Advance tickets

What are Advance rail tickets?

Advance train tickets give you the chance to book your trip for cheaper prices than if you were to buy on the day. Advance tickets are available up to 12 weeks before your travel date and can be used on some commuter journeys. They can be purchased up to the day before travel but it’s first-come, first served.

Advance tickets are for one-way, single journeys, so if you need to return, you’ll need to buy two single Advance tickets.

New Peak Advance tickets

Anyone travelling at peak times on Monday or Friday (morning and evening) can save up to 15% compared to the price of a standard peak fare Anytime Day Return ticket.

Southern peak Advance tickets are available for journeys in both directions between East Croydon, Clapham Junction and London Victoria, and stations south from Three Bridges, as far east as Eastbourne and as far west as Chichester.

How much do they cost?

Advance tickets are available across the country at different prices, however journeys on the Southern network start from £6.

If you want to upgrade, you can select one of our First Class Advance tickets which start from £19.

The earlier you book, the more likely it is that you'll snap up a £6 ticket. There will be reduced availability on some routes 4 weeks before travel, however Advance tickets can be available up to 6pm the night before you travel so it is always worth checking.

Here are some of the benefits of booking early on:

• No last-minute dash to the ticket office to arrange travel
• Cheaper fares
• 1/3 off the ticket price if you have a 16-25, Senior, HM Forces, Family & Friends, Two Together or Disabled Persons Railcard
• Using single tickets gives you the chance to mix and match tickets. For example, you could travel standard class on the way out and First Class on the way back