WEBVTT - Top Tips For Affordable UK Travel 0:00:01.590 --> 0:00:05.400 Hey, it's Kia. Traveling around the UK can sometimes cost 0:00:05.400 --> 0:00:08.549 more than hopping on a plane. From season tickets to 0:00:08.550 --> 0:00:11.670 split fares to buses and car sharing, there can be 0:00:11.670 --> 0:00:15.180 big differences in prices and it can be easy to overspend. 0:00:15.570 --> 0:00:18.358 Welcome to another episode of A Little Bit Richer, brought 0:00:18.359 --> 0:00:21.300 to you by my friends at Legal & General. Here with 0:00:21.300 --> 0:00:23.730 plenty of tips and tricks for traveling around the UK 0:00:23.910 --> 0:00:26.849 is travel expert, friend of the show, and the woman 0:00:26.849 --> 0:00:30.210 behind the travel blog and Instagram Big World Small Pockets, 0:00:30.300 --> 0:00:33.269 Steph Parker. Welcome back, Steph. 0:00:33.299 --> 0:00:35.339 Hi. Thanks so much for having me on again. 0:00:35.369 --> 0:00:38.670 I mean, you are incredible, and I'm really excited. As 0:00:38.670 --> 0:00:41.129 we spoke about before, I love traveling. So do you. 0:00:41.130 --> 0:00:43.740 Your Instagram shows us everywhere that you've gotten. But I 0:00:43.740 --> 0:00:46.290 think it's good... We've spoken about traveling abroad. Now we're 0:00:46.290 --> 0:00:48.568 going to talk about the UK because there are some 0:00:48.780 --> 0:00:51.780 great gems that you can get just staying in the 0:00:51.780 --> 0:00:53.489 UK. So we're going to get into all of that 0:00:53.699 --> 0:00:55.620 on this episode. So I'm going to ask you, what 0:00:55.620 --> 0:00:57.600 are some of the best ways to buy train tickets? 0:00:57.900 --> 0:00:59.730 Well, you're absolutely right when you say train travel can 0:00:59.730 --> 0:01:02.010 be expensive. I've got a little stat up my sleeve, 0:01:02.010 --> 0:01:04.919 which is tickets in the UK have increased by 40% 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:08.069 since 2010, which is absolutely crazy and is why getting 0:01:08.069 --> 0:01:12.509 a good deal is so important. So the overarching top 0:01:12.510 --> 0:01:14.220 tip for train travel when you're buying tickets in the 0:01:14.220 --> 0:01:18.149 UK is getting an advanced ticket. Actually, advanced tickets can 0:01:18.150 --> 0:01:20.009 still be bought on the same day as the train, 0:01:20.010 --> 0:01:23.340 sometimes up to two hours before departure. So the key 0:01:23.340 --> 0:01:25.259 thing is really, even if you've left it till the 0:01:25.259 --> 0:01:28.319 last minute, do check online. Never buy a ticket at 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:30.420 a station. It'll always be more expensive. So yeah, check 0:01:30.450 --> 0:01:32.340 online. You may still be able to get an advanced 0:01:32.370 --> 0:01:36.660 even the day of travel. However, obviously booking further ahead 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:40.050 is going to get you a better price, right? I generally say around 0:01:40.050 --> 0:01:43.199 12 weeks before you travel, and that's a good way 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.529 to balance knowing that your plans are in place versus 0:01:46.529 --> 0:01:48.810 getting a cheap ticket because when you get these advanced 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:52.050 tickets, they're not often refundable or flexible. So if your 0:01:52.050 --> 0:01:54.870 plans change, you're then going to lose money. So it's 0:01:54.870 --> 0:01:57.929 that kind of balance between booking far enough ahead to 0:01:57.929 --> 0:01:59.759 know what your plans are, but also get a good 0:01:59.759 --> 0:02:02.910 deal. If you want to be very meticulous, you can 0:02:02.910 --> 0:02:05.999 go onto Network Rail and see when the timetables on 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.700 tickets will be released for your journey. And then you 0:02:08.700 --> 0:02:10.830 can go to a site like Trainline and get a 0:02:10.830 --> 0:02:13.650 ticket alert, so it'll send you an email when they 0:02:13.650 --> 0:02:17.339 become available, so you know you're getting the first tickets 0:02:17.340 --> 0:02:21.179 available, which are generally the cheapest ones. Rule of thumb, 0:02:21.809 --> 0:02:25.860 singles are quite often cheaper than returns in the UK, which- 0:02:25.860 --> 0:02:26.520 Oh, good to know. 