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London Underground Tickets & Travelcards

The Travelcard is a transport pass for London that gives you unlimited travel in London within certain zones . The prices vary according to the number of zones you need to travel through. Central London is in zone 1.

Travelcards are valid for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or 1 year.

The passes are valid for travel on all types of transport in London including:

• the Underground (the tube)
• the local suburban trains within London
• the Elizabeth Line (not west of West Drayton)
• the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
• the London Overground
• the buses all over London. A Travelcard for any zone allows you to use the buses in all zones (zones 1-6)

The 3 Day Travelcard, weekend Travelcard, Zone 1-2 & 2-6 One Day Travelcards are no longer available.

Visiting London for 1-7 days? See our guide to London’s transport tickets & passes . The Travelcard may not be the best ticket for your stay.

Single Underground Tickets

Single paper tickets on the London underground are expensive if you buy them from a tube station ticket machine:

• £6.70 for one journey in zone 1 (central London) and between zone 1 and zones 2 to 6
• See single ticket prices for all zones .

One Day Travelcards: 2024 prices

Using a Pay as you go Oyster card or a contactless card are the cheapest ways to pay for travel if you’re in London for 1-5 days. The daily cap is £8.50 per day for zones 1-2

If you really don’t want to use an Oyster card or don’t have a contactless card, the One Day Travelcard is the next best money-saving pass.

The paper Off peak One Day Travelcard for zone 1-6 is  £15.90. This is expensive, but still cheaper than paying the full cash fare for 3 underground trips in central London (3 x £6.70 = £20.10 ).

One Day Travelcard fares 2024

Peak v anytime travelcards.

One Day Travelcard prices are different if you travel during peak or off-peak times:

Anytime Travelcard Valid for travel at anytime. Off-Peak Travelcard For travel after 9.30am Monday–Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

Top Tip: An Off-Peak One Day Travelcard for zones 1–6 costs  £10.40 with a Railcard .

Weekly Travelcards: 2024 prices

If you stay in London for 6–7 days and use the underground, trains, and buses every day, the weekly Travelcard is the most cost-effective travel pass.

The one-week pass including central London (zones 1-2) is  £42.70.

• It can start on any day of the week
• It’s valid for travel at anytime; there is no peak or off-peak rate.

Most places sell weekly Travelcards loaded onto a plastic Oyster card. There’s a £7 fee for the Oyster card.

Your fare on an Oyster card will automatically cap at the weekly Travelcard fare (this is already available on contactless cards). The cap starts on Monday and ends Sunday, so it mainly benefits Londoners or those working in London.

Weekly Travelcard fares 2024

• See weekly Travelcards prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Monthly Travelcards: 2024 prices

For longer stays in London, monthly Travelcards are available. You won’t save much compared to buying 4 x weekly Travelcards – but you’ll save time renewing it. Like the weekly Travelcard, it can start on any day of the week and is valid for travel at any time. See monthly Travelcard prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Monthly Travelcards 2024

Where to buy travelcards.

One day, weekly and monthly Travelcards are available from:

Underground stations

Travelcards are available from all underground station ticket machines (there are no longer any underground tickets offices). The busier stations in central London have staff to help you use the machines.

Local shops and newsagents

Travelcards are also available from Oyster ticket stops . These are newsagents and local shops licensed to sell London transport tickets and Oyster cards. One Day Travelcards are not available from Oyster ticket stops.

London train stations

One Day Travelcards are available from all London train station ticket offices and ticket macines. Paper weekly and monthly Travelcards are no longer available from train stations . They are available to buy, but they are loaded onto an Oyster card and may only be available from ticket machines, not ticket offices.

London Transport Visitor Centres

TfL Visitor Centres at Victoria train station, Kings Cross/St Pancras International station, Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3 tube staion, Liverpool St station & Piccadilly Circus tube station.

How to use a Travelcard

On the underground.

If you have a paper One Day Travelcard or single ticket from a ticket machine, insert the card into the slot on the front of the ticket barrier. The barrier opens when you take the ticket from behind the yellow reader, on the top.

If you have a paper One Day Travelcard, just show it to the driver when boarding the bus.

See How to use an Oyster card if you have a weekly Travelcard on an Oyster card.

Top Tip: Do you want a cheaper way to travel around central London? If you only travel by bus , it costs £5.25 per day or £24.70 per week.

