With SmartSplit, booking train tickets with no booking fee couldn’t be easier. We simply don’t charge one! Why should you pay more than the cost of your ticket? We don’t charge any card fees, either. If you accept your card, then there are no extra costs attached.

Finally, we don’t charge any admin fees, ever. If you’ve changed your mind about when you’d like to travel, then you can do it without any extra fees.

If you book an ‘Advance‘ ticket, then you just need to book a new ticket and send us the booking information. We’ll refund the cheaper one. If you have a ‘flexible‘ ticket, you can refund it without any fees straight from your SmartSplit account, if you have one.

How do I book train tickets with no booking fee?

If you’re ready to book your train tickets with no booking fee, you can do it with SmartSplit. Once you’re on our homepage, just enter your details in the journey planner that looks like this:

We’ll always show you the cheapest fare first, depending on whether you want a single or a return. We even show slower routes if it means that you can get a better price. Not only can you get train tickets with no booking fee, but you get a wide choice!

There’s no need to faff around with making a user account, either. Just enter your details, pay and you’re ready to go.

Can I refund tickets without a fee?

Do you need a refund? Change your mind? That all depends on the ticket type. If you have a flexible ticket, such as Off-Peak or Anytime, then you can do it from your SmartSplit account, if you have one. Advance tickets aren’t refundable, but you can change them to a different date and time without any extra fees (other than the difference in price if there is one). You can find out more about this here.

Did you make your journey but you were delayed? Then you’ll need to claim compensation from the train company rather than claim a refund from us. You can find out more information on Delay Repay from your operator. You’ll find a list here.

The post Can I book train tickets with no booking fee? appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.

Can I get a train ticket refund?

Great question! It very much depends on what sort of ticket you’ve bought and what’s happened. Let’s take a look at when you can get a refund with each ticket type.

Off-Peak, Super-Off-Peak and Anytime tickets

• You can refund these if you decide not to travel for any reason. SmartSplit won’t charge you any admin fees, either
• You’ll need to send the refund claim to use no later than 28 days after you were supposed to travel
• You can claim a refund through your SmartSplit online account or you can contact us.

Advance tickets

• These tickets aren’t normally refundable. If you decide not to travel, you’ll only be able to amend them (see further down the page for more details)
• If you decide not to travel because of service disruption, then you’re able to claim a refund. Your train will need to have either been cancelled or delayed by at least 60 minutes
• If you need to make an amendment, please contact us.

How do I claim a train ticket refund?

Not collected your tickets yet? Purchased an eTicket? If you have a flexible ticket such as Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak or Anytime, then you can claim a refund through your SmartSplit online account if you have one. Otherwise, please contact us. 

Collected your ticket already? You’ll need to get in touch with our refunds team with your booking reference number and images of any unused tickets you’d like refunded. You’ll also need to cut your tickets diagonally through the centre before taking a photo so they can’t be used.

If you’d like a train ticket refund for half of a trip (so if you’ve used the outward part of your return ticket) then we’d give you the difference between the equivalent single and the return fare. If there’s no exact equivalent, then we’d use the nearest one.

Once we’ve responded to your refund claim, it’ll take around three to five working days for the payment to return to your account. If you’ve changed your bank card since you bought the ticket, we might need to give you a quick call, first.

I’d like to amend my Advance ticket

While you’re not normally able to get a train ticket refund for Advance tickets, you can certainly amend them. So long as it was bought through us, we can do this for you. Please contact us with the details of both your old and new bookings. 

This means you’ll be able to exchange it for another Advance ticket with exactly the same journey details for a different date or time. Simply book your new journey, send us the details and we’ll refund your original booking within two working days. It really is as simple as that.

How do I amend my Advance ticket?

If you know when you’d like to travel instead, then that’s great. Let’s get you on your way. Here’s what you need to do:

• Book your new train ticket. Apart from the date and time, the rest of the journey needs to be the same. So if your original ticket was between Newcastle and York, then the new one still has to be between Newcastle and York
• Send us an email. We’ll need both your original and your new booking reference numbers
• Already collected your ticket? We’ll need an image of that, too. Make sure you cut it diagonally so it can’t be used
• Do you have an eTicket or you have not collected it yet? You don’t need to send us it, we’ll have all the details we need.