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:29.970 Yeah, it defies logic in a way, but always look 0:02:29.970 --> 0:02:33.450 for two singles versus a return, and always try to 0:02:33.450 --> 0:02:37.169 travel after 9: 30 AM, particularly Monday to Friday. You're 0:02:37.169 --> 0:02:40.379 going to get your off- peak fares then much more 0:02:40.379 --> 0:02:45.360 economical. And a bit like planes, sometimes midweek, traveling say 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:47.790 lunchtime on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, is going to 0:02:47.790 --> 0:02:50.759 get you a better rate as well. When it comes 0:02:50.760 --> 0:02:55.349 to actually booking, there's three online... Particularly, there's three kind 0:02:55.349 --> 0:02:57.358 of ways that you can do it. So the first 0:02:57.360 --> 0:03:01.889 is third- party comparison sites, sites like Trainline, Split My 0:03:01.889 --> 0:03:05.460 Fare, redspottedhanky. And these are third- party companies that bring 0:03:05.460 --> 0:03:09.359 together all the train routes. Really good for comparing different 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:12.359 prices, for finding you split fares. But they do sometimes have 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.360 booking fees, so that's something to be aware of. The 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:18.538 second option is to go with a train company themselves, 0:03:18.538 --> 0:03:22.320 like LNER or Avanti. And they sell tickets not only 0:03:22.320 --> 0:03:24.930 for their own route but for other train companies as 0:03:24.930 --> 0:03:28.200 well. So again, you can do price comparison. They're not 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:31.169 always so great at finding split fairs, but they don't 0:03:31.169 --> 0:03:33.600 have booking fees. So yeah, you hedge your bets- 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:33.690 The way up, yeah. 0:03:34.230 --> 0:03:36.900 Yeah. And the third one is to go direct to 0:03:36.900 --> 0:03:38.700 the train company that you're going to be taking the 0:03:38.700 --> 0:03:42.720 journey with. And they often run special offers, but again, 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:46.081 they're not a comparison site. So essentially, shop around- 0:03:46.081 --> 0:03:46.082 Shop around. 0:03:46.082 --> 0:03:50.310 ... between all of those three ways. And remember that 0:03:50.370 --> 0:03:53.429 you booked your train ticket with the company doing the 0:03:53.430 --> 0:03:56.700 route. So if you want to change or perhaps you 0:03:56.700 --> 0:03:58.530 need to get a refund because it was late or 0:03:58.530 --> 0:04:03.120 canceled... And yeah, really important to remember when you're booking 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:06.179 train tickets that your ticket is only valid with the 0:04:06.179 --> 0:04:08.670 operator that you've booked that for. So if later down 0:04:08.670 --> 0:04:10.500 the line you want to get a different journey that's 0:04:10.500 --> 0:04:12.630 run by a different operator, even if it is on 0:04:12.630 --> 0:04:15.930 the same route, you can't swap them out. So yeah, 0:04:15.930 --> 0:04:18.480 your ticket is only valid with the operator that you've 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:20.880 booked for, so make sure you book for one that 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:22.589 you need or is going to be useful for you 0:04:22.589 --> 0:04:25.738 because you can't really chop and change between them. But 0:04:25.740 --> 0:04:28.589 trains never fill up, so you can technically buy a 0:04:28.589 --> 0:04:30.720 ticket till the last minute. And if you're taking a 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:33.210 bike on a train, it is free to do that, but 0:04:33.210 --> 0:04:35.789 you need to reserve when you buy the ticket as well because there's 0:04:35.790 --> 0:04:36.991 only three to six spaces. 