Related pages

• Guide to London’s transport tickets
• Weekly and monthly Travelcards for zones 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
• Oyster card
• How to use a contactless card to pay for transport
• Bus tickets & passes
• London Transport zones

Last updated: 22 February 2024

Transport tickets & passes

• Guide to London's transport tickets
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• Zone 2–6 weekly Travelcards
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• UK Season tickets

How can I get a Photocard?

Before buying your Season ticket you need to make sure you have a Photocard to use as ID. 

If you don’t have one you can request one from us by filling in the form attached to this article.  Please note we can only issue adult Photocards.

Alternatively pop into your local train station ticket office with a passport-size photo (approx.. 35mm x 45mm) and they’ll make you one.

Where required, your Photocard number must be on your Season ticket. For your Season ticket to be valid, you must show both your Season ticket and Photocard with matching numbers if requested by rail staff. Failure to provide a Photocard with your Season ticket when requested may result in being charged for a day ticket or a penalty fare.

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Weekly season train tickets

Save time and money with a weekly season train ticket, making your journey easier.

Check train times, find out about disruptions and get journey advice.

• Buy tickets
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• Popular stations
• London Waterloo (WAT)
• Southampton Central (SOU)
• Woking (WOK)
• Guildford (GLD)
• Basingstoke (BSK)
• Winchester (WIN)
• Clapham Junction (CLJ)
• Surbiton (SUR)
• Wimbledon (WIM)
• Farnborough (Main) (FNB)
• Bournemouth (BMH)
• Portsmouth Harbour (PMH)
• Open Return

Enter departure station

Enter arrival station, station departures and arrivals, enter station, what’s a weekly season ticket.

A Weekly Season Train Ticket gives you 7 days of unlimited travel between 2 stations (and any stations in between!). You can use your ticket at any time, including in the evenings and at weekends.

This ticket option is perfect if you travel by train frequently between the same 2 stations, and it should work out cheaper than buying daily  Anytime Day Return  train tickets.

Use our  season ticket calculator  to find out how much you could save with a Weekly season ticket, and compare it to other options like Monthly and Monthly Plus season tickets to see which one fits your travel needs best.

Buy or renew your Weekly season ticket now

If you sign up for Tap2Go our pay-as-you-go option on an SWR Touch smartcard and never buy a weekly season ticket again! Tap2Go offers weekly capping when travelling regularly between the same two SWR stations in a Monday – Sunday period and doesn’t require a photocard.

Pay-As-You-Go With Tap2Go

How do I buy or renew a weekly season train pass?

You can buy and renew an adult or child Weekly Season Ticket online, on our SWR app or at a ticket office.

It’s worth noting you’ll need a photocard for your Weekly season train pass so take a recent passport-sized photo of yourself to your local ticket office and they’ll make you a photocard for free. If you’re getting a photocard for your children, you’ll need to bring a passport or birth certificate for proof of age.

Once you have your photocard, you can buy or renew a Standard or  First Class Weekly train pass.

Buying a digital weekly season ticket

We issue most season tickets on smartcard. Order your smartcard online, on our SWR app , or collect at your local station for free. Once you have an SWR Touch smartcard , you can buy a weekly season ticket online or at one of our stations. You can also load a weekly season instantly onto smartcard with our app and a compatible smart device. If you’re collecting your ticket from your chosen station, you’ll need to wait two hours before you can add it onto your smartcard from a reader.

With a smartcard, you can plan ahead with confidence and avoid the queues by buying and renewing your season ticket online or on our app up to 14 days in advance.

Tap2Go and weekly capping

Why not let us help you save money by adding Tap2Go to your smartcard. We’ll work out the best daily fare for your journey, just as if you’d bought your ticket on the day at the ticket office or ticket vending machine. If you travel between the same two stations on the SWR network during a Monday to Sunday period, we’ll automatically cap the amount you pay so that you’ll never pay more than the weekly season ticket price. No commitment, no photocard, just turn up with your Tap2Go Touch Smartcard, tap in and tap out and we’ll do the rest.

Buying paper weekly season tickets

You can also buy paper Weekly Season Tickets from your local ticket office or online. If you buy online, check our  postal delivery options  to make sure it arrives in time and covers the value of the ticket.

If you're buying a new Weekly Season Train Ticket or renewing a season ticket with a break in continuity, this will need to be bought on the date you want it to start. If the start date is on Monday or Tuesday after a public holiday, your season ticket can be issued on the Sunday before from 06:00.

