Book ahead and save with Advance tickets.
Get the cheapest fares on many of our longer distance routes by booking early. Advance tickets are usually available up to 12 weeks ahead of travel and can be booked up to 10 minutes before departure. Booking early increases your chances of securing cheaper tickets as they are sold in limited numbers. Don't hesitate, snap them up quickly - once they're gone, they're gone!
Our Advance tickets cover journeys to and from three of the UK’s major cities: London, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Check back often as we update this page weekly with the latest on-sale dates for Advance tickets.
Advance ticket booking window
Advance fares now on sale for dates up to and including:
| Day | Booking Advance fares until | Routes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 23 February 2024 | All |
| Saturday | 18 February 2024 | All |
| Sunday | 18 February 2024 | All |
Last updated: 08/12/2023
We are not open on Sunday 24 December, Sunday 31 December, Monday 01 January or beyond Friday 23 February, as we are awaiting confirmation of the future timetables that will be in operation for these dates.
At present, we hope to make Advance Purchase fares available where possible on a rolling weekly basis, as soon as the relevant timetables have been uploaded into the rail industry retail systems.
It remains our intention to make Advance Purchase fares available for future dates, covering longer booking horizons, just as soon as it becomes possible to do so.
Advance train tickets explained
- Released weekly, up to 12 weeks in advance.
- Valid for a specific train at a specific time.
- Single journeys tickets.
- Normal discounts apply (e.g. Railcards)
- For a child aged 5 to 15, a discount of 50% applies
- Book early for the cheapest fares, tickets are available up to 10 minutes before departure.
- Limited availability, so once they’re gone, they’re gone!
To learn more, read the full National Rail terms and conditions for Advance tickets .
Just so you know...
- If your specified train is cancelled or delayed by over an hour, we will make special arrangements to accommodate you on another train. While advance tickets are non-refundable, if you decide not to travel due to the delay, we will offer a refund on completely unused tickets without any administration fee.
How to buy an Advance ticket
Booking your ticket is easy! You can do it:
- Online with our journey planner
- Though our App
- Visiting us at a staffed station
- Or by calling us on 0333 311 0006
Our cheapest fares to London
- Birmingham to London from £8.00
- Coventry to London from £8.00
- Northampton to London from £10.50
- Lichfield to London from £9.00
- Stafford to London from £9.00
- Stoke-on-Trent to London from £9.00
- Crewe to London from £10.20
- Liverpool to London from £14.00
Our cheapest fares to Birmingham
- London to Birmingham from £8.00
- Milton Keynes to Birmingham from £6.50
- Liverpool to Birmingham from £11.00
- Crewe to Birmingham from £8.50
- Stafford to Birmingham from £13.70 (return)
Our cheapest fares to Liverpool
- Birmingham to Liverpool from £11.00
- Coventry to Liverpool from £11.00
- Wolverhampton to Liverpool from £11.00
- Stafford to Liverpool from £10.50
- Crewe to Liverpool from £13.90 (return)