megatrain.com > Reviews > all aboard for cheap train fares

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money

Fantastic

Advantages:	can save a fortune on train fares !  !  !
Disadvantages:	limited choice

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

the name megatrain.com might remind you of megabus.com (see my other review on that one) and there is indeed a connection as the two are operations of Stagecoach plc. Stagecoach run bus services throughout the UK and abroad, and have interests in some train franchises. they run South West Trains outright, which already offer cheap fares via their own website

megatrain.com however takes things to another level, as Stagecoach have a 50/50 interest in Virgin trains, the other partner not surprisingly being....Virgin

the format of the megatrain.com website is similar to megabus.com, its pretty intuitive. basically you select origin and destinations, and dates, from drop-down menus

there is a tab which will give you timetables

you can get the reservation sent to your mobile as a text for 10p which means the whole transaction is paperless

I have not looked at every combination of origins / destinations but as an example there is Glasgow-Carlisle and Manchester, London and Bristol, Birmingham and Bournemouth

** Some of the fares are incredibly cheap, starting at £1 (all fares are single). That is usually for a ticket a month or so away. For next week, it is more likely to be £10. I did not see any fares higher than £10 but there maybe

** There is a modest booking fee is 50p, this is processed via worldpay, ie a third party

** Only Internet bookings can be amended, (you can also book initially via phone) for a reasonable 50p charge as long a sthis is 48 hours prior to the first journey

** you are travelling on regular, established train services. Its not like megabus which appears to me to be a low-cost set-up

This sounds great however there are a number of catches

1. The fare might be higher than others regularily available. For instance I was quoted £20 day return Glasgow-Carlisle for next day travel but the regular Virgin Cheap Day Return is less than that

2. There is a limited choice of trains. Bristol-London for example is currently only one a day, the long way round into Waterloo

3. SEAT RESERVATIONS ARE NOT POSSIBLE AND YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED A SEAT. Virgin Voyager trains (the ones that run cross-country routes) can be very popular and I think you would be running a significant risk of standing some of the way for example Birmingham-Southampton on a Friday

4. You can book by phone but ist 60p a minute, this could add significantly to the overall cost if its for a £1 fare!!!

5. If you lose your reservation number you have to pay full fare

Finally, if you are one of those people who buy a ticket to a stop BEYOND where they want to go, as its cheaper, this is STRONGLY advised against. For instance there was a time when I was paying less for a ticket Glasgow>London than the fare Warrington>London

Overall, if you can be flexible and don't mind risking having to stand on busier routes, this looks a good deal

If you want to be 100% sure of a comfortable journey and need flexibility with your travel plans, probably not for you

Happy travelling!!!