If you're renewing your ticket with no break in continuity on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday after a public holiday, you can renew it on Friday from 12:00. If the start date is on any other day, your ticket can be issued from 12:00 the day before.

Can I apply a railcard to my weekly season ticket?

You can’t use a Railcard with most Weekly Season Tickets as season ticket savings are already applied. However, children (aged 5-15 inclusive) get a 50% discount on Standard and First Class season tickets including London Travelcards. If your child's Weekly Season Ticket starts before their 16th birthday, the 50% off travel will still apply until the ticket expires or up to four months after their 16th birthday, whichever comes first. Once they've turned 16, they can buy a  16-17 Saver  to continue getting 50% off train travel.

Weekly train tickets add-ons

You can buy an weekly season ticket for car parking at our stations from your local ticket office.

Adding PlusBus  weekly ticket to your paper weekly train ticket when you buy online or at a ticket office could save you time and money. You’ll just need to show your season ticket to the driver when you get on participating bus operators’ services. Plus, you’ll get unlimited travel around your origin or destination station, including evenings and weekends.

Check PlusBus to see if it’s available in your local area.

Terms and conditions

The information here is to help you get the most from your Season ticket. It does not affect your statutory rights, or replace, form part of, or modify in any way, the National Rail Conditions of Travel  relating to Season tickets.

