tickets' button on this webpage (www.tpexpress.co.uk/special-offers/student-train-tickets) or via the TPExpress app with promo code TPESTUDENT
• The additional discount applies to TransPennine Express Standard Advance Purchase tickets only and Standard Airport Advance tickets to and from Manchester Airport
• Advance Purchase tickets bought via other parts of the website www.tpexpress.co.uk or other sales channels will not be subject to the 50% discount
• Tickets must be purchased in advance of travel, and are subject to availability, so book early to get the best possible fares
• Advance Purchase tickets are available on the majority of TransPennine Express journeys. They are available up to 10 minutes before departure, subject to availability
• Customers must select a 16-25 Railcard in order to obtain the discount, and must present the Railcard when travelling
• Refunds on Advance tickets back to your original method of payment are possible if you were unable to travel due to delays or the cancellation of your train.
• An administration charge may be levied if a change is made to your journey
• Remember to check for any planned engineering work  and exclusions  before you book

A 16-25 Railcard is just £30 for 1 year or £70 for 3 years. Whether you choose 1 or 3 years, you’ll enjoy 1/3 off train travel, and up to 50% if you book your Standard Advance Purchase train tickets directly with us online or via the TPExpress app.

A 16-25 Railcard offers 1/3 off the price of train travel. But you can also enjoy half price train tickets when you book direct with TransPennine Express (instead of the standard 1/3 Railcard saving). The additional discount only applies to TransPennine Express Standard Advance Purchase tickets and Standard Airport Advance tickets to and from Manchester Airport

You can only get a 16-25 railcard if you’re between 16 and 25 years old or a full-time mature student. In order to be eligible for a 16-25 Railcard, mature students must attend a recognised university or college for a minimum of 20 weeks per year for 15 hours a week. An NUS card or college/university photocard is also required.

A 16-25 Railcard can be used at any time for Peak and Off-Peak travel. A minimum fare of £12 is payable for any journeys made between 04:30 and 10:00 Monday to Friday. There isn't a minimum fare if you travel at weekends, on Public Holidays, or during July and August.

Once you have your 16-25 Railcard, you can buy tickets from the ticket office at the station to save 1/3 off the usual price. However, if you buy Standard Advance Purchase train tickets directly with us online or via the TPExpress App, you can save up to 50%.

With a 16-25 Railcard you can get cheap train tickets for Standard Anytime and Off-Peak fares. You can also buy Standard Advance and First Class Advance tickets if you book before you travel. You can save money on: - Standard Anytime and Anytime Day Singles and Returns - Standard Off-Peak and Off-Peak Day Singles and Returns - Standard Super Off-Peak and Off-Peak Day Singles and Returns - Standard and First Class Advance (if you book in advance) If you’re travelling further afield from our network, you can also save on Oyster Cards and London Travelcards, as well as a range of other train and travel tickets. You can’t however use a 16-25 Railcard to purchase season tickets .

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