Splitting headaches?

I'm not the first, and I'm sure I won't be the last observer of transport matters to be perplexed and bemused by the mysteries of UK railway ticketing.

Today, Jill and Julia are travelling home to Prudhoe from Jill's parents, just to the south of Sheffield. In the past, I've managed to get train tickets for around £30. When I went on-line to buy tickets a few weeks ago, the best price I could get was £64.50.

So instead I looked at splitting the journey into sections. Jill doesn't mind changing at Doncaster, so first I managed to get Doncaster to Newcastle tickets from National Express East Coast's own web site for just £33.35 - and their First Class ticket was just coppers more than Standard! Jill will buy on-train tickets for the Northern Rail services between Kiveton Bridge and Doncaster, and Newcastle and Prudhoe, bringing the total cost of the journey to £45.35, almost twenty quid cheaper - and with a fair chunk of First Class travel, too!

And while we're busy tightening our belts, here's a good way of saving money on refreshments for the journey. The Bite discount card gives a 20 per cent discount on purchases from selected food and drink retailers at many of the country's railway stations. You can easily save a couple of quid every time you buy a coffee and sandwich...