• You can use your Season Ticket up to, and including, 04:29 in the morning following its expiry date for any number of journeys between the stations and/or within the zone(s) shown on it at any time of day. It may be used at intermediate stations, as long as the Ticket you hold is valid for the route you wish to use. Details are available where these tickets are sold.
• With First Class Season Tickets you may travel in the First Class or Standard Class areas of the train.
• Standard Class Season Ticket holders may upgrade their Season Ticket to First Class at the ticket office before they board the train (or on the train if there is no open ticket office where you board the train).
• Travelcard Season Tickets allow unlimited travel at any time of day on National Rail, London Underground, DLR and London Trams within the London Fare Zones Area which you have purchased. Travelcard Season Tickets are also valid on most London Bus services throughout the London Bus network. For journeys starting outside the London Fare Zones Area, the Travelcard Season Ticket allows travel by train between the starting station and the London Fares Zones Area boundary, and then unlimited travel within the zones paid for.
• You cannot transfer your Season Ticket to another person. Additional conditions specific to Flexi Season Tickets
• Flexi Season tickets are valid for a 28-Day period and entitle you to 8 days of travelling between the stations specified, within that 28-Day period.
• You must activate a day’s worth of travel in your Flexi Season before you board a train service. If you board a train without activating a day’s worth of travel, you will be treated as not having a valid ticket, unless
• you are specifically permitted to board a train service with an un-activated Flexi Season by an authorised member of staff or notice of the Train Company whose service you intend to board.
• Once activated, your Flexi Season is valid for any number of journeys between the origin and destination stations, including intermediate stations, as long as the Flexi Season you hold is valid for the route you wish to use. It remains valid until 04:29 the day after it is activated.
• Once activated, you cannot deactivate or refund a day’s travel if you decide not to travel.
• You will need to be able to produce a photocard to buy most Season Tickets. These are issued free of charge from staffed ticket offices and you must provide a recent passport-type photograph of yourself. Season Tickets held on a smartcard or other media may not require a Photocard. This will be made clear when you purchase your Season Ticket.
• Where required, your photocard number must be on your Season Ticket. For your Season Ticket to be valid, you must show both your Season Ticket and photocard with matching numbers if requested by any rail staff.
• All children aged between 5 and 15 (inclusive) require a photocard. Proof of age will be required when the Season Ticket is issued.
• A photocard for a child aged under 14 is valid for 2 calendar years from the date of issue. So, for example, a card issued on 22 January 2021, expires on 21 January 2023.
• If the child reaches 16 within 2 ½ years of the photocard being issued, the photocard will be dated to expire on the day before their 16th birthday.
• If you move house, change your place of work or wish to change the class of travel, you may apply to exchange any Season Ticket for one month or longer with at least 7 days remaining, for one with the same expiry date for your new journey or class. This is called a changeover. We do not issue changeovers for 7 Day Season or Flexi Season Tickets.
• A changeover may be applied for at the rail ticket office or retailer where the original ticket was issued or at any station relevant to the new journey. The new journey Season Ticket is a continuous renewal and it must start on the day following surrender of the original ticket. Any additional charge or refund will be based on the ticket prices when the original Season Ticket was bought, pro rata to the periods before and after the changeover.
• No administration charge is made. Any ticket that has already been exchanged in this way may be accepted for further exchanges if necessary.
• If you no longer need your Season Ticket, you can apply for a refund from the retailer you bought it from. You will need to return the Season Ticket to the retailer, except where the retailer can remotely cancel the Season Ticket.
• Any refund is calculated from the date the Season Ticket is returned to the retailer or the date the retailer has cancelled the Season Ticket for further use, and will be the difference between the price you paid and the cost of a ticket or tickets for the period for which you have actually used the ticket up to the date the Season Ticket has been returned or disabled (for Flexi Season Ticket refund calculation – see 4.5).
• There will be an administration charge of no more than £5 Additional conditions specific to Flexi Season Tickets
• You must apply for a refund before the end of the 28-Day validity period.
• A refund is calculated as the difference between the price you paid for the Flexi Season and the cost of the appropriate ticket(s) to travel at peak time, covering one return journey between the origin and destination of the Flexi Season, for each day’s travel you have activated. Where the price is higher between the destination and origin of the Flexi Season for the appropriate ticket(s) to travel at peak time, covering one return journey, this higher price will be used in the refund calculation.
• The refund calculation will be based on the price of the appropriate peak time fare as it was on the start date of your Flexi Season.
• There must be at least seven days remaining on a monthly or longer Season Ticket, or at least three days remaining on a 7-Day Season Ticket to obtain a refund (although on some 7-Day Season Tickets there may be no refund value after three days of use, dependent upon the relevant Anytime Day Return price). Flexi Seasons can only be refunded within their 28-Day validity period, regardless of number of unused days held.
• Refunds are permitted on Duplicate Season Tickets. In these instances, an interview with the original retailer of the Season Ticket/Duplicate Season Ticket may be necessary. Please ask your retailer for more details.
• In cases of illness, the refund can be backdated if you can produce evidence (such as a medical certificate) for a period before you request a refund, provided that you have not started travelling again using your Season Ticket since your illness. Additional conditions specific to Flexi Season Tickets
• If you can provide evidence (such as a medical certificate) that you were not able to apply for a refund before the end of the 28-Day validity period because of illness, your retailer will still consider your refund application.
• Railcard discounts are not available, except for 16-17 Saver and Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card. Child discount is available on Season Tickets. Additional conditions specific to Flexi Season Tickets
• There are no Child or Railcard discounts available on Flexi Season, except for 16-17 Saver and Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card.
• If you are affected by cancellation or disruption to your journey, you may be entitled to compensation under the terms of the Passengers’ Charter of the operator you are travelling with. This could be in the form of a compensation payment (such as “Delay Repay”), or in the form of a discount on your Season Ticket renewal. This will be made clear in the Passenger’s Charter of the operator concerned.
• If you lose your Season Ticket or it is stolen, report this immediately to the retailer from whom you bought it. If you or we cannot recover the lost or stolen ticket, we will then consider an application for a duplicate ticket, if the original was issued for a period of one month or more. We do not issue duplicates in respect of lost or stolen 7 Day Season tickets. issued as a paper season ticket. 7 day Season tickets issued on smartcard maybe replaced.  We may ask you or others for information. There is an administration charge when we issue a duplicate Season Ticket where the original season ticket was issued as a paper ticket. There are no administration fees applied to replacement season tickets where the original season ticket was issued on a smartcard.
• We will refund (with no administration charge) the cost of tickets you buy while you are waiting for the duplicate ticket to be issued, if you hand these tickets in.
• If you lose your photocard or it is stolen, we can issue a new one, for which a further passport-type photograph is required. If we need to reissue your Season Ticket, an administration charge will be made where the original season ticket was issued as a paper ticket. Please refer to National Rail Conditions of Travel; Conditions 39.1-39.4 for further details.
• You must always hold a valid ticket to travel and it must be readable by rail staff and validators.
• If you are unable to show a valid and readable ticket, you will be treated the same as any other customer unable to provide a ticket and in line with the train company’s ticketless travel policy, which may include the issuing of a Penalty Fare.
• If your valid Season Ticket is damaged, illegible or defective, for example it will no longer work in ticket gates, it will be replaced by the retailer from whom it was purchased, provided the retailer which sold it can confirm the ticket is still valid.
• Where your Season Ticket is held on a defective smartcard (e.g. damaged or unreadable smartcard), you must contact the train operator or retailer that issued the smartcard to report your smartcard as damaged.
• If your Season Ticket is held on a mobile device, you are responsible for ensuring that your Season Ticket can be scanned and your device has enough battery for the duration of your journey.
• If you hold a valid Season Ticket but were unable to present it when requested because you had forgotten to carry it on that particular journey or mislaid it, the retailer of your Season Ticket, may at their discretion, refund any fare or Penalty Fare paid, less an administration charge not exceeding £5. In order to claim such a refund, you will need to provide the retailer from whom you bought your Season Ticket with your Season Ticket (and photocard if applicable), together with the additional Tickets you have purchased or any Penalty Fares notices.
• A maximum of two refund claims on tickets purchased when a Season Ticket cannot be presented will be considered in any 12-month period regardless of the number of Season Tickets bought during that time. Additional conditions specific to Flexi Season Tickets
• We will not make any refund on additional tickets purchased when you forgot to carry your Flexi Season ticket.