0:04:36.991 --> 0:04:40.469 Yeah, there aren't very many spaces on trains. And I've seen people come 0:04:40.469 --> 0:04:42.989 on, and it really takes up the space if they haven't pre- 0:04:42.990 --> 0:04:44.789 booked and now you've got these big bikes on the train. 0:04:44.790 --> 0:04:47.160 Yeah, exactly. So you need to reserve your bike in 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:48.659 early because the spaces are limited. 0:04:48.690 --> 0:04:50.430 That's really good, and I like the fact that you 0:04:50.430 --> 0:04:53.130 mentioned that some providers run their own special offers. I 0:04:53.130 --> 0:04:55.260 live in Ipswich, so quite often I have to come 0:04:55.260 --> 0:04:57.899 to London, and they actually run a special offer, which I 0:04:57.900 --> 0:05:00.900 didn't realize until I went onto the provider's website, that 0:05:00.900 --> 0:05:04.109 if you travel... I think it's after half two, you 0:05:04.109 --> 0:05:06.150 can get this special ticket called Night Out in London. It's 0:05:06.299 --> 0:05:08.580 16 pounds 50, and you can come down to London, 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:10.440 and as long as you come back the next day 0:05:10.529 --> 0:05:15.000 before midday, 16 pounds 50. So it's meant to encourage people who live on that 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.099 route to come into London, have fun, and then come 0:05:17.099 --> 0:05:17.820 back the next day. 0:05:18.210 --> 0:05:19.799 Love that. I mean, I didn't know that. So we 0:05:19.799 --> 0:05:23.159 learn something every day. (inaudible) giving me the tips here. I 0:05:23.789 --> 0:05:25.890 love that. But yeah, exactly, that's what I mean about 0:05:25.890 --> 0:05:28.170 it pays to do your research, shop around. And there 0:05:28.170 --> 0:05:31.500 are some train operators like Lumo and Grand Central that 0:05:31.500 --> 0:05:34.409 are cheaper than others as well, so you can tend 0:05:34.410 --> 0:05:37.738 to look for those companies again or other offers that 0:05:37.830 --> 0:05:39.660 operators might be running to grab a deal. 0:05:39.750 --> 0:05:42.119 Yeah, it's really useful. You touched on it a little 0:05:42.119 --> 0:05:44.940 bit there, so refunds. So I want to paint a 0:05:44.940 --> 0:05:48.000 scenario because I know everyone's experienced this. I definitely have 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:50.730 the way I travel. You have a train ticket, right? 0:05:50.730 --> 0:05:52.289 You're going to go for your train. You get to 0:05:52.290 --> 0:05:53.790 the platform. If you're in my case, I've been to 0:05:53.790 --> 0:05:57.930 the platform and it's either been delayed severely or canceled. 0:05:58.559 --> 0:06:00.779 If you're in that situation, should you try and get 0:06:00.779 --> 0:06:02.310 your money back or should you just write it off 0:06:02.310 --> 0:06:04.020 and say, " It is what it is, and let's just 0:06:04.020 --> 0:06:04.410 move on"? 0:06:04.950 --> 0:06:08.099 Always try to get your money back. Again, it depends 0:06:08.099 --> 0:06:11.309 operator to operator. So it's a great reason to book direct, 0:06:11.309 --> 0:06:13.920 but then also check the Ts and Cs because sometimes 0:06:13.950 --> 0:06:16.649 even if you're only half an hour delayed, you can 0:06:16.650 --> 0:06:19.440 get some money back. And sometimes if it's delayed over 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:21.630 an hour or canceled altogether, you can get a full 0:06:21.660 --> 0:06:23.940 refund. And if you spent quite a lot of money 0:06:23.940 --> 0:06:26.160 because you've got a long distance train journey, then it's 0:06:26.190 --> 0:06:29.010 absolutely worth doing the research to make sure you get 0:06:29.010 --> 0:06:30.210 the correct amount of money back. 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:32.428 I love that. We're all about making sure we're saving 0:06:32.428 --> 0:06:34.409 those pennies around here and saving those coins. 0:06:34.709 --> 0:06:34.710 100%. 0:06:34.710 --> 0:06:36.779 So if anything's delayed or canceled, we're going to take 0:06:36.779 --> 0:06:38.640 your advice and make sure we get our refunds. 