Is there anything else I need to know?

There are some terms and conditions that you’ll need to know as well, so that we can process your amendment smoothly:

• We can only amend your Advance train ticket if the original booking was made through SmartSplit.co.uk. Booked somewhere else? Just get in touch with them directly
• As we mentioned above, your new journey should match your original journey exactly apart from the new date or time. It also needs to be the same type of ticket. You’re not able to switch from an Advance ticket to Off-Peak, for example
• Your ticket must also be for the same route and train operator (eg. ‘Avanti West Coast only’) 
• You’ll need to make your new booking before your original train is scheduled to depart
• We’ll refund the cost of the cheaper ticket. So if your new Advance ticket costs less than your old one, we’ll refund the cost of your new one
• You can book any class of accommodation (First Class or Standard Class) regardless of your original booking
• Railcards can be applied to either booking. Either way, we’ll refund the cheaper ticket.

I’d like to get a train ticket refund due to disruption

If you have an Advance ticket and you’ve decided not to travel due to disruption, then you can still get a refund. Simply contact us with your booking reference and your ticket (if you’ve already collected it).

Just let us know that you weren’t able to make the journey due to disruption and we’ll double-check the details for you before getting a train ticket refund sent to you.

During industrial action, similar rules will apply. If we’re made aware of any changes to your journey after you book through us, we’ll send you an email and let you know. You’ll have the option to amend your ticket or get a train ticket refund.

The National Rail website also has full details of any ticket arrangements during widespread disruption.

I was disrupted but I still travelled, what do I do?

Sometimes, your journey will be disrupted but you’ll still need to travel. In these cases, you’ll need to claim Delay Repay. This isn’t something you’d claim from SmartSplit, but from the company that delayed you.

In most cases, it’ll be whoever operated or should have operated, the train that you were booked to travel on. They’ll usually ask for a picture of your ticket and your journey details, and they’ll do the rest. The amount you’re entitled to can vary, but you can often claim Delay Repay for delays above 15 minutes. With some operators, it can be above 30 or 60 minutes.

You’ll need to make sure that you claim within 28 days of your travel date. Click here to find out what to do for each operator.

Just remember, if you did travel, you need to claim compensation. If you didn’t, then you claim a refund. Even though the money get you back might be exactly the same, they’re two different processes!

The post Getting a Train ticket refund or amendment appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.

No matter whether you’ve changed your plans or just fancy a lie-in, then we’re happy to help. We won’t charge you any admin fees, either.

What you need to do

The way that you can refund your ticket depends on the type of ticket you’ve booked with us. Flexible tickets, such as Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak, are all fully refundable. You can refund them from your SmartSplit online account if you have one.

Advance tickets aren’t normally refundable, except in cases where service disruption prevented you from using them. If you need to refund or amend them, please contact us.

Not sure about the type of ticket that you purchased? It’s detailed in the confirmation email you’ll receive when you book with us. You can also check this information in your online account.

Uncollected tickets or eTickets

Not collected your tickets yet? Purchased an eTicket? You can refund these tickets in your online account or email our refunds team with your booking reference. There’s no need to attach your eTickets – we can access all the details.

Collected tickets

You’ll need to get in touch with our refunds team with your booking reference number and images of any unused tickets you’d like refunded. You’ll also need to cut your tickets diagonally through the centre before taking a photo so they can’t be used. The photo should show the date of travel, origin and destination stations and the price of the ticket clearly visible. If this information is unclear or cannot be read your refund application will be invalid.

Please keep your tickets in case we need them in order to process the refund. In some circumstances, you may need to post the physical tickets to us.

How to refund your train ticket – conditions:

• Available for unused Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak train tickets. Advance tickets cannot normally be refunded except in some cases of service disruption
• Refund requests must be received by us within 28 days of the final date your ticket is valid
• Partial refunds for outbound or return trips will be given based on the difference between a single and a return for the same ticket type. Where no equivalent is available, the nearest will be used
• We may need to call you to process your refund if your payment card has expired
• Card payments may take 3-5 working days to reach your account once the refund has been processed.

What next?

While you can’t normally receive a refund for an Advance ticket, you can find out more about amending your Advance ticket to a different date or time.