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Trainline Review: A Legitimate & Reliable Option for Booking Train Tickets?

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If you’re an overwhelmed traveler currently planning some train travel around Europe , odds are you’ve come across Trainline . And, if you’re a natural skeptic like me, you’ve probably also wondered if Trainline is a scam.

Well, in spite of the many angry Trainline reviews online (which make for great reading material, if you’re ever bored), I can confirm that no, Trainline is not a scam. It’s just not always the best option for everyone.

So, if you’re tired of navigating the labyrinth of train schedules, untangling the web of multiple booking platforms, and deciphering cryptic ticket details, read on. I’ve been using Trainline for years, during which time I’ve learned when exactly it’s worth it and when it isn’t.

… The details of which I’ll be spilling in this detailed Trainline review!! I hope you find it helpful, and that it gets you on the right…….. track. 😉

Save this list of Honest Trainline Review for Later!

You’ll be very glad you did.

What is Trainline?

In short: Trainline is a platform designed to simplify the train travel experience, available both through their website and through their dedicated Trainline app.

Serving as a one-stop-shop for booking train (and some bus) tickets, Trainline allows users to plan and manage their journeys through a single app, with a user-friendly interface that enables travelers to compare prices, explore various routes, and secure tickets with ease… instead of trawling through individual operators’ websites.

With coverage across multiple countries, the platform’s features include real-time updates, mobile ticket options, and the ability to seamlessly organize and access bookings in one place. Its main selling point is the way it streamlines the booking process, making it a great choice for travelers who don’t mind paying a little extra (via service fees) for a more convenient experience.

That said, Trainline is NOT a train operator itself. All the trains are run by their respective companies – Trainline just shows you the options and sells/stores your tickets, which often incurs a small service charge. So, keep in mind that you will not be boarding any train that says “Trainline”!

My Quick Trainline Review

Is your preferred mode of entertainment not listening to a blogger rant about train apps? Well sorry, you’re probably on the wrong website for that, but I’ll grant you a short summarized Trainline review anyway, with a more in-depth review of Trainline’s features below.

In sum: Trainline is not a scam. It does what it claims to, and it does it well… when everything goes according to plan. As with all third party apps though, what Trainline can lack is hands-on customer support when things go wrong. This is where 90% of the furious reviews come from, the other 10% being gripes from people who are angry at the train service itself, and don’t understand that Trainline doesn’t actually make the trains go choo choo.

But anyways, I will say: at this point I’ve booked dozens of journeys on Trainline, and not once have I had an issue with my tickets. You get them delivered immediately, and (when available) you can load tickets on your phone in an instant.

The great thing is you can keep tickets from across transport operators in one place, which is ideal if you have a longer trip with lots of journeys booked, and I find their interface much easier to use than many individual operators’ (especially ones in countries where English isn’t the main language). They also have lots of search filters/capabilities that make life a lot easier.

Of course, there’s a price for this convenience: often booking with Trainline incurs a small booking fee, and again, if things go wrong, it sounds like their customer support is pretty awful.

In any case, I do think Trainline is great for preliminary searching, even if you do end up booking directly with the operator itself for ease of mind.

So, to summarize…

Who Trainline is For: Travellers who don’t mind paying a little extra for the convenience of a simple user interface/keeping all your tickets in one place. Most ideal if you’re planning a big trip with lots of journeys across multiple transport operators, with plans that are unlikely to change.

