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Looking for the perfect ticket purchasing app that suits me

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jednick

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I'm looking for the perfect app for me, to buy train tickets on my phone.

I would consider a website that I can use in my phone's browser, but would prefer an app.

It must meet the following criteria...

1. Absolutely no booking fees, so it's probably going to be a TOC's app.

2. The ability to input "via" a certain station when looking up the route (eg Birmingham to London via High Wycombe).

3. To be able to purchase PlusBus add-ons.

4. The choice of buying both paper tickets and e-tickets.

Is there one app (or website) that I can use that will allow me to do all four of these things? It has to be just the one app please, I want just the one that suits me.

Thanks.
 
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Starmill

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I use tickets.tpexpress.co.uk which does all of that, but the user interface isn't to everyone's tastes. I don't know how important that is to you.
 

jednick

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I use tickets.tpexpress.co.uk which does all of that, but the user interface isn't to everyone's tastes. I don't know how important that is to you.
Thanks. Is that just their website, or does their app do all four things as well?
 

yorkie

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I'm looking for the perfect app for me, to buy train tickets on my phone.

I would consider a website that I can use in my phone's browser, but would prefer an app.

It must meet the following criteria...

1. Absolutely no booking fees, so it's probably going to be a TOC's app.
Some third party providers do not charge booking fees, such as Trainsplit, so you'd not be paying more than using a TOC site if you used one of those.

2. The ability to input "via" a certain station when looking up the route (eg Birmingham to London via High Wycombe).

3. To be able to purchase PlusBus add-ons.

4. The choice of buying both paper tickets and e-tickets.

Is there one app (or website) that I can use that will allow me to do all four of these things? It has to be just the one app please, I want just the one that suits me.

Thanks.
Trainsplit has an app and does all those things, with multiple via/avoid points (you can even specify changing at or not changing at) and has the choice of paper and e-tickets (where available), with one exception: it doesn't [yet] do PlusBus.

Incidentally Trainline doesn't actually charge a fee if you use the app and buy tickets on the day; the fee is charged if you use the app to buy in advance though.
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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Some third party providers do not charge booking fees, such as Trainsplit, so you'd not be paying more than using a TOC site if you used one of those.


Trainsplit has an app and does all those things, with multiple via/avoid points (you can even specify changing at or not changing at) and has the choice of paper and e-tickets (where available), with one exception: it doesn't [yet] do PlusBus.
I use the LNER website for everything as I find it’s got a simpler format to many other TOCs - what is better about Trainsplit than using a decent TOC website, out of interest?
 

HSP 2

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I use the LNER website for everything as I find it’s got a simpler format to many other TOCs - what is better about Trainsplit than using a decent TOC website, out of interest?
Trainsplit will look for the cheapest priced tickets for your journey, I'm going to London in Oct. the price on Nat Rail £64.30 Trainsplit £29.70. LNER website £68.65.
 

Haywain

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Trainsplit will look for the cheapest priced tickets for your journey, I'm going to London in Oct. the price on Nat Rail £64.30 Trainsplit £29.70. LNER website £68.65.
The National Rail price is fairly meaningless given the website cannot sell tickets.
 

py_megapixel

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Northern England
Thanks. Is that just their website, or does their app do all four things as well?
Yes, I have very similar requirements and I settled on TransPennine Express. Everything works in both the website and the app.

I use the LNER website for everything as I find it’s got a simpler format to many other TOCs
LNER doesn't satisfy this member's condition 4, as their app won't let you buy a paper ticket unless it can't offer anything else.
 

Cdd89

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8 Jan 2017
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Trainsplit has an app and does all those things, with multiple via/avoid points (you can even specify changing at or not changing at) and has the choice of paper and e-tickets (where available), with one exception: it doesn't [yet] do PlusBus.
Trainsplit’s filters are quite powerful and the website is to be commended for some of the less usual filters, but unless I’m missing something, the iPhone app is regrettably far less functional even when it comes to basic filters (perhaps android gets a better app?). I couldn’t, for example, see how to add a via/avoid condition using it.
 

ChrisC

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Nottinghamshire
Trainsplit has an app and does all those things, with multiple via/avoid points (you can even specify changing at or not changing at) and has the choice of paper and e-tickets (where available), with one exception: it doesn't [yet] do PlusBus.
I’m going to be buying tickets for next week from Nottingham to Exeter using Trainsplit. It comes up with exactly what I need with splits at Cheltenham and Bristol. I’m just wanting one change of train in each direction at Derby. I usually use their website and have no problems with that as I can stipulate a change of train at Derby and I get the journey I want. I thought I would try using the app on my iPhone but I can’t find where to add a change at Derby. All it keeps coming up with is a change of train at Birmingham New Street. No problems, as I am quite happy to continue using the website, but I just wondered if I was missing something.
 

Bletchleyite

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"Marston Vale mafia"
I’m going to be buying tickets for next week from Nottingham to Exeter using Trainsplit. It comes up with exactly what I need with splits at Cheltenham and Bristol. I’m just wanting one change of train in each direction at Derby. I usually use their website and have no problems with that as I can stipulate a change of train at Derby and I get the journey I want. I thought I would try using the app on my iPhone but I can’t find where to add a change at Derby. All it keeps coming up with is a change of train at Birmingham New Street. No problems, as I am quite happy to continue using the website, but I just wondered if I was missing something.

The app is much more basic, just as most TOC apps are more basic than the website.
 

ChrisC

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The app is much more basic, just as most TOC apps are more basic than the website.
Thanks. I’ve searched everywhere on the app and thought that I might be missing a step. No problems at all, I will just continue to buy tickets using the Trainsplit website.
 
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