Are Advance tickets refundable?
Advance tickets are not refundable. However, you can change your journey to another date.
A £10 admin fee will apply.
Please check our Refunds page to see if more information about our refund policy.
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When can I use an Advance ticket?
Advance tickets are our cheapest ticket offered. Similar to when you buy an airline ticket, they are linked to a specific train time and seat number, so can't be used for any other train time or journey.
They are the best ticket to buy for your journey because they:
- Are often cheaper* than other tickets
- Always come with a seat reservation
- You can combine different types of single tickets to save money
Save an average of 49%* when you book in advance. Saving on all Advance tickets booked on our website vs buying an Anytime ticket.
You can buy LNER Advance tickets on our website and on our app first, so you always know you're getting the best deal when you book directly with us!
Please note, you will still see and be able to purchase return tickets available for other train operators, as well as a small amount of LNER journeys.
What times are Off-Peak tickets valid?
Trains travelling north
Off-Peak tickets are not valid for travel on north bound trains departing London between 06.45 and 07.59 (Monday to Thursday*) or between 15.59 and 17.45 (Monday to Thursday* only).
Trains travelling south
Off-Peak tickets are not valid for trains that arrive into London before 10.08 (Monday to Thursday*)
Weekend Travel
You can travel anytime at the weekend
Please note that not all journey restrictions are set by LNER. Train companies have their own Off-Peak tickets to give you flexibility to travel on any of their trains. Check your ticket to see the route restrictions. If your journey is with another train company, please check their website for Off-Peak restrictions.
You will still see and be able to purchase return tickets available for other train operators, as well as a small amount of LNER journeys.
*Except between Stevenage and London King's Cross which also includes Friday
Are Off-Peak tickets refundable?
Off-Peak tickets are refundable. You can follow the steps on our refunds page to apply for a refund for these kinds of tickets. There is a £10 admin fee for refunds.
Can I travel on an earlier or later train?
This depends on the ticket type.
Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak
Can be used on a different time train providing the earlier or later train is also within the terms of conditions of the ticket. View full Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak terms and conditions first.
Advance tickets
Advance tickets are our cheapest tickets and are only valid for the booked train.
You can change to another train by buying a ticket for the new date or time you want to travel on (you can't change the to or from station) and follow the instructions on this Refund form and we'll refund the original ticket for you.
Anytime tickets
Just as it says on the tin - these can be used at anytime. Reserve a seat for the train you'd like to travel on.
Please note, you will still see and be able to purchase return tickets available for other train operators, as well as a small amount of LNER journeys.
How do I book a Family ticket?
Booking a Family Single ticket is exactly the same as booking any other type of ticket. Choose where you'd like to travel from and to, what date you'd like to travel and how many adults and children are travelling.
Then choose from the available travel times in our journey planner and don't forget to reserve your seats!
A family is defined as being between a minimum of 1 adult and 1 child (aged 5-15 years old inclusive) up to a maximum of 2 adults and 4 children (aged 5-15 years old inclusive). The group size must be specified when you buy the ticket. All tickets required for travel must be bought at the same time.
Is it possible to book a First Class LNER Family Single ticket?
No, LNER Family Single tickets are only valid in Standard.
Are LNER Family Single tickets refundable?
No, LNER Family Single tickets are non-refundable.
Do I need to book a ticket for all the children even if they’re under 5?
While the National Rail Conditions of Travel state that children aged under 5 years old travelling with an accompanying fare-paying passenger can travel free of charge, they're not guaranteed their own seat on busy services. In order to guarantee a seat, we recommend under-5s are included as part of the overall number of people travelling with the LNER Family Singles, but the decision is entirely at your discretion.
Can I book Caledonian Sleeper services via this website?
Yes, you can book tickets on a Caledonian Sleeper service when booking from a desktop or tablet device. However, we can only offer seat (not berth) reservations.
If you want to book a ticket and reserve a berth, you'll need to contact Caledonian Sleeper directly, or you could visit a station.
Keep in mind that if you buy a flexible or open ticket on our site and want to travel on a Sleeper service, you'll need a reservation. You won't be allowed to board without one.
How do I book tickets to London Thameslink stations?
If you're coming in from the North or South to one of the London Thameslink stations (St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink, London Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant & Castle) and want to book a ticket, just select "London Thameslink" as your destination when you book. This way you'll see the full range of fares for your journey.
I want to travel to London Airports. How do I find tickets on your website or app?
If you're buying tickets for the Heathrow Express you'll need to enter the following information during the booking process under ‘Buy a ticket’:
‘From’ – London Paddington
‘To ‘ – Heathrow Express
You'll have the option of 4 tickets to choose from.
Trains go to terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4. The approximate journey times are 15 minutes to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and 25 minutes to Terminal 4.
If you are arriving at Heathrow you'll need to switch them around, enter Heathrow in the ‘From’ field and London Paddington in the ‘To’ field.
To travel to Stansted or Gatwick, all you have to do is type those names into the 'from/to' field.
Why can I see two tickets with the same name but different prices?
On some journeys to the same place there could be two different routes. One might go through London and one might not. If this happens you'll see two or more tickets with the same name but different prices. The difference in price can be because of different journey lengths or times. What normally happens is that cheaper tickets will have more restrictions about how they're used.
Can I buy a ticket for someone else?
Yes. Train tickets can be used by anyone. If that person is collecting tickets from a ticket vending machine, they will need the credit or debit card used to make the booking. This might be a little tricky to work around so bear this in mind when booking. If it helps, you can request that tickets are posted to any UK postal address when you book online.
If you buy an eTicket, once you have loaded the ticket into your Apple or Google Wallet, you can share it with someone else. Alternatively, you can request a PDF to be emailed to you that can be printed.