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:38.969 Do it. 0:06:39.330 --> 0:06:42.450 If someone's traveling further afield, right, this is their staycation 0:06:42.450 --> 0:06:45.120 in the UK, they're going away and having their time. 0:06:45.570 --> 0:06:47.609 Sometimes you want to do it in luxury. You want 0:06:47.610 --> 0:06:50.250 to go in first class, but that can be pricey. 0:06:50.428 --> 0:06:52.229 I've looked at some of those prices, and they can 0:06:52.230 --> 0:06:54.839 be eye watering. But I know you are the woman to 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:57.750 give us the tips. So do you have any hacks 0:06:57.750 --> 0:06:59.490 that we need to know when it comes to seat upgrades? 0:07:00.120 --> 0:07:01.170 I've got a sneaky hack. 0:07:01.230 --> 0:07:02.910 Oh, I knew you did. I knew you had one in your back pocket. 0:07:03.450 --> 0:07:03.959 Go on, Steph. 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:06.539 It's with a great app that I actually just recently 0:07:06.540 --> 0:07:09.690 discovered called Seatfrog. And what they allow you to do 0:07:09.690 --> 0:07:11.730 is bid for first class. 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:12.000 Wow. 0:07:12.029 --> 0:07:14.310 So it runs on an auction basis, and you can 0:07:14.310 --> 0:07:16.770 get an upgrade for as little as eight pounds. 0:07:17.010 --> 0:07:17.700 Eight pounds? 0:07:17.700 --> 0:07:19.739 So that can be a real bargain, especially if you're 0:07:19.740 --> 0:07:22.260 on a long- distance train because first class you also 0:07:22.260 --> 0:07:23.760 get food and drinks. 0:07:23.820 --> 0:07:25.830 I experienced that once, and I never forgot that. 0:07:25.830 --> 0:07:28.411 So the eight pounds alone can pay for that- 0:07:28.411 --> 0:07:28.412 That's crazy. 0:07:28.412 --> 0:07:31.170 ... stop you growing a sandwich on the way. So that 0:07:31.170 --> 0:07:33.540 can be really good. They also have some other quirky 0:07:33.540 --> 0:07:38.250 features like secret fares and train swaps, particularly on trains 0:07:38.250 --> 0:07:41.490 in the north, like with TransPennine Express. They've got relationship 0:07:41.490 --> 0:07:45.480 with several operators, so they're doing some really exciting things 0:07:45.509 --> 0:07:46.980 to help keep prices low. 0:07:47.070 --> 0:07:50.640 Eight pounds, that is wow. I'm definitely going to have a look at Seatfrog 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:51.300 now because- 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:54.511 If you're going up to Glasgow or somewhere from London- 0:07:54.511 --> 0:07:54.511 It's long distance. 0:07:54.511 --> 0:07:57.870 ... that's four or five hours, it's a no- brainer. 0:07:57.929 --> 0:08:00.690 Thanks to you, Steph. So thank you for that. You mentioned 0:08:00.690 --> 0:08:05.219 again earlier as well about ticket splitting. And I've been 0:08:05.219 --> 0:08:07.830 on platforms when I'm coming to buy tickets, and there 0:08:07.830 --> 0:08:09.450 is this fair split thing, but I think a lot 0:08:09.450 --> 0:08:11.580 of people don't really understand what that means. So can 0:08:11.580 --> 0:08:13.770 you explain to us what is ticket splitting? 0:08:13.830 --> 0:08:17.909 So in essence, instead of buying one long ticket for a 0:08:17.910 --> 0:08:21.149 train journey, you split it into two parts. It might 0:08:21.150 --> 0:08:24.630 even be three parts. So let's do a practical example. If you're 0:08:24.630 --> 0:08:27.360 traveling from London to Edinburgh, instead of buying a ticket 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:30.000 from London to Edinburgh, you buy a ticket from London 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:33.270 to York and then from York to Edinburgh. Now what 0:08:33.270 --> 0:08:35.338 you do is you stay on exactly the same train, 0:08:35.490 --> 0:08:38.160 you even stay in the same seat, but you've just 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:41.189 split the journey into two parts. It's a weird part 0:08:41.190 --> 0:08:43.679 of our train system in the UK where going through 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:47.460 certain train stations lowers the prices. And you can save 0:08:47.460 --> 0:08:51.360 a huge amount with split fares. However, obviously it's going 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:53.580 to take a lot of research that nobody's got the 0:08:53.580 --> 0:08:56.639 time for to do, which is why these comparison sites 0:08:56.639 --> 0:08:59.579 are so helpful because they do it for you. So 0:08:59.580 --> 0:09:03.390 Split my Fair, Trainline, redspottedhanky. There's loads of others. They 0:09:03.390 --> 0:09:07.110 do it for you. And because it's quite complicated, they 0:09:07.110 --> 0:09:09.629 don't always give you the same split fair. So again, 0:09:09.630 --> 0:09:11.970 it's worth shopping round because some have cheaper than others. 