Expert: Michael - 12/27/2008

Question
Hello Michael!
I am looking for a train ticket from London Gatwick Airport to Liverpool Lime Str. and back, for March 09. I checked the www.nationalrail.co.uk as well as the Virgin web site and I realised that I couldnt find anything cheaper than £72p.!!! while tickets for January are for £50.Why is that happening? Is there any cheaper way to get to Liverpool from Gatwick?

Thank you very very much in advance!

Answer
Hi Cynthia,
You are checking all the right places for tickets. Unfortunately, there is no telling exactly when the cheaper fares will be available for the dates you wish to travel.

The cheaper tickets you found for January are the advance purchase fares. These become available somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks before the date of travel. So, for example, the advance fares are already available for late February. Consequently, you can expect the fares for March to become available in the coming weeks. As I say, there is no set date, so your only choice really is to keep an eye on those websites to see when Virgin releases its tickets for the advance fares.

The only reassurance I can give is that those fares of £72 will not rise, so at least you know that waiting won't cost you any more. In fact, even if you bought your ticket at the airport on the day, it would still cost £72. For that reason, I'd say it was worth holding on another week or two to see if the advance tickets become available.

You may want to try contacting Virgin Trains for advise, but I suspect they will simply advise you to keep trying!

The other option for travel to Liverpool is by coach. This would likely cost between £30 and £50 and is likely to take some 8 hours. You can find out about times and fares at the National Express coaches website at:
http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/index.cfm

I hope this information is of use to you.
Meanwhile, may I wish you Happy New Year for 2009!

Michael