Who Trainline is NOT For: Travellers seeking the lowest price (and don’t mind putting time/effort across booking platforms to get it) OR travelers who prioritize customer service and may need some flexibility in their plans. Booking directly may also be easier if you’re not booking a lot of journeys across various modes of transport.

Looking for a super easy way to search up trains (and buses) across transport operators? Trainline makes searching options a breeze, with lots of great features that streamline the booking process.

The Best Features of Trainline

Why should you book with Trainline over its competitors? Here are some of Trainline’s pros:

One-Stop Destination for Rail (and Bus) Travel

At the time of writing, Trainline sells tickets for over 250 train and bus operators in 45 countries. This means you can quickly search up routes and tickets for all these companies in one place… saving a lot of time and scavenging, especially for countries which have a lot of separate providers.

This perk is of course more useful for some travelers than others. If you’re planning for just a few journeys in one country, you’d probably be fine to book directly with the transport operator, since you know which ones you’ll be using for the whole trip (e.g. Deustche Bahn in Germany).

If however you’re planning to take trains in multiple countries, being able to search and buy all the tickets in one app can save a lot of time and headache, especially when you’re forced to navigate sites in a language you don’t understand.

User-Friendly Interface

One of Trainline’s standout features is its user-friendly interface. Navigating the website or mobile app is an (intuitive) breeze, even for the non-techy among us.

With a few simple clicks or taps, you can quickly search for routes, check train schedules, and book your tickets. The same cannot be said for many transport operators’ individual websites/apps, which can be a true nightmare to navigate depending on who you’re dealing with.

Saved Payment Details and Info

Another great feature of Trainline is once you make an account, you have all your details saved, so you never have to enter them again.

In contrast, booking individually with transport operators will mean needing to enter your name, details, and payment information every time… or (in some awful cases) forcibly making an account for a company you plan to use for just one trip.

So, it can save a lot of time to have everything saved and ready to go… but really, this perk is only noteworthy if you’re planning to book a lot of tickets.

Clear Search Features

Trainline’s search platform is great at showing you everything you need to know at a glance – from departure times and prices to the number of connections and whether mobile/bicycle tickets are available.

In some cases, they even show you possible discounts like ‘Split Ticket’ deals in the UK, which is great. I do wish it had better search filters/sorting capabilities, as right now the only option is to sort based on departure time, but I don’t find that’s too much of a dealbreaker.

On the plus side, on the day of your journey, you can also access information like live tracking and platform details/updates. I’ve even had it before that a train was cancelled, and in the email alerting me to this fact, Trainline also included an easy button to request a refund, making the whole thing fairly seamless.

Price Transparency

While it does charge a booking fee in many cases, I personally think Trainline is fairly transparent about their fees.

When you search for tickets, the platform provides a clear breakdown of costs, including booking fees so it never feels like they’re trying to pull a fast one on you. Sure, it’s cheaper to book direct, but I see the fee as a fair price for the ease it brings.

(Mobile) Tickets in One Place

I’m a huge believer in booking ahead and using mobile tickets vs paper ones whenever possible, and Trainline makes doing this super easy. In contrast to having all your tickets spread across various apps/emails, you can keep all your tickets in one app, which is super helpful for organization purposes. You can even export tickets directly to your Apple Wallet, if you prefer to keep tickets in there.

And, even in cases where mobile tickets aren’t available, Trainline still stores all the information you need to print an in-person ticket once the time comes, so the information remains in one place… and continues to do so even after the journeys have finished. Since I travel a lot for work, I love how Trainline keeps all your previous bookings easily accessible, and you can get an Expense Receipt with a single tap.

Railcards Available in-App

Lastly, one of the best functions of Trainline in the UK is it keeps your Railcard in the app as well, so if you have one (which you should, because it can save you a lot of money), when you show your ticket to controllers, there’s also a button on the screen to show your Railcard easily, so you don’t need to awkwardly dig around for it in your other apps.

Alerts and Push Notifications

In many cases, Trainline also keeps you in the loop with real-time alerts and notifications once your trip is coming up or underway. You’ll receive updates on your journey, including platform changes and delays.

These features are a lifesaver, especially when you’re navigating busy train stations or unfamiliar routes.

