What is the cheapest time to travel by train in the UK?

The cheapest time to travel by train is usually when demand is lowest, which tends to be on weekdays during the middle of the day and at night and, on weekends, early morning. That said, it varies by route.

With most people busy at work or in school, 10:00 to 15:00 tends to be the cheapest time to travel by train on weekdays. You'll get similarly cheap fares after 20:00 between Monday and Thursday when most people are back home for the day.

Weekends, starting from Friday evening, are different. While there are far fewer people commuting to work on Saturdays and Sundays, trains get busy with leisure travellers. Generally, early morning trains before 9:00 are cheapest on weekends.

Demand, time of day and ticket type are what determine train ticket prices in the UK. Here's how:

Demand

For many operators, pricing is dynamic. This means rates change depending on how many tickets have been sold on a particular day or service. There are pricing tiers, too, with only a fixed number of tickets available per tier. When these sell out, the price jumps to the next available level, much like airfares.

Time of day

There are Peak and Off-Peak times in many parts of the UK. By default, fares are usually higher during Peak times, which coincide with the weekday rush hours. Aside from these official times, you'll generally find less busy times of day - such as the mid-morning and mid-afternoon lull or late evening - are cheaper, as there's less demand.

Ticket type

In the UK, you'll usually find three different types of fares, each with its own levels of flexibility. The more flexible the ticket conditions, the more expensive the prices. Here's a summary:

• Advance: Most restrictive, but cheapest, ticket type. It's non-refundable, and you can only travel on the specific departure time you booked. Changes are allowed for a fee. This ticket must be booked in advance (hence the name).
• Anytime: Least restrictive, but most expensive. As the name suggests, you can travel anytime on any departure within a defined period (usually 2 days for singles and a month for returns). It can be booked anytime and cancelled, with a full refund if you can no longer travel.
• Off-Peak: The same as Anytime with the same level of flexibility, but you can only travel on Off-Peak services.

Peak and Off-Peak train times are defined periods on weekdays where higher and lower fares apply, with Off-Peak being the cheaper time. Peak coincides with the morning and evening rush hours, while Off-Peak applies to any time outside of this period, including on weekends and bank holidays.

The exact times vary by route, operator and region. Generally speaking, Peak time is weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 and 16:30 and 19:30, although the evening Peak time only applies in larger cities.

Some regions, such as Scotland, have phased out Peak and Off-Peak times, with the same fares applying throughout the day.

Generally speaking, Off-Peak times are cheaper than Peak times. 

Just be sure not to confuse Off-Peak times with Off-Peak tickets. As a reminder, this is a flexible type of fare which allows you to travel on any service during Off-Peak times. If Advance tickets are available for your route, those are often cheaper than an Off-Peak ticket as they're more restrictive.

Remember, too, that some parts of the UK have phased out Peak and Off-Peak pricing models and no longer distinguish between times of day.

You can find the cheapest train times with a bit of flexibility and some comparison before you book. Here are the best ways to pay less:

• Try a slightly later train: A departure just after 9:30 can cost a lot less than one a few minutes before it, so always check the prices either side of your ideal time.
• Avoid commuter hours: 6:30 to 9:30 and 16:30 to 19:00 are generally more expensive as Peak fares apply in many parts of the country.
• Travel at quieter times: Weekday trains between 10 am and 3 pm, or after 7:30 pm, are usually the quietest - and therefore cheapest - times of day.
• Compare a few different departures: Prices for Advance fares are different from train to train as they fluctuate with demand, so the 14:15 might cost more than the 14:45 on the same route. Be sure to compare different departures.
• Book as early as you can: The cheapest time to buy train tickets is usually when Advance fares go on sale, which is around 12 weeks before departure.
• Check a few dates: Fares are different from one day to the next, so it's worth having a look at the days before and after your preferred date.
• Get a Railcard if you're eligible: A Railcard takes a third off most fares, and you can use it with Advance tickets too.