0:09:12.210 --> 0:09:15.059 Some charge a booking fee, so bear that in mind. And 0:09:15.059 --> 0:09:17.608 then you can either book through them direct or you 0:09:17.609 --> 0:09:20.970 can go with a train operator. So take the split research 0:09:20.970 --> 0:09:22.471 from the comparison site and go direct- 0:09:22.471 --> 0:09:22.472 And go and do direct. 0:09:22.472 --> 0:09:24.630 ... to save a little bit more. 0:09:24.870 --> 0:09:28.230 And then Railcards, right? So I've had a Railcard for a 0:09:28.230 --> 0:09:30.270 little while. But for anyone who doesn't know how rail 0:09:30.270 --> 0:09:32.610 cards work, what's the benefit of having a rail card 0:09:32.610 --> 0:09:33.240 if you can get one? 0:09:34.260 --> 0:09:37.980 By and large, it's about a third off train travel, which 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.828 normally they cost around 30 pounds a year, and you 0:09:40.830 --> 0:09:43.740 usually make that back in two to three journeys. So 0:09:43.920 --> 0:09:47.010 if you travel at all by train, it's basically worth 0:09:47.010 --> 0:09:49.588 doing. There's nine different ones in the UK, but there's 0:09:49.590 --> 0:09:51.629 four that I think are most relevant. That's the young 0:09:51.630 --> 0:09:55.710 person's Railcard, which is 18 to 25. Then there's another 0:09:55.710 --> 0:09:59.189 one that's if you're age 26 to 30. There's another one called 0:09:59.190 --> 0:10:01.348 the Network Railcard that is great if you live in 0:10:01.350 --> 0:10:04.290 London or the Southeast because it's a geographically targeted one. 0:10:04.620 --> 0:10:06.958 And the other one is Two Together. So if you've 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.059 got a partner or friend that you go away with 0:10:09.059 --> 0:10:11.429 a lot, that's great because you travel on the same 0:10:11.429 --> 0:10:15.179 train together and you both get a third off. They 0:10:15.179 --> 0:10:17.640 normally last a year, the Railcards and they can be 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.520 loaded digitally onto your phone, so it's really hassle- free. 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:23.968 A few different companies sell them, Network Rail, Trip. com, 0:10:23.969 --> 0:10:26.939 Trainline. So what I recommend doing if you haven't got 0:10:26.940 --> 0:10:29.279 one already, is signing up to the email alerts on 0:10:29.279 --> 0:10:32.160 these companies because they often run deals to get them. 0:10:32.550 --> 0:10:36.660 So then you're saving even more. And if it's an age- 0:10:36.660 --> 0:10:39.839 related rail card, like the young persons or the 26 to 30, 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:44.340 sneaky tip, if you renew it the day before say 0:10:44.370 --> 0:10:48.840 your 26 or you're 31, you can actually get an 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:51.750 extra year so you can get it almost till you're 27 or 0:10:51.750 --> 0:10:55.440 32 respectively, if that makes sense for those different cards. 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:57.900 That's good to know. Season tickets. So I want to ask you, how 0:10:57.900 --> 0:10:59.910 do you choose the right season ticket for you and 0:10:59.910 --> 0:11:00.600 what your needs are? 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:04.980 Great question. Let's be really clear, season tickets apply to 0:11:04.980 --> 0:11:07.949 train travel only because they get confusing with travel cars. And 0:11:08.100 --> 0:11:10.860 so it's train travel, and there's a few different types. 