Trains - what do I ask for?

Question

.....if I want to go somewhere, and return to the same place I came from? (!U.K!)

Answer 1

contact the railroad office and ask for a orund trip ticket and tell them the cities.  and if they don't bother buy two onw-way tickets.

Answer 2

what cities are you traveling between?  the answer depends on type of train and rail carrier.

we need more info to be able to help you better.

in some cases, you just buy a one-way ticket going, and another one-way ticket to return.  other carriers might offer a discounted return price, so then you need to get a round-trip ticket in advance of first departure.  in commuter rail territory, many people buy weekly or monthly tickets, which may allow an unlimited # of rides between 2 city pairs irregardless of direction.  a 10-ride or similarly-named ticket is also used between 2 points irregardless of direction, but of course would be limited by how-ever many rides it is sold for.

you should also have your travel dates in mind, as some schedules and fares may be different on weekends vs weekdays, etc.

if reservations are required, then availability will influence whether you can travel or if the train is sold out, and whatever prices you pay.  generally, the more full the train is getting, the higher the price goes.

("yield management", the same as the airlines, who try to maximize seat revenue by charging more to last-minute reservations bcs these people tend to HAVE to travel at last minute and will pay whatever it takes to get on board.  discounts go to discretionary travelers such as tourists or students, who tend to book travel well in advance and who will comparison shop to get best fares).

if you are just traveling on local commuter trains, these are usually unreserved trains where everyone just shows up with tickets and travels.

Answer 3

Ask for a day return if you're coming back the same day (you may be able to get a cheap day return), and a saver return if you're coming back up to 1 month afterwards.

Ordinary return if you're coming back later than that.