Cons of Booking with Trainline

Okay, I have to admit, it’s not perfect… so why should you avoid Trainline? What are some of the downsides of using Trainline to book travel? Here are some of the main cons:

Booking Fees

While Trainline is transparent about its pricing, it’s essential to note that booking fees may apply.

Honestly speaking, a direct booking will almost always be cheaper, so if you’re cost-conscious, it’s worth booking direct to secure a better deal.

Limited Coverage in Some Regions

While Trainline offers a vast network that includes 40+ countries, there may be gaps in coverage in some regions since they don’t have partnerships with every possible transport operator.

Lack of Customer Support if Things Go Wrong

Google ‘Trainline reviews’ and most of the negative ones hone in on one thing: customer service… or lackthereof.

Reviews online tend to skew negative, since angry people are more likely to leave a review than people who had an uneventful and normal trip as planned.

That said, I did notice that some negative reviews mentioned being issued incorrect tickets through the app which were then not valid for the journey they wanted. I’ve personally not had this happen to me, and part of me wonders if some user error was involved, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

Based on reviews, it also sounds like they outsource a lot of their customer support.

Refund Policy

When it comes to people who aggressively believe Trainline is a scam, most of the bad reviews center around their inability to get a refund.

And yes – getting refunds via Trainline can often be a messy and annoying process, with the admin fee sometimes wiping out your refund entirely.

BUT its important to note that Trainline is bound to the refund policies of their operators, so many of the reviews complaining about a lack of refund (or high admin fees for refunds) are actually just mad at the operator/service in general, and not Trainline specifically.

To my knowledge, Trainline doesn’t charge more for refunds than transport operators would (at least in the UK where most of my experience has been with them) but if you have had an experience that proves they do, please let me know in the comments!

Where booking direct might help you with customer service though is when you require in-person assistance. I’ve found that most rail operators and their employees dislike Trainline (since they would of course prefer you book directly with them). And since train station employees are usually trained to deal with tickets/emails/etc. from the operators themselves rather than Trainline, they might not try very hard to understand your issue if you present them with an app/interface that’s different to what they’re used to.

“Oh, I can’t help – that’s through Trainline” is something you might expect to hear if a staff member isn’t feeling particularly helpful, whereas (based on reviews at least) it sounds like they might be more amenable to your cause if you’ve booked directly.

In any case, there are alternatives to Trainline worth considering, and I’ll discuss them now!

Trainline Alternatives

Alright! Before I wrap up this Trainline review, I want to address some alternatives to Trainline depending on your priorities. Of course, Trainline is often a great choice, but it’s not ideal in every circumstance, so here are some other options:

Direct Booking with Transport Operators

If you want the best price and customer service, book with the train/bus operator directly.

This means going to the website of the company running your desired transport (e.g. South Western Railway) and buying your ticket from their website.

I would recommend doing this especially if you’re not booking too many tickets, or you’re booking with the same operator throughout your trip (as is common when taking trains in Germany , for instance).

A key benefit of Trainline is it allows you to keep all your tickets (across operators) in one place, so if you don’t plan to travel with many operators, this perk is lost on you, and is therefore not worth the extra service fee/potential customer service hassle.

If you need to compare flights or ferries in addition to trains and buses, then the app you need is Omio.

Its perks (and negatives) are very similar to Trainline – easy interface, great search functions, and ideal for browsing options at a glance… with the bonus that it includes additional modes of transport.

Honestly, for me, whether I go for Omio or Trainline depends on the destination. I find Trainline is better in countries like the UK for instance where I can keep my RailCard in their app, and they have unique features like finding split tickets (a quirk of the UK train system that can help you save money). I generally use Omio for most other Europe travel if I have a lot of cross-border trips, since I often mix and match modes of transport.

It’s worth noting that Omio also operates outside of Europe – specifically the US and Canada.

Need more guidance? I go more into detail in this Trainline vs. Omio blog post.

RailEurope is a European train travel institution that has been for almost 100 years (since 1930).

Despite their age and wisdom, I far prefer Trainline’s user interface and search functions. There’s not much that RailEurope offers that Trainline doesn’t, and both take fees so I think Trainline is the better choice.

Unique perks of RailEurope include a carbon calculator that tells you how much carbon you save by taking your mode of transport and they also include rail passes in their search. These perks aren’t really that game-changing for me though – you’re usually better off buying rail passes direct to save on fees, and while it’s nice to know how much carbon you’ve saved, it’s not a big enough feature that would convince me to switch.