0:11:10.890 --> 0:11:15.300 Generally there's a weekly one, a monthly one, a flexible, 0:11:15.300 --> 0:11:18.990 and an annual. You've got to run the specifics on 0:11:18.990 --> 0:11:21.089 how many times a week you're traveling and whether you're 0:11:21.089 --> 0:11:24.328 traveling on- peak because if you are traveling say a 0:11:24.330 --> 0:11:27.210 lot for work on- peak, a season card is more 0:11:27.210 --> 0:11:30.300 likely to be valuable for you. But if you're only 0:11:30.300 --> 0:11:33.150 doing one day a week, it can often be better 0:11:33.150 --> 0:11:36.269 just to buy a daily ticket. If you're doing two 0:11:36.270 --> 0:11:38.009 days a week travel, you might want to look at 0:11:38.009 --> 0:11:42.750 the flexible season card, which is eight days travel out 0:11:42.750 --> 0:11:45.420 of 28, so that might work out better if you're 0:11:45.420 --> 0:11:48.120 traveling two days a week. If you're doing three or 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:50.700 more, you might want to look at a monthly or 0:11:50.790 --> 0:11:55.650 annual option. There's other benefits for getting an annual one. 0:11:55.650 --> 0:11:58.469 You can access then something called the Gold Card, which 0:11:58.469 --> 0:12:01.200 then gives you money off travel in London as well. 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:03.600 But you really need to work out the specifics. And 0:12:03.690 --> 0:12:07.800 actually Money Saving Expert have a great online calculator that 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:09.718 you can use to work out if the season card 0:12:09.719 --> 0:12:12.929 is going to be worthwhile, because it depends which part 0:12:12.929 --> 0:12:15.539 of the country you live in, at what times you travel. 0:12:15.599 --> 0:12:17.579 It's just working out what's best for your situation. That's 0:12:17.580 --> 0:12:21.870 good to keep in mind. Traveling by coach is one 0:12:21.870 --> 0:12:24.270 of my favorite ways to get around the country because it's just 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:26.250 so scenic and so peaceful. And like I said, you're 0:12:26.250 --> 0:12:28.949 not behind the wheel. You can relax and take the 0:12:28.950 --> 0:12:32.039 load off. Can you give us some tips then that 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:34.409 we need to know when it comes to traveling this way? 0:12:35.279 --> 0:12:37.740 I think coach travel can get a bad name in 0:12:37.740 --> 0:12:40.410 the UK because people think it's long and it takes 0:12:40.410 --> 0:12:43.949 forever. Actually, on some routes it's not much longer than 0:12:43.950 --> 0:12:47.909 the train and it can be much, much cheaper. Normally, 0:12:47.910 --> 0:12:50.219 I book coach travel when I'm booking my train quite 0:12:50.219 --> 0:12:52.799 late in the day, bit disorganized, and I look at 0:12:52.799 --> 0:12:55.500 the prices and think, " Oh my goodness, there's no way 0:12:55.500 --> 0:12:57.238 I can afford to pay that." And we'll look at 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:00.900 a comparative journey, say with National Express, and it's usually 0:13:01.350 --> 0:13:03.929 under 50% of the costs. London to Bristol is a 0:13:03.929 --> 0:13:05.969 classic one that I do on National Express a lot. 0:13:05.969 --> 0:13:07.590 Got good friends in Bristol, so I go that way 0:13:07.590 --> 0:13:11.040 quite a bit from the capitol. And trains are astronomical. 0:13:11.250 --> 0:13:13.470 But the National Express, because the route is almost all 0:13:13.470 --> 0:13:16.260 on motorway, it takes... I think it's only something like 0:13:16.290 --> 0:13:18.328 half an hour longer than the train, and it's a 0:13:18.328 --> 0:13:22.170 fraction of the cost. So yeah, so do check the 0:13:22.170 --> 0:13:24.870 routes with National Express. You can book through their website 0:13:24.870 --> 0:13:26.849 or app directly. And if you sign up to a 0:13:26.849 --> 0:13:28.559 free account then you don't have to pay a booking 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:30.929 fee for the coach tickets, which is good. And they 0:13:30.929 --> 0:13:34.050 do also do a young person's coach card that gives 0:13:34.050 --> 0:13:36.478 you a third off National Express coach travel as well. 