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Advance tickets
Advance - buy in advance, travel at selected times
An Advance Purchase ticket gives you greater choice and flexibility on train services between Norwich, Lowestoft, Peterborough and London Liverpool Street.
Sold as one-way (single) tickets, so you can choose the lowest available price for each leg of your journey.
Buy in advance to travel at a specified time.
Fares start at £8 one-way (for a journey valid on National Express services only). So that means a return journey on Intercity trains between London Liverpool Street and Norwich could be made for as little as £16 (depending on availability and time of travel).
Opt to 'mix and match' by travelling First Class in one direction and Standard Class in the other.
To get the best deal, book well in advance and travel at off-peak times.
Advance tickets are subject to limited availability, and not all levels of Advance fare will be available on every train.
Available for travel from most stations in Norfolk and Suffolk to London (via Ipswich), also from Peterborough, March and Ely via Bury St Edmunds. Also available in the opposite direction, and for selected intermediate journeys.
Tips on getting the best Advance ticket deal
To and from London, there are twelve Advance ticket types (six First Class and six Standard Class) - each with a different price point. For shorter journeys within East Anglia and for longer distance journeys going beyond London, there are usually only three First and three Standard Class levels of fare available.
All Advance tickets are sold as one-way (single) tickets, so you will be able to search for the best deal on either leg of your journey.
Be flexible with your travel times - you'll be more likely to get the best available prices.
Attractive fares like these get snapped up, so you'll need to book ahead to have the best chance of getting the tickets you want.
The very best prices will be available if you can travel during the middle of the day/afternoon or mid/late evening.
On weekdays, the cheapest fares will generally not be available on trains arriving in London before 10:00 or leaving between around 16:30 to 19:00.
It will nearly always be cheaper to book an Advance ticket than an Anytime ticket.
Advance tickets are sold on trains you select and come with a free seat reservation. Travel is only available on the selected train. You must travel on the service you selected and in your reserved seat, otherwise your ticket will not be valid and you will have to pay the cost of an Anytime travel ticket.
Advance tickets must be booked before 18:00 on the day before you travel.
Children's train fares
Child discounts apply on all Advance fares. The child fare will be 50% of the adult Advance fare on that journey.
For onward travel around Central London, simply purchase a Zones 1 & 2 Travelcard. Check for Travelcard prices here.
Railcard discounts
16-25 (Young Persons), Family & Friends (Family), Senior, HM Forces and Disabled Persons Railcard holders save 1/3 on all Standard Class 'advance' tickets. In addition to that 16-25, Senior, HM Forces and Disabled Persons Railcard holders also save 1/3 on all First Class 'Advance' fares. Find our how to apply for a Railcard here.
Buying your Advance train ticket now?
Please enter your journey details in our new booking panel to the left to find the cheapest Advance fares available.
Buy train tickets over the telephone
To book tickets over the phone, call our Customer Services Centre (visit the Contact Us page for details of how to get in touch with us) - our trained staff will always offer you the best priced ticket. This service is available from 08.00 to 22.00 weekdays and from 09.00 to 18.00 at weekends and Bank Holidays.
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