Travelling home from university can become expensive, particularly if you're making the same journey several times a term. However, students have access to some worthwhile discounts.

Get a 16–25 Railcard

If you regularly travel by train, a 16–25 Railcard should usually be the first thing you buy. It currently costs £35 for one year or £80 for three years and gives you one-third off most rail fares across Great Britain.

Despite the name, full-time mature students can also qualify.

There are restrictions, mostly on certain weekday morning journeys, so don't assume every ticket will be exactly one-third cheaper. Even so, if you make a few long journeys each year, this will quickly pay for itself.

Book early - but compare tickets first

Advance tickets are generally cheaper than buying a flexible ticket shortly before travelling. If you know when you're going home for Christmas or reading week, booking ahead will make a substantial difference.

Before paying, also check whether buying separate tickets for different parts of the same journey is cheaper than one through-ticket. This is called split ticketing. You don't necessarily have to change trains — the train just needs to stop at the station where one ticket ends and the next begins.

Don't assume the train is cheapest

For longer journeys, compare rail fares with National Express and Megabus. Coaches take longer, but the difference in price can be significant.

National Express's Young Persons Coachcard currently costs £30 a year and gives 16–26-year-olds and full-time students one-third off Standard and Fully Flexible fares. Unlike the 16–25 Railcard, there are no peak-time restrictions.

Before buying one, however, check the ordinary student discounts first. National Express currently offers students up to 20% off through UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM without requiring a Coachcard. If you only use National Express occasionally, that may be enough.

For commuting, work out the cost per journey

If you travel to campus most days, don't automatically buy individual tickets.

Check your local bus and rail operators for:

  • student passes
  • weekly or monthly tickets
  • term passes
  • season tickets
  • university travel schemes

Which option cheapest depends heavily on where you study and how often you travel. A monthly pass might look expensive upfront but work out far cheaper per journey if you're commuting five days a week.

If you only travel to campus two or three times a week, the opposite may be true. Calculate the actual cost of your expected journeys before buying a long-term pass.

A few habits make the biggest difference

Where possible, travel outside peak periods, book trips home well in advance and compare train, coach and split-ticket prices rather than sticking with the same option every time.

For most students who travel home by train regularly, the 16–25 Railcard is the best option.