Advance Fare On The Day
Just hatched a plan? You can now buy great value Advance train tickets on the day of travel with our cheep cheep Advance Fare On The Day. These last-minute tickets are available up to 15 minutes before departure, but there is limited availability so be quick!
What are Advance train tickets?
Advance train tickets are single fares that you can buy up to 12 weeks ahead of travel, and up until 11:59 pm on the day before you travel. They’re a great way to save money if you can be flexible about when you travel.
How do Advance train tickets work?
We sell Advance tickets for quieter trains on long-distance routes. You can get both Advance standard Class and First Class tickets.
If you’re making a return trip, make sure you by a ticket for each direction, and that the total cost is cheaper than buying a return Off-Peak or Super-Off-Peak fare. You can mix-and-match your Advance tickets, times, and class of travel to suit your needs.
The earlier you book your Advance ticket, the higher chance you have of grabbing a cheaper one. Advance tickets are limited in numbers and not available at all times. Usually, the closer you get to your departure date, the less there will be available.
Advance tickets are non-refundable unless your train is delayed or cancelled and you choose no to travel. If your train is delayed or cancelled and you still want to travel, you can switch your ticket to travel on a different train – do this before your original service departs.
When are Advance tickets available over the next 12 weeks?
Advance tickets are currently on sale up to and including the dates below:
| Route |
Available for booking |
Notes |
Weymouth Route
Services passing through Eastleigh and Southampton |
Until 14th March
|
Tickets unavailable 25 and 26 December |
West of England Route
Services passing through Overton and Salisbury |
Until 14th March |
Tickets unavailable 25 and 26 December
|
Portsmouth Route
Services to/from Portsmouth |
Until 14th March |
Tickets unavailable 25 and 26 December
|
Details last updated: 20/12/2024
Are there Railcard discounts on Advance tickets?
With a Railcard, you can save up to 1/3 on your Advance fares. Children and young people can save even more – there’s a 50% discount for children aged 5-15, and 50% off adult Evening Out fares for anyone with a 16-17 Saver Railcard.
If you’re travelling in a group of 3-9 people, you can save a third on tickets with GroupSave discounts.
Where can I buy an Advance ticket?
You can buy your tickets on our website, SWR app, or at the station (please note: they’re not available on ticket machines, but you can still buy them from a ticket office).
Buy your train tickets now
Can I break my journey with an Advance ticket?
With an Advance ticket, you can’t break your journey, except to change between trains to get to your destination.
I need to travel on a different train - can I change my ticket?
You can change your booking up to the original departure time. You’ll need to pay an admin fee and depending on when you bought your ticket and how far in advance you make a change to your journey, you may also need to pay the difference between the old and new ticket.
Read our guide on changing your train tickets to learn more.
I missed my train - can I change my ticket?
If you've been delayed by the railway (for example, if you miss your connecting service because of a delay to your train) then you can use your ticket on the next train to your destination.
If you have a paper ticket: speak to the ticket office or an on-board team member to get your ticket signed or stamped to allow you to travel.
If you have an e-ticket: you can ask a team member on board or at the ticket office for a Back on Track voucher.
If a delay on one of our trains means you end up being 15 minutes late or more to your destination, you can claim compensation under our Delay Repay scheme.
There are engineering works now and I don't want to travel. Can I get a refund?
If there's a change in journey times or mode of travel (such as a bus replacement service) and you no longer want to travel you can claim a full refund on the unused tickets from your original retailer.
If you're buying your tickets more than six weeks before you travel, we always recommend that you check timetables, including the planned engineering work timetable, at the six-week mark.
The timetable has changed and the train I'm booked to travel on isn't running. What can I do?
We confirm our timetables 12 weeks in advance where possible. Occasionally, we may ned to make changes due to late notice engineering works or other reasons outside of our control. We suggest you check your journey a few days before you travel to make sure there haven’t been any changes.
If your train time has moved by over 15 minutes either side of your travel time, your tickets will be valid on the service immediately before or after the one you planned to travel on. In this case, you won’t need to make any changes to your tickets.
If you decide not to travel because of a delay or cancellation you can request a refund.
