Ticket types and restrictions
Our popular ticket types and the benefits they offer include:
- Advance – great value tickets for specific trains. Mix and match fares for outward and return journeys
- Anytime – our most flexible ticket with no restrictions on when you can travel
- Off-Peak – cheap travel with some added flexibility. Make your outbound journey on your selected date and return on any Off-Peak service within 1 calendar month from the start date shown on the ticket
- Super Off-Peak – save more by travelling outside the busiest times
Each type offers a different flexibility, as well as First or Standard Class options. We also have Season tickets, Flexi Season tickets, Ranger tickets and Rover tickets.
With Rover tickets and Ranger tickets, you get unlimited off-peak travel for a day, or even longer. They are great for long day trips and for exploring the towns and cities on our network.
Anytime ticket – breaking your journey is allowed on all Anytime tickets.
Off-Peak ticket – in most cases, a break of journey is permitted on Off-Peak tickets unless otherwise indicated by that ticket's restrictions. All travel must be completed by 04:29 in the morning after the day the journey started.
Super Off-Peak ticket – in most cases, a break of journey is permitted on Super Off-Peak tickets unless otherwise indicated by that ticket's restrictions. All travel must be completed by 04:29 in the morning after the day the journey started.
Advance ticket – a break of journey isn't possible with Advance tickets. You can't start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on your ticket or other valid travel itinerary.
Travelcards are great for getting around London. They can typically be used on almost all of London's public transport services. Some Travelcards are valid on our services, as long as they are within the zones specified on your ticket.
You can use Peak Day Travelcards at any time from Monday to Friday on the day your ticket is valid. It's cheaper to buy an Off-Peak Day Travelcard on weekends and public holidays. Off-Peak Day Travelcards can be used for travel throughout London on journeys after 09:30 on weekdays. They can also be used at any time on weekends and public holidays. Just make sure you travel on the day your ticket is valid. Both tickets are valid until 04:29 the next day.
Find out more about Travelcards and other options to get around London.
Buying a ticket
- There are many different ways to get cheap train tickets and save money on rail travel across Britain:
- book early and buy tickets in advance
- travel in a group
- buy a season ticket
- buy a Railcard
- enjoy weekend upgrades
- buy Rover and Ranger tickets
- buy Family tickets
We accept cash onboard our trains and at our stations, but we encourage you to buy your tickets online or on the GWR app before you travel. Or, go paperless with a mobile e-ticket or our Touch Smartcard.
If you travel between Reading and London Paddington, we’d prefer you to use Contactless pay-as-you-go.
Please note that we only accept card and contactless payments for food and drink from our onboard trolley service.
Advance tickets go on sale up to 24 weeks before you travel for weekday journeys and 12 weeks for weekends.
If you’re travelling in a group of 3 to 9 people, you may be able to get a discount on Off-Peak fares with GroupSave.
Families of up to 2 adults and 4 children may be able to buy our fixed-price Family Ticket. Numbers are limited and they can sell out fast. Find out more about Family Tickets
We have a dedicated Group Travel team to help groups of 10 or more. Find out more about Group travel
Get a third off a wide range of train tickets with a Railcard and save money.
You can buy a Railcard online or at a staffed National Rail ticket office.
You won't be able to change the ticket collection method once the booking has been confirmed.
When you book your ticket you will be asked for your billing address, meaning the address to which your payment card is registered. You must complete this field.
You can then choose to have your tickets delivered to another address. Please complete the delivery address field making sure you include the correct postcode.
You won't be able to change the delivery address or collection method once the booking has been confirmed.
We'll usually offer the option to add an Underground ticket with your booking if part of your journey involves using the Underground or if you type in a London Zone as your destination station when searching for tickets.
All the tickets you need should be included in 1 payment when you book on our website. You can also usually buy Day Travelcards through our website as an add-on if your arrival station is in London.
PlusBus is a discounted bus pass that you can buy with your train ticket. It gives you unlimited bus travel, on participating operators’ services, around the whole urban area of the town or city for as little as £2.50 a day.
If you’ve got a Railcard, you’ll get 33% off your PlusBus ticket. Children aged between 5 and 15 get half price off.
You can buy PlusBus from ticket offices or GWR.com.
A booking reference is 8 alpha-numerical characters. It will be included in the confirmation email you receive when you have made a booking.
To view your reference, sign in to My Account then click 'Check my order status'. This shows all the bookings you have made. The booking reference number is at the top of this page.
To collect your tickets, you’ll need your 8-character booking reference and the card you used to pay. If you paid for your tickets in full using PayPal or an e-voucher, you can use any debit or credit card for collection.
Head over to the ticket machines when you get to the station, choose the 'Collect' option and follow the instructions on the screen.
It's worth noting that you don't have to collect your tickets from the same station you chose when you made the booking. You can collect your tickets from any National Rail station with a ticket machine across the UK.
It's important to keep hold of your tickets after you've collected or received them. If you lose your tickets, you'll need to buy new tickets to travel. This is in line with the National Rail Conditions of Travel.
