While some commuters like to read a book or admire the scenery on the train journey to 9 to 5, others are glued to their phones or laptops, hard at work.
But if you’re traveling for hours, you might find your device running out of battery and needing a charge — which is a big problem if your ticket is on your phone, or you don’t know where you’re going. for.
These days, most trains come with plug sockets, so as long as you have a charger, you’ll be sorted.
However, according to train travel experts, it would be a big mistake not to bring a fully charged power bank for your trip as well.
Mark Smith, the man behind the popular Seat 61 travel site, explains to Metro.co.uk why this is important – and what to do if there’s a plug socket in your seat, but it’s not working.
Mark, who previously worked for British Rail and the Department for Transport, said: “The newest trains have power sockets, but some of the older ones like the local trains on my local line don’t, so a power bank is key because our phones. now tickets, cameras, camcorders, notebooks and even telephones.’
So what to do if the all-important plug socket doesn’t work?
Mark continued: ‘It’s worth asking the staff as sometimes it’s just tripped out and can reset.’
Another expert top tip for train travel is to try and book ahead for intercity rail tickets to get the best deals, but claims that you don’t want to book too far ahead. One or two months, or even a few weeks out should be enough.
He added: ‘It is often best to book directly with the relevant operator as there are no booking fees added and sometimes there are additional features such as seat selection from the seat map.’
This is after we share some top tips to save money on train tickets, including the little-known GroupSave hack.
Many people are unaware of this trick, which allows groups of between three and nine people to get a third of the top price.
Ticket machines may not show this, so it’s best to order at the ticket office or online. When you don’t need a railcard, one passenger needs to book all the tickets – just ask GroupSave.
On Trainline, four separate off-peak returns from Cardiff to Bristol will set you back £128.80, but with the GroupSave option, the total falls to just £84.80, representing a decent $44 saving.
If you are traveling in a group of more than 10, contact the Train company directly to see if you are eligible for a discount.
How to save money on train travel
Metro.co.uk spoke to the pros at Trainline to find out the insider secrets to booking tickets.
A spokesperson for Trainline said: ‘Don’t make a mistake you regret when buying a ticket: Book early for the lowest prices, as new Which? The survey found that ticket machines at stations can charge more than twice the price of online tickets.
‘Look at getting a railcard – they save one-third and can pay for themselves in just one trip away. And decide whether your priority should be maximum flexibility or minimum price, because you can save a significant amount if you can do one particular train.’
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Get in touch via email at MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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