Will you get the best fare by booking online or by phone? In most cases, the fares are the same – but there are exceptions.
Websites search for the lowest available fares, but in order to simplify the results they don’t always display every possible combination of fare type, price band and class of travel. So if you’re booking a journey that involves a change of trains you may, in some cases, miss out on the lowest fare.
Call centre staff use a more flexible system to search for low fares. They can check each journey manually to see what fares and ticket types are available, combining them to create a fare that best suits you. This takes longer, and depends on the expertise and enthusiasm of the individual member of staff.
We have tested hundreds of journeys and found inconsistent results. We recommend you start your search on the web. If you want to double-check a fare, phone the call centre.