Leicester, England Train System

There are many delightful towns not all that far from Leicester. Cambridge is 2 hours or less by rail, and even for journeys tomorrow-fares like for airlines are often cheaper the farther in advance I find a round trip ticket for 29 pounds. One could make similar excursions to Coventry ( the ruins of the medieval cathedral side by side with the post-war modern one are stunning) , to Stratford upon Avon, to Liverpool, and many other destinations. If you were willing to drive, the Cotswolds are easily in reach as are the fens of East Anglia. Bus services blanket the country, and though slower than rail are also cheaper. It is difficult, though, to recommend transport methods that are both fast AND cheap...it is usually one or the other. Other posters will no doubt have many good suggestions for day trips. My suggestion would be to go to the public library nearest where you are staying in Leicester and ask the reference librarian for help in finding published guides and atlases detailing sightseeing in central England, then spend a couple of hours planning and researching.

Where are you getting your information, Kathyrn? Cheaper fares are available, if you hunt. I just had a quick peek and can get to and from York in about 4 hours, for £15.50 each way, £31 round trip. I could probably do better with a bit of time. Some hints for cheapest fares: Buy in advance, commit to specific trains and times. Look for sales on the different companies - right now, for example, London Midland is having a big sale. When looking for fares, try breaking the trip into smaller bites. If there is a point for a potential change of train try adding both segments together and compare to the full journey. If you plan to travel a lot consider a RailCard. You have to pay at the beginning but can then take off 34% on tickets. Travel off Peak. Travel on weekends. Find which companies work the trains going where you want to go and use their webpages. They all have one. Use National Rail Enquiries website. Good luck ....

At least, traveling midweek you will avoid the weekend mess called "engineering."

Thank you both for your help. I must really be missing something. I'm finding that London Midlands doesn't travel to Leicester Train Station at all, although on the route map, there is a grey line leading off of Nuneaton that says "To Leicester". What does that mean? Do I need to find another train company that goes from Leicester to Nuneaton, then transfer to a London Midlands train? I can only travel on the weekdays - on the weekends my husband can travel with me and we can take the car. I was hoping to be able to be back in time to have dinner with my husband when he gets home from work, so I only want to take day trips. I did find a £28 ticket to London on 7/11/2011, so that might work out, although the train doesn't arrive at STP until 11:18 and then leaves again at 21:00. I was hoping to arrive in London early so that I could cram in a full day of sightseeing, since the museums seem to close early. However, it seems the earlier one leaves on the train, the more expensive the ticket. Thank you again for your help. I'm sure once I figure it all out, I will be shaking my head at how long this all took me!

I wish you had asked these questions before you set off, Kathryn. We could have saved you loads of money - I'm sorry that with no notice it will be hard work. There are more than 23 separate train companies in the UK which have rights to run trains in certain areas. In Leicester your direct route to London is via East Midlands Trains. They also have a Very short term sale this weekend. If you go to eastmidlandstrains.co.uk from tomorrow the 21st until next Monday the 24th of October you can get £10 off trips to London. You will get a voucher which can be used against Advance tickets (only valid on the specific train and time and date reserved - no changes and non-refundable) bought at least 7 days in advance. East Midlands Trains also offer lots of off peak tickets wherever they go, from their website. They, again, will be Advance tickets with the above restrictions. Go to their website and see where they go. Arriva Trains Wales has a big sale on now for over 55s with their Club 55. You may find that you have to ride with one company and then make connections to other companies to get where you are going. All tickets are on the same stock but will have different printing depending on the type of ticket. It is very important to understand the restrictions on your ticket. Please ask at the booking offices for the restrictions. Use National Rail Enquiries as a starting point and explore around. Put in dates and places and you will often see deals. Good luck...

Oh, and one more thing. When you said: However, it seems the earlier one leaves on the train, the more expensive the ticket. You hit the nail bang on the head. Especially if you travel during the working week. All those millions of commuters going to and from work paid many thousands of Pounds each year to all ride together at the peak times. The fares at rush hour are the highest and with the most restrictions. The train companies want to tempt passengers to travel mid day with lower prices. The peak restrictions can be for longer than you might think. Many restrictions are from the start of service until 9:00, 9:30, or even 10:30 or 11:00. There are also evening restrictions, some as early as 1530 (3:30pm) and until, on some 1930. A very few routes and fares have no restrictions. You can always go up to the Conductor before you get on and ask. They can be anywhere on the train but usually come onto the platform during station stops - identifiable by the uniform - and on many trains will be near the rear of the train. Almost all restrictions disappear on the weekends which why it is sad that all your travel will be mid week.