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<\/p>\nTHE exact date you should buy your train tickets before heading off on holidays has been revealed by a travel expert.<\/p>\n
According to train expert and insider\u00a0Iain Griffin, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of\u00a0Seatfrog, travellers should buy tickets at least 21 days in advance.<\/p>\n
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And Brits have been urged to get booking already as the Christmas holidays loom.<\/p>\n
Ian said: "The prime time to get the best and cheapest deal is 21 days before you travel – or earlier! Most rail networks release their timetables 12 weeks in advance, so as soon as you know your dates, get booking."<\/p>\n
But the time to buy train tickets is only half of how you can get the best deal.<\/p>\n
Commuters should also make sure to check what type of ticket they are purchasing to save cash.<\/p>\n
According to Seatfrog, an app that helps customers buy tickets, Brits are wasting \u00a3700m a year on rebooking their trains – and are often hit with \u00a3100 fees for the swap.<\/p>\n
Another tip to remember is to sign up for a railcard.<\/p>\n
While Brits might think the deals are only for students or OAPs, there are in fact nine different types that can save you a third of the cost.<\/p>\n
And Ian said with the Seatfrog app, it is possible to switch inflexible advance train tickets for as little as \u00a32.50.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n With the app, Brits can swap their tickets on Northern, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express routes – and it is expecting to be nationwide by the end of the year.<\/p>\n Ian added: "It's worth remembering that buying inflexible, 'advance' tickets can be costly if your plans end up changing. 1.2 billion inflexible tickets are sold each year which cannot be refunded or swapped – so if you want to stay an extra day somewhere or squeeze in one more festive visit before heading home, you can use the Seatfrog app to change these inflexible tickets."<\/p>\n The app can also help you snap a First Class train ticket for just \u00a35 – and to escape booking fees.<\/p>\n Ian said: 'If you want to make your train journey extra special for Christmas and get a taste of the first-class lifestyle, use the Seatfrog app to upgrade any standard ticket to a first class one. T<\/p>\n "There's two ways you can do this – either by paying a one-off flat fee or by joining our daily auctions where you can bid on seats that are otherwise empty. We've saved savvy Brits \u00a343m to date."<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/RB-COMP-MCDS-HALLOWEEN-1.jpg\")
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