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.170 I think it's 18 to 25. And yes, you can 0:13:40.170 --> 0:13:42.569 save even more. And some of them are double- deckers. 0:13:42.570 --> 0:13:44.610 So if you get top seat at the front, you 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:45.780 kick back. 0:13:45.780 --> 0:13:46.889 Those are cool. I'm like a child looking out the 0:13:46.889 --> 0:13:50.280 window and thinking, "Oh my gosh, where are we going now?" It's great. I absolutely love it 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:55.078 if you didn't get that already. Most people in big 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.720 cities, for example, like London, they don't have a car 0:13:57.780 --> 0:13:59.759 because it's not maybe necessary. Like I said, we've got 0:13:59.759 --> 0:14:04.469 great transport links. But sometimes it can be crucial to 0:14:04.469 --> 0:14:06.929 have a car. And I know car sharing has become 0:14:06.929 --> 0:14:11.010 very popular. What is car sharing, and can you explain 0:14:11.010 --> 0:14:12.690 a little bit more about how it works? 0:14:14.070 --> 0:14:16.620 Three types of car sharing, and they are great if 0:14:16.620 --> 0:14:18.960 you live in an urban environment, particularly London, where, as 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:22.289 you say, owning a car, parking, it's just so expensive. 0:14:22.350 --> 0:14:25.800 So yeah, three different ways of car sharing. The first 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:28.350 is where you literally share a car on a journey 0:14:28.350 --> 0:14:30.750 with somebody, somebody that you don't know. And that's a 0:14:30.750 --> 0:14:34.260 kind of community. There's a whole website called Liftshare where 0:14:34.260 --> 0:14:36.479 you can sign up, and people are reviewed, so there's 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:38.609 a safety aspect as well. But yeah, if you want 0:14:38.610 --> 0:14:40.079 to get somewhere, and you don't want to take public 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.960 transport, that can be a great option. The second type 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:46.470 of car sharing is a bit like Airbnb for cars. 0:14:46.710 --> 0:14:51.151 So people let other people, strangers, use their cars for journeys. 0:14:51.151 --> 0:14:51.599 Oh, wow. 0:14:51.599 --> 0:14:54.119 So you can rent them like an Airbnb. There's a 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:57.389 great website called Turo, T- U- R- O, particularly great 0:14:57.389 --> 0:14:58.980 for London. So if you want to go away with 0:14:58.980 --> 0:15:00.720 mates for the weekend, you want to hire a car, 0:15:00.930 --> 0:15:03.390 you can do that by hiring somebody else's car. And 0:15:03.390 --> 0:15:06.240 again, there's a review system and a safety thing all 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:11.130 involved. And the third option is when you use something 0:15:11.130 --> 0:15:15.000 like Zipcar, or there's other competitors, DriveNow, Enterprise Car Club. 0:15:15.599 --> 0:15:17.639 You share a car that's owned by a company with 0:15:17.639 --> 0:15:19.980 other people. And they're parked on the street around London, 0:15:19.980 --> 0:15:22.710 and you can use them to either just take shorter 0:15:22.710 --> 0:15:25.620 journeys, or if you need to move a house or 0:15:25.620 --> 0:15:28.260 get some furniture that you saw off Facebook Marketplace or 0:15:28.260 --> 0:15:31.770 anything, go to Ikea, whatever, that's a great option for 0:15:31.770 --> 0:15:33.090 shorter journeys in London. 0:15:33.179 --> 0:15:35.549 It's good to know there are options aside from owning 0:15:35.549 --> 0:15:38.100 your own car to actually still enjoy the benefits of 0:15:38.100 --> 0:15:39.990 what a car can bring you, but at a fraction 0:15:39.990 --> 0:15:43.470 of the price. You've given so many incredible tips, Steph, 0:15:43.470 --> 0:15:46.139 but what are your three top tips for everyone listening when 0:15:46.139 --> 0:15:47.430 it comes to traveling smarter? 