Of course, if any RailEurope fans are reading this, I’d love to know more about why you think it’s a better alternative.

Conclusion: Trainline is Great for Searching & Booking with Ease, but You Do Pay for It

Overall, I think Trainline is a great platform for searching trains and buses in a simple way. It can save a LOT of time especially in the research phase of your trip, and as a frequent traveller, I like the convenience of storing all my tickets in one place.

While there are a lot of negative Trainline reviews floating out there, my personal experience with them over the years has always been positive, and I think many reviews are angry more at the train operators/strikes themselves rather than Trainline, but hey – I’l leave the final call up to you!

All that said, if your main goal is to get the cheapest ticket possible, and it’s important to you that you have quick customer service in case things go wrong, then I’d recommend booking your final ticket directly through the transport operator itself… and maybe using Trainline’s search capabilities to do your research beforehand.

I Hope You Enjoyed this Trainline Review!

Feel free to share your experiences with Trainline below to get a discussion going. Safe and happy travels!

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🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

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✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

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Weekly Season Tickets

If you’re travelling four or more days a week between the same two stations then why not opt for a Weekly Season train ticket? It’s designed to help you save money and time, compared to buying five Daily tickets; and you’ll get to avoid queuing at the station.

Key benefits of a weekly train ticket

There’s no need to queue every day, since you’ll have purchased your ticket in advance

You can add a London Zones Travelcard to your Season ticket for both paper tickets and on Smartcards. Yes you can tap in/out on oyster readers with Smartcards.

Get 5 days for the price of 4

How to travel

Load up daily tickets on your c2c smartcard and get automatic delay repays and access to your railcard discounts., paper tickets, pay for your tickets at a pink c2c ticket vending machine or in you ticket office., popular tickets, standard → 40 mins, london fenchurch street, weekly tickets from, southend central, standard ticket → 55mins.

• What benefits do I get from a Season ticket? If you’re making the same journey regularly, you are likely to save both money and time by buying a Season ticket , compared with buying daily tickets. You can use a season ticket calculator to work out the savings. There’s a Season ticket for every kind of traveller, with Weekly , Monthly , Flexi-Season and Annual to choose from. If you buy an Annual Season ticket, you’ll get even more benefits from the  Annual Gold Card that you’ll receive, including rail travel discounts for your friends and family. You'll also get four-free off-peak c2c train tickets to use yourself or share with friends and family. You can find out more on our Annual Season ticket page . By purchasing your Season ticket on a c2c Smartcard, you’ll also be entitled to  Automatic Delay Repay  and have the chance to opt-in to our  Loyalty Scheme – racking up loyalty points each time you buy a ticket.  
• I haven’t had to use my Season ticket for a while; can I get a refund for the time I didn’t need it? You are unable to claim for an intermediate period of non-use for your season ticket and we are unale to extend the end date of a Season ticket. We may allow, for example, in cases of illness, the refund to be backdated if you produce suitable documentary evidence for a period before you hand in your ticket, provided that you have not started travelling again using your Season ticket since your illness. Your rights and responsibilites around refunds are detailed in the National Rail Conditions of Travel  
• I no longer need my Weekly or Monthly Season ticket; will I receive a refund? If you stop travelling and no longer need your Season Ticket , you can hand it to the ticket office where you bought it. Any refund is calculated from the date the Season Ticket was handed in and will be the difference between the price you paid and the cost of a ticket or tickets for the period for which you have actually used the ticket. An administration charge (see admin charges below) will also be deducted from the refund amount. There must be at least seven days remaining on a Monthly Season Ticket to obtain a refund. If you have any queries please contact our Customer Relations Team. For more information about ticketing please see here  

Compare season tickets

Compare tickets, select a ticket from the list to navigate the table below., download the c2c train travel app now.

Start using the c2c app for easy travel updates and quicker ticket purchases.

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Note that there can be multiple Railcards selected, and a number value (Number of Passengers with Selected Railcard) must be sent for each one selected. The way it works is all selected "Railcards" are sent as a comma-delimited list in the rc field, and all the "Number of Passengers with Selected Railcard" are sent as a comma-delimited list in the rcc field which matches the order of the Railcards in the rc field. So if there are two "16-25 Railcards" and one "HM Forces Railcard" it will be sent as:

Also note that WebTIS doesn't handle Railcards very well, so this might not work well anyway. :(