You can also create Gift eVouchers for someone to purchase a train ticket.
Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets
What times are Off-Peak tickets valid?
Trains travelling north
Off-Peak tickets are not valid for travel on north bound trains departing London between 06.45 and 07.59 (Monday to Thursday*) or between 15.59 and 17.45 (Monday to Thursday* only).
Trains travelling south
Off-Peak tickets are not valid for trains that arrive into London before 10.08 (Monday to Thursday*)
Weekend Travel
You can travel anytime at the weekend
Please note that not all journey restrictions are set by LNER. Train companies have their own Off-Peak tickets to give you flexibility to travel on any of their trains. Check your ticket to see the route restrictions. If your journey is with another train company, please check their website for Off-Peak restrictions.
You will still see and be able to purchase return tickets available for other train operators, as well as a small amount of LNER journeys.
*Except between Stevenage and London King's Cross which also includes Friday
How can I book an open return?
Flexible tickets can be booked through multiple different channels including but not limited to; LNER.co.uk, ticket vending machines and at travel centres.
Can I travel on an earlier or later train?
This depends on the ticket type.
Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak
Can be used on a different time train providing the earlier or later train is also within the terms of conditions of the ticket. View full Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak terms and conditions first.
Advance tickets
Advance tickets are our cheapest tickets and are only valid for the booked train.
You can change to another train by buying a ticket for the new date or time you want to travel on (you can't change the to or from station) and follow the instructions on this Refund form and we'll refund the original ticket for you.
Anytime tickets
Just as it says on the tin - these can be used at anytime. Reserve a seat for the train you'd like to travel on.
Please note, you will still see and be able to purchase return tickets available for other train operators, as well as a small amount of LNER journeys.
What restrictions are there, on open single tickets. E.g. can you break your journey?
Most flexible ‘open single tickets’ do allow a break of journey but please check before you travel or at the time of purchase as different ticket types have different terms and conditions attached to them.
What is a Flexible ticket?
Flexible tickets are provided to allow customers the option of having the flexibility to travel on multiple trains. They are normally split into three categories: Anytime tickets allowing the customer to travel on any train on the date selected, Off-peak tickets these are valid to be used at Off-Peak times and Super Off-Peak tickets which are valid at Super Off-Peak times.
What is an Open Return?
An Open Return is a flexible ticket that doesn't make you choose a specific time or date to return. They're valid for one calendar month from the date of the outward journey. There are a few types of Open ticket:
- Anytime: fully flexible tickets that can be used on peak and off-peak services.
- Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak: fairly flexible tickets that can be used on off-peak services on some journeys.
We recommend making a seat reservation for your return journey to guarantee a seat. On some rare occasions on busy trains, you may not be able to reserve a seat. There is a small number of unreservable seating in Coach C.
Advance tickets FAQs
Are Advance tickets refundable?
Advance tickets are not refundable. However, you can change your journey to another date.
A £10 admin fee will apply.
Please check our Refunds page to see if more information about our refund policy.
Can I change my travel plans?
Advance tickets are not refundable. However, you can change your journey to another date.
A £10 admin fee will apply.
Please check our Refunds page to see more information about our refund policy.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes - you need to book at least 5 minutes before the train starts its journey.
Can I break my journey if I have an Advance ticket?
No. You have to travel on the trains you chose when you booked.
Can I get a discount with a Railcard?
Yes, you can save up to a third of the ticket price with a Railcard. Find out more about Railcards.
Are there discounts for children?
Yes, there is a 50% discount for children aged 5-15 inclusive, and under 5s travel free. Read more about travelling with children.
Can I reserve a seat?
Yes, you’ll automatically be reserved a seat for an LNER journey when you book any Advance ticket and there are reservable seats available. Other train companies may have different reservation policies. Please check with the relevant train companies before travelling.
Is it possible to book a First Class Advance ticket?
Yes it is, subject to availability. If travelling by LNER, First Advance tickets also let you use any of our First Class lounges for free.
What happens if disruption affects my travel plans?
If you decide not to travel due to disruption, you can claim a refund on any unused tickets.
If you decided to travel and have been delayed, you may be able to claim Delay Repay.
LNER Family Tickets
Do I need to book a ticket for all the children even if they’re under 5?
While the National Rail Conditions of Travel state that children aged under 5 years old travelling with an accompanying fare-paying passenger can travel free of charge, they're not guaranteed their own seat on busy services. In order to guarantee a seat, we recommend under-5s are included as part of the overall number of people travelling with the LNER Family Singles, but the decision is entirely at your discretion.
What is considered a family when purchasing a Family Single?
A family is defined as being between a minimum of 1 adult and 1 child (aged 5-15 years old inclusive) up to a maximum of 2 adults and 4 children (aged 5-15 years old inclusive). The group size must be specified when you buy the ticket. All tickets required for travel must be bought at the same time. By the way, you don’t all need to be related!
How do I book a Family ticket?
Booking a Family Single ticket is exactly the same as booking any other type of ticket. Choose where you'd like to travel from and to, what date you'd like to travel and how many adults and children are travelling.
Then choose from the available travel times in our journey planner and don't forget to reserve your seats!
A family is defined as being between a minimum of 1 adult and 1 child (aged 5-15 years old inclusive) up to a maximum of 2 adults and 4 children (aged 5-15 years old inclusive). The group size must be specified when you buy the ticket. All tickets required for travel must be bought at the same time.
Is it possible to book a First Class LNER Family Single ticket?
No, LNER Family Single tickets are only valid in Standard.
Can I break my journey with a Family Single?
No, you have to travel on the trains you chose when you booked.
Are LNER Family Single tickets refundable?
No, LNER Family Single tickets are non-refundable.