0:15:48.630 --> 0:15:51.120 First tip is if you are doing a longer UK 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:52.859 trip, and you want to hire a car and you 0:15:52.859 --> 0:15:55.170 live in a city, don't hire it directly from the 0:15:55.170 --> 0:15:58.050 city center. Always go out to the nearest airport and 0:15:58.050 --> 0:16:01.260 hire it there. A, there's a lot more competition, so 0:16:01.260 --> 0:16:03.119 you're going to get a better rate, but you don't 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:05.609 have to fight through the city traffic, worry about any 0:16:05.610 --> 0:16:08.429 low emission zones. You just get it from the airport, 0:16:08.429 --> 0:16:10.410 and then you're straight on the motorway to wherever you 0:16:10.410 --> 0:16:13.170 need to go. And then if you're visiting other cities, 0:16:13.200 --> 0:16:14.970 don't park in them. Look if they've got a park 0:16:14.970 --> 0:16:18.330 and ride scheme because they're a lot more affordable. Tip 0:16:18.330 --> 0:16:20.670 number two is... It's a classic, but it's always take 0:16:20.670 --> 0:16:23.610 your own food because either the facilities are bad or 0:16:23.610 --> 0:16:26.820 they're generally overpriced. So yeah, bring your pack lunch old 0:16:26.820 --> 0:16:29.969 school and save that way. And the third one is 0:16:29.969 --> 0:16:33.390 if you're traveling by rail to a major attraction in 0:16:33.570 --> 0:16:36.210 England, it could be there's cities included in the scheme 0:16:36.210 --> 0:16:39.570 like London, Edinburgh and Manchester, say Kew Gardens, the London 0:16:39.570 --> 0:16:42.749 Eye, there's loads of options. You can sometimes get two- for- 0:16:42.750 --> 0:16:45.809 one entry tickets to these attractions by showing that you've 0:16:45.809 --> 0:16:48.510 traveled there by rail. I think it's called Day Out 0:16:48.510 --> 0:16:50.430 Tickets 2FOR1. It's a whole scheme. 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:50.940 Wow. 0:16:51.330 --> 0:16:54.030 So there's a website, and then you register which attraction 0:16:54.030 --> 0:16:55.530 you are going to go and visit and on what 0:16:55.530 --> 0:16:57.450 day. And then when you get there to buy your 0:16:57.450 --> 0:16:59.789 tickets, you can see you've already registered, you show them 0:16:59.790 --> 0:17:02.340 your train tickets, and you can get two- for- one entry- 0:17:02.340 --> 0:17:02.461 That's so good to know. 0:17:02.461 --> 0:17:07.320 ... which can be a great saver. Sneaky sideways tip 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:10.500 if you're not traveling there by train because you perhaps 0:17:10.500 --> 0:17:13.440 need to drive there, you can still buy a train ticket 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:14.970 for the last journey to the attraction- 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:16.002 (inaudible) . We love a good tip from you, Steph. We do. 0:17:16.002 --> 0:17:21.238 And then you can still show that and get your 0:17:21.509 --> 0:17:23.489 2FOR1 in. So yeah, if you're looking for a great day 0:17:23.490 --> 0:17:25.648 out in the UK, that can also be a super 0:17:25.650 --> 0:17:26.400 saver as well. 0:17:26.550 --> 0:17:29.490 Amazing. Steph, this has been incredible. We have learned so 0:17:29.490 --> 0:17:32.040 much every time you come onto the podcast. So thank 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:33.090 you so much for coming back. 0:17:33.150 --> 0:17:35.190 Thanks so much for having me back. Always a pleasure. 0:17:35.250 --> 0:17:39.719 Thank you. So many nuggets to help us travel around 0:17:39.719 --> 0:17:42.990 the UK for less. Next time, I'll be having friend 0:17:42.990 --> 0:17:45.420 of the show Koren Byrne back to talk to us 0:17:45.420 --> 0:17:48.928 about how younger generations are breaking the mold and redefining 0:17:48.930 --> 0:17:51.719 what family means and the impact this could have on 0:17:51.719 --> 0:17:54.388 our finances. I'd love it if you could review the 0:17:54.388 --> 0:17:57.539 podcast, spread the word, and help others get a little bit 0:17:57.540 --> 0:18:00.898 richer too. Keep up with the show on TikTok and Instagram @legalandgeneral. A 0:18:00.898 --> 0:18:05.010