Caught up in disruption? We’re here to help with refunding your ticket if your train was cancelled, seeking compensation if your train was delayed or claiming partial refunds for your return journey. Looking for help with refunding other ticket types? Check out our refunds help page.

The post I want to know how to refund a train ticket appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.

Advance tickets are non refundable, so if you need to change when you’re travelling, here’s what to do.

What you need to do

• Book your new Advance ticket for the date and time you’d like to travel, using the conditions below
• Email us your original and new booking reference numbers
• If you’ve collected your ticket from a station machine or it was posted to you, we’ll need an image of your ticket too
• For tickets already collected, you’ll need to cut your ticket diagonally across the centre before you take the photo so it can’t be used again
• There’s no need to do this if you have an eTicket or haven’t collected your tickets from the station yet.

Conditions of Advance ticket amendment

• We can only amend your Advance train ticket if your original and replacement bookings were made through SmartSplit.co.uk. If you’ve booked with another retailer, you’ll need to approach them directly
• Your new journey should be between the same two stations
• Your ticket must also be for the same route and train operator (eg. ‘Avanti West Coast only’)
• You’ll need to purchase your new ticket and contact us before your original train departs
• We’ll refund the cost of the cheaper ticket. So if your new Advance ticket costs less than your old one, we’ll refund the cost of your new one
• You can book any class of accommodation (First Class or Standard Class) regardless of your original booking
• Railcards can be applied to either booking – you’ll be refunded the amount you paid or the cost of the cheaper ticket.

Did you use split tickets? Don’t worry if they’ve been split at different stations, or if one booking contains split tickets and the other doesn’t. All that matters is that your origin and final destination stations are the same.

Do you have a different type of ticket? Find out more about how to refund your Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak tickets, what to do if your train was cancelled, seeking compensation if your train was delayed, claiming partial refunds for your return journey or for refunding other ticket types on our refunds help page.

The post Can I amend an Advance train ticket? appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.

Advance tickets are non-refundable, but there are a few exceptions which entitle you to claim your money back.

• Your train has been cancelled and you decided not to travel
• The train operator advised you not to travel due to service disruptions
• You abandoned your journey as a result of delays
• You started your journey but due to delays or cancellations returned to your point of origin and abandoned your trip.

The post Can I get a refund for my Advance ticket? appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.

Anytime Day Single tickets

• You can travel on any train on the date of travel booked
• You can break up your journey at stations along your route.

Anytime Day Return tickets

• You can travel on any train on the date of travel booked. You need to also make your return journey on the same day, or by 4:30am the next day
• You can break up your journey at stations along your route, so long as you complete your journey on the same day, or by 4:30am the next day.

Anytime Single tickets

• These tickets are usually available for longer-distance journeys
• They’re valid for two days, so you have the ability to complete your journey the following day.
• You can break your journey at stations along the route.

Anytime Return tickets

• These tickets are the most flexible, but most expensive, tickets that you can purchase
• The outward portion of your ticket is valid for five days
• The return portion of your ticket is valid for one month
• You’re able to break up your journey at stations along your route, so long as you complete your outward journey by the end of day five, and your return journey within a month.

Anytime Short Return tickets

• These tickets are usually available for some short and medium-distance journeys
• The outward portion of your ticket is valid on the date of travel
• The return portion of your ticket is valid for one month
• You can break up your journey at stations along the route.

How do I know if I’m buying an Anytime train ticket?

Here at SmartSplit, we’ll always offer you the cheapest ticket for your journey. But, if you click on the suggested price of your trip, we’ll show you more ticket options. When you select ‘View all fares’ (highlighted in yellow) you can choose from all of the ticket types available for your trip.

Things to remember

• Anytime train tickets are more expensive than Advance or Off-Peak because they give you much more flexibility. If you’re travelling at the weekend or on Bank Holidays, it’s unlikely that you’ll need an Anytime train ticket
• Anytime tickets are eligible for refunds. Just remember that there’s no need to amend your ticket if you’re catching a different train on the same day, or within the time that your ticket is otherwise valid
• Find out more about refunding your Anytime tickets here. If you’ve created an account with us, you can do this yourself. There’s no need to contact us first
• You can also find out more about the terms and conditions of Anytime train tickets in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

The post Anytime Train Tickets appeared first on SmartSplit.co.uk.