If you find your lost tickets, we might be able to refund them depending on the type of ticket you had. Visit the place or website you bought your original tickets from and they'll process your refund. A refund must be requested within 28 days of the ticket's validity.
Advance tickets are non-refundable.
Pay half fare for children aged 5 to 15, and take up to 2 children under 5 free of charge. Children under 5 travelling free can use a seat provided it's not needed by a fare-paying customer.
It is sometimes necessary for children to prove their age when travelling on a child ticket. If the child looks 16 or over, it may be appropriate for proof of age to be carried when travelling.
If you book on our website, your confirmation email acts as your receipt.
If your tickets are being delivered by post, then a receipt will be enclosed with them.
If collecting from a self-service ticket machine, the receipt will be printed with the tickets.
If you're buying your ticket from a station ticket machine, you'll either be given a receipt automatically or given the option to print one. Our ticket offices will usually give you a receipt too, unless you ask us not to.
There are no VAT charges on train tickets.
Our VAT number is 876 3057 01. However, train tickets are zero-rated for VAT.
Tickets are dispatched within 24 hours of booking and delivered within 4 postal days. If you have not received your tickets within 7 postal days then please call Web Support on 03457 000 125, ensuring that you have your booking reference to hand.
If you travel for work, you might like to use our dedicated rail booking and business management service, Business Direct, to organise your travel quickly and easily. Call our team on 03457 000 125 or email gwrbusinessdirect@gwr.com.
Conference Fares are specially priced rail tickets (save over 50% off some Anytime Return fares) which are available for purchase by confirmed conference delegates.
Changing a ticket
Advance tickets
You can change the date and time of your ticket at any time before your scheduled departure. An admin fee of £10 may apply. If the price of your new ticket is more expensive, you'll need to pay the difference.
Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, and Anytime tickets
You can change the date and time of your ticket up to the date of departure without having to pay an admin fee.
Sometimes our trains are quieter than we’d like during the week. So, we’ve got together with the team at Seatfrog to give you the chance to bid on a First Class seat seamlessly from your phone.
Find out more about Seatfrog and upgrading to First Class
With Weekend First, you can upgrade your seats on weekends and public holidays from as little as £10.
If your train is cancelled, you don’t have to buy a new ticket for travel. If you’re still planning to travel and your train is cancelled, you can travel on your existing ticket under the conditions below.
My ticket is with GWR
If your ticket is for a GWR service and your train is cancelled, you can use your existing ticket to travel on any GWR service within 2 hours before or after your cancelled train. If the 2 services before or after your original ticket are peak services or less flexible, you can still travel with your original ticket.
Please be aware that other services may be busier than your original journey and we recommend making an alternative seat reservation where possible.
You can also use your ticket to travel with on any of the following operators’ services that overlap with the GWR network:
- CrossCountry
- South Western Railway
- Southern Railway
- Thameslink
- Chiltern Railways
- West Midlands Railway
- Avanti West Coast
You should still travel either 2 hours before or after your original GWR train was scheduled to depart.
If you choose to travel from a different London Terminal using Transport for London (TfL) services, or make a journey across London which wasn’t part of your original ticket, you will need to pay the appropriate TfL fare for your journey.
My ticket is with another train company
You can use your existing ticket to travel on the same operator either 2 trains before or 2 trains after your cancelled train.
Depending on which operator you were booked to travel with, you may also be able to use the same ticket to travel with a different company. Please check directly with the operator you are travelling with for their specific alternative travel advice if your train has been cancelled.
My ticket is flexible with no operator restrictions
If your ticket is a flexible Anytime ticket and does not specify a train operator, you can travel on any valid train that day, subject to any routing restrictions listed on your ticket. If you have an Off-Peak ticket which does not specify a train operator, you can travel on any off-peak train, or any train within 2 hours of the train you intended to catch.
Travelling on a different day
To travel on another day, you will usually need to buy a new ticket and apply for a refund on the original. This applies to all Advance, Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak singles. This also applies to Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak returns if you are on the outward leg of your journey.
However, if you hold an Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak return and are on the return leg, you can use the same ticket as long as it is within 1 calendar month of the specified outbound date.
With an Anytime return, you can make your outbound journey on any train up to 5 days after the specified start date, and return on any train within 1 calendar month of the specified outbound date.
Season tickets
If you travel on the same route 3 or more days a week, you could save hundreds of pounds and avoid the daily ticket office queues by buying a Season ticket. Plus, you can travel between your origin and destination stations, including intermediate stations, as much as you want – even on weekends.
Work out all Season ticket options and prices by using National Rail’s Season Ticket Calculator
Most Railcard discounts are not available on Season tickets as these tickets are already heavily discounted. There are exceptions, such as the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card and the 16–17 Saver.
It’s important that you keep your ticket safe. If you lose a paper season ticket, we can give you a duplicate, but we will charge you an admin fee. If for any reason your ticket stops working, where possible we will replace it with a Touch Smartcard.
If you have a Touch Smartcard, please let us know if you lose it. We will immediately cancel the card and arrange a new one.
