Gold Card Trick - Save One Third on Rail Fares

Hi Geoff,

It's almost time for me to renew my Gold Card (all thanks to you!).

What are the cheapest journeys at the moment?

Could there be anything more complex on this earth than British rail ticketing ?

And I thought buying Canadian rail tickets was needlessly complex and confusing because the companies are crown corporations!

I am a rare user of Newhaven Harbour train station... I have never seen anybody commute between the harbour and town stops. I certainly wouldn't pay £168 what a ripoff. Just walk it.

"Huh, you personally, lived in Richmond when you had to reach Euston by bus, because you're a Millennial, soup?! Calvin Harris finally made it out of that Joker's deleted scene, Albert?! But, indeed, when Spider-Man lost his gate friendly appeal for stickin' bad habits?! North Carolina looks exactly like Whales." 🗨🙄🎭🚉🏛🦍

I am struggling with where the savings are on this one because if you are single and childfree this doesn't seem like a good deal. I bought a Railcard for £30 (on the advice of a more savvy friend) and that gives a third off ticket prices on off peak travel, and you can get a zone one to six pass included. So a day in London from Eastbouring costs £16.75. I think you can also take an adult friend. Either ai have misunderstood this or....

Ah, they've just explained it. This minimum fare on the railcard (£13) is a bit of a pain but you really have to be doing a lot of (off peak) travelling to cough up £160 plus. 9.30 am is good but not enough if you have early appointments (then you have to cough up da cash) and what about coming back times? But this is interesting.

And I do really enjoy Geoff's videos.

How is this better than a network rail card? Just out of interest? I get 1/3 off off-peak fares.

If you have a Gold Card season you can buy railcards for £10 instead of £30

To claim that you’re buying a one-stop gold card to use it legitimately, then knowingly using it to gain a pecuniary advantage is as clear a breach of s2 Fraud Act 2006 as can be imagined.

I’m epileptic and from the first seizure parked my licence at the DVLA and tbh there is a postcode lottery (I am desperate to work full time....the trains are very much lacking in rural areas but best and the buses never get me to work. I’d be happy to only have the 1/3’d off for employment issues. X

I stringently avoid all pubic transport, I haven't been on a train for 7 years, I haven't been on a bus since 1989.

Don't the British railway stations and trains, rolling stock all look incredibly old etc.

I think you ought to shoot some footage e.g. in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, etc. @Geoff Marshall

Good luck with the channel, at least you have a passion for it. I live on the borders of South Wales, Monmouthshire, Herefordshire. I drive everywhere I go, I really do not care for pubic transport, not at all. Just a personal choice in the matter.

Interesting. The website says you also get "Discounts on journeys to the Isle of Wight using Wightlink, Red Funnel and HoverTravel (when purchased as part of through journey including National Rail)." If I have to take the Isle of Wight ferry/hovercraft frequently, is it therefore cheaper for me to get an annual season card between Exeter St David and Exeter Central so that I get a gold card? Does anyone know how much the ferry discounts are?

My farts smell like bleach

When i worked in a ticket office we used to be able to issue gold card partner cards for £1, each gold card holder could have one issued and they didn't have the same minimum fare restrictions as the network card, seems like they have done away with that now.

geoff your guest is superb. sign him up.

why isn't this why isn't the gold card thing nationwide why is it only the south east?

Will this work for TFL buses, and are the benefits the same for the 26-30 rail card?

Unless you are likely to spend £390 a year on trains, it isn't worth getting

My Gold Card gives me free travel on he entire Chiltern network at weekends. A real bonus

Alex looks old enough for a senior rail card costing only £30.

There was a permit to travel at Northolt park

Geoff, I renewed my Gold Card last October. Will I be able to claim any kind of refund when this C-19 business is over?

I will get a gold card between Tamworth and Birmingham New Street. I also used to have a Disabled Persons Railcard.

Why not just bum....... oops wrong comment section.

Anyone know what the cheapest Goldcard is as of Oct 2020? Can’t find any updates online.

Local ticket office thinks it’s Hatton-Lapworth (£172), but can’t confirm.

TIA!

What do we do now ?? Lol.
We got stuck at Banbury, 4hrs on a Sunday. Midland Rail Rover ticket . We were attempting to get to Reading (not on Midland rover) surprisingly the Guard kicked us off at Banbury. I knew we should have gone to Derby that day . Memories of a teenage trainspotter.
😂👍

At one time the cheapest way to get a cup of coffee in Edinburgh was to buy a first class single from Waverley to Haymarket and then hit the first class lounge at Waverley. The fare has now been withdrawn ...

Hatton isn't in the middle of nowhere (I'm biased though, it's my local station)

Try kings langley to watford Jon

My personal technique for saving money was to survive to the age of 60 and buy a Senior railcard. I can even use it to commute for my 2 days/week job (in West Yorkshire, I think the rules are different in the South East).

But I wonder why the UK doesn’t follow the lead of Germany or Switzerland, where anyone can buy a railcard to save money on their travel, if they use the trains frequently. In Switzerland, there is even an all-lines season ticket which is worthwhile if you travel a lot.

Almost worth mentioning that the Gold Card gives you 1/3 discount on the Wightlink Fastcat service from Portsmouth Harbour - Ryde Pier Head, as long as there is a rail journey included.
So you can buy a ticket from London Waterloo - Shanklin (for example), and the discount is applied to the ferry as well.
OR buy from Portsmouth Harbour - Ryde Pier Head (great if it's raining) and you'll also get the discount.
Gold Cards allow you to travel with 3 others on the boat with the same discount :)

Can you still do this?

the gold card rates as of october 2022 are
Lichfield TV to Lichfield City £192.00
Hatton to Lapworth £184.00

If I only take the Tubes between Zone 1 to 6, can I get a discount with the gold card mentioned?

If they get a gold card form a 1 day service station only another 1 day service station only
That might be cheap

Hi Geoff, I’ve lived alone in Manchester 21 years at age 53 and I use SailRail to travel home to family in Rural Ireland via Holyhead/Dublin on Irish Ferries - is there any tips and tricks/advice that you know of? In 2021, I also had a later in life diagnosis of Autism and I’ve been hearing about a disabled person’s railcard, so I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on this - a big bugbear for me is Manchester Piccadilly platform 14, coming from Metrolink Trams from Shudehill - the trains to Holyhead don’t even call at Deansgate/Castlefield as an easier connection from Metrolink and especially since many trains require a change at either Crewe, Chester or Lladnuo in Wales (so very few direct trains from Manchester to Holyhead) - Manchester Victoria is usually better for me, even though it still involves changing at Chester and different train operators, larger trains and more luggage space - I’ve used TfW before but thier trains are tiny and very busy compared to Avanti and Northern, which are far more comfortable

Apart from railcard, my bbf told me with code RT777C, there is a 5% off on each ticket..😮😮😮

cooool! i used to book tickets on trainpal for its 5% discount,now im going to take a new try. plus, glad to share my saving method for you guys. code：RT777C

Thank you for your sharing. And I found buy railcard for tickets is really cheap, there’s a discount code too.

Thank you for sharing this information.British train tickets are becoming more expensive these days. Luckily I found a discount.

I’m always on the lookout for the best discounts and can share some great savings tips with you.

I love and hate Europe. I was fascinated by the stunning scenery and rich history, but I was overwhelmed by the high cost. I think TRIP's discount coupon saved me.

I had something similar on season tickets in the 80s and 90s. Firstly a railcard because I was commuting to London, but when I was not using commuter trains, I had a season ticket from Sheffield to Attercliffe Road. Cost about £36. Station closed in 1995

Anything for over 32 in east midlands