Two Together Railcards or Seniors Discount / early booking.. What's the best way to go?

https://www.senior-railcard.co.uk/?_ga=2.228867228.1417856462.1669242617-522144502.1669242617

https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/?nreTrack=twotogetherrailcard&_ga=2.234573982.1417856462.1669242617-522144502.1669242617

Those links are to the latest information on the National Rail Website. In general, if you will always be traveling with a companion, the two together means you only buy one rail card vs. buying two. Read the policies for both carefully before you decide.

Two Together is better, it cost £30.00 and you get it at any train station, you will need passport size photo of each person. If you get two Senior Railcard it would be £30.00 for each of you. If you purchase your rail tickets twelve weeks before you need them you will a cheaper price, mark it as if you have a Two Together Railcard or Senior which ever you decide to get. When you get to London go to any train station
and get your railcard, you will need it before you take your train trip.

For more suggestions, try www.Seat61.com
The "Man" in that seat seems to know everything about European train systems, including strategies for economical ticket purchases.

Tow Together is £30 (for 2) but can’t be used before 9.30am on weekdays. If you have this card and must depart before 9.30am on weekdays, the trick is to buy a ticket to the first place the train reaches after 9.30am and then another for the remaining journey leg using the Railcard for the discount. The Senior Railcard (£30 EACH) has no time restriction. You can pre book trains on the assumption that you already have the Railcard(s) even though you will get them later - But before travel commences.

If making longer journeys - say over 1 hour, it is usually cheaper to pre book specific trains with ADVANCE tickets - which are not refundable. These Advance fares get loaded around 11 weeks out so if you book say 12 weeks out, you may find yourself paying more. You may well find yourselves paying more by late booking but even paying the day before can save money in some cases. For short hops, you can pay on the day at the station and the fares would be the same as pre booking ahead. Day return fares are often only £1 or so dearer than one way fares and come as Peak or Anytime or even Super Off Peak.

You can buy tickets direct from the train companies than run the different routes. However, all the train companies will also sell tickets for any other train company/route and are commission free.

On some routes, it is cheaper to split the tickets - especially where you change train company en-route. The following websites will work out if splits work out cheaper and I suggest you play around with them to test your planned routes for different dates. (Note that due to strikes in December & early January that things are a bit haywire at the moment). The first site is particularly easy to use but will take a 10% commission on the amount saved by any splits. The second site takes 15% of the saving gained by splits.
https://www.traintickets.com/?/
https://v3.trainsplit.com/

The Man in Seat 61 has done a video of London to Bath by train.
Also - London to Edinburgh video.

Here is a PDF map of the network. (The orange lines going north from London represent the new high speed railway under construction).

Re split tickets
You can use these sites to check the fares but there is no need to use them to book the tickets

We got Two Together rail cards for our time in Scotland and England in September and October. It’s only £30 and resulted in great savings. I bought some tickets in advance, but also a few last minute at the station. You have to always be traveling with the same person, but I knew that wasn’t going to be a problem. I took passport sized photos with me and we got the cards in Glasgow at a train station when we arrived. I had pre-purchased tickets on line with the Two Together pricing.

https://www.senior-railcard.co.uk/using-your-railcard/are-you-eligible/

Ok, So for a Passport size pic. Can I just print one off on my computer? What did others do? I'll have to go on line and do come comparing to Seniors or the two together I'm not sure. Have to think on it a bit. So many variables to think through. Yes, splitting up the tickets for the various train lines too. Then I will probably have buses now and then. It's daunting. Some travel is easy, some is split up over several train lines. Appreciate everyone being willing to offer help.

Sometimes it is cheaper to split the ticket even though you are staying on the same train throughout. It does not necessarily mean that you are leaving one train or company for another.

https://www.traveline.info is a good site for finding your way from a to b. and includes local bus services.

I'll have to go on line and do come comparing to Seniors or the two together I'm not sure.

Both Two Together and Senior Railcards (there is no senior discounted price, to have a discount you must (if eligible, over 60) buy a Railcard) have similar benefits. 34 percent off virtually all rail tickets, full price or discounted, almost all are eligible.

Slightly more restrictions on Two Together - you both must always travel together to get the discount, one can't go off on their own and get it. M-F only valid after 9:30, weekends all day. Need photos of both.

Senior Railcards, very similar and no photos unless a virtual card, but each needs their own £30 Railcard, no time restrictions. Splitting up is OK.

The calculations can be pretty easy.

If you will always be together, and always have a breakfast during the work week (and benefit by missing the crowded morning rush hour trains) so you either start after 9:30 M-F, or are going far enough that missing the discount before 9:30 is a small sacrifice, you break even with a Two Together at about £100 of fares and then all is savings.

If early starts are very important to you in the work week, if splitting up is expected, a pair of Senior Railcards could be indicated, as long as you will have sufficient amount spent on tickets - you don't break even until a cumulative £200 is spent.

so it boils down to - breakfast or no breakfast, together or apart???

There is an obscure time restriction on Senior Railcards - they are not valid when travelling between two stations in the Network Railcard area during morning peak time. This is loosely 'London & South East England" but is a lot further than you might think on some routes.

The maths is simple.The break even point is £90 with Rail Cards
Edit
Actually its a bit less, about £88.50 as discount is 34%

with the understanding that the maths above is correct for one Railcard but seniors require two Senior Railcards for two seniors and only one Two Together Railcard for 2 as long as the restrictions are adhered to...

Replying to your question about the photos for the railcard - I took a selfie for myself and took a headshot photo of my partner and they were perfectly acceptable for our Two-Together railcards this past May. And may I add, the Two Together deal saved us quite a bit of money over the course of our train-centric 2-1/2 week trip.

"Sometimes it is cheaper to split the ticket even though you are staying on the same train throughout. It does not necessarily mean that you are leaving one train or company for another. "

If splitting a tix, whilst one does not get off the train, the train has to stop at the split point station. Or else you will find yourself charged for the whole journey from the start point at the prevailing rate.

Regarding the photos: I used the Railcard app on my phone and didn't have to print any physical pictures. Just upload a picture of each of you (in the passport style, standing against a plain white wall) to the app and there will be no need to get hard copies of anything from a station.