In most cases, we can refund an unused portion of your Season ticket. We calculate the refund as the difference between the cost of the Season ticket you originally bought and the cost of travel made up to the date the ticket is surrendered.
Our Season tickets offer great value for regular travellers because you pay a lot less per day for your journey than on daily tickets. You also save more per day on an annual Season ticket than you do on a monthly one, for example. An annual Season ticket is calculated on the rate for 40 weeks. So, you might find that there’s only a very small amount, or nothing, to refund when you return it to us if there is little validity remaining.
Find out more information about Season ticket refunds and make a claim
You may be able to claim Delay Repay compensation if you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled.
Flexi Season ticket
A Flexi Season ticket provides customers with 8 days of travel in 28 days - any time between 2 named stations.
The 8 days of travel doesn’t need to be specified in advance, giving part-time commuters more flexibility to travel when they want and need.
Flexi Season tickets allow commuters to make 8 return journeys over a 28 day window, while saving at least 20% on the cost of an equivalent monthly season ticket, when travelling 2 days a week at peak times.
Flexi Season tickets are available as a Smartcard ticket which you can buy from GWR.com, our app or our ticket offices. If you don’t have a GWR Touch Smartcard then you can register for a smartcard. When buying online, please allow plenty of time to get one before you travel as they can take up to 5 days to arrive by post.
Alternatively, you can visit any of our ticket offices to get your smartcard on the spot.
A Flexi Season ticket is a new, more flexible, kind of season ticket that allows 8 days of travel in 28 days with unlimited travel, from the time you activate your day pass until 04:29 the next morning, between 2 stations each day that it is used.
It’s great for commuters travelling during peak times 2 to 3 days a week, Monday to Friday, as it offers an alternative to a traditional season ticket.
Season tickets are available in First Class and Child options, while Flexi comes in standard class only as it is aimed at commuters travelling during peak-times, Monday to Friday, 2 to 3 days a week.
You can find out the cost of a Flexi Season ticket and choose which ticket is right for your journey with the new National Rail Season ticket calculator.
Flexi Season tickets are currently only available as a Smartcard ticket. You can buy a Flexi Season ticket online at GWR.com , through the GWR app, or at any of our ticket offices. When you get to the station, simply ‘touch in’ on the yellow reader on the gate or at a platform validator.
If you have a GWR Touch Smartcard, you can buy your Flexi Season ticket online at GWR.com or through the GWR app and add it to your Smartcard. Head to our season tickets purchase page and enter the relevant details for your journey in order to buy.
If you don’t have a Smartcard, visit our ticket offices to get it on the spot or order one free of charge at GWR.com/touch. Allow plenty of time to get one before you travel as they can take up to 5 days to arrive by post.
The Flexi Season ticket is available on most of our popular GWR commuter routes. To see if your route is available, head to our season tickets purchase page and enter your journey details.
No, but Flexi Season tickets can be used for travel during peak and off-peak periods. Flexi tickets are aimed at commuters making the same journey 2 to 3 times a week during peak times.
No. Flexi Season tickets are only available in standard class.
No. Flexi Season tickets are only available for adults.
If you lose or forget your smartcard containing your Flexi Season ticket, you will need to buy a new ticket to make your journey.
Please make sure you contact us to block a lost smartcard to prevent misuse.
On the days you choose to travel with a Flexi Season ticket, you can make unlimited journeys between your named start and end stations. You can also break, start or end your journey at any station on your permitted route. Your day pass will be valid from the time you activate it until 04:29 the next morning.
At the start of your journey, just place your Touch Smartcard on a smartcard reader. This will load any new purchases and activate 1 of your day passes and allow you to travel. Our onboard team can check your ticket by scanning your smartcard.
It is important that you touch in at the start of your journey and out at the end where facilities exist to validate your journey. You can also activate your Flexi Season day pass using the National Rail Smartcard app.
Flexi Season tickets can be used on any service that run on your route, even if they aren’t GWR trains, unless otherwise specified. If your Flexi Season ticket is valid for a specific operator only, this will be stated at time of purchase.
Make sure you keep your payment cards and smartcard separate when touching in or out to avoid touching more than 1 card on a reader at the same time.
In most cases you can use any operator between your start and end stations. If your Flexi Season ticket is valid for a specific operator only, this will be stated at time of purchase.
If your Flexi Season ticket is only valid for a specific operator but you wish to travel with another, you will need to buy a new ticket for your journey.
If your Flexi Season ticket is restricted to a particular route, you will need to buy a new ticket for your journey. To change a route for 1 single or return journey (except where a route specifies a particular train operator), Flexi Season ticket holders can do so by paying the difference between the appropriate day tickets for each route, for each journey being made.
No. Journeys within the London Zonal Fare Area are not available on a Flexi Season ticket. You can use pay-as-you-go (PAYG) on Oyster or Contactless for onward connections on Transport for London (TfL) services.
Flexi Season ticket: pricing and refunds
You can find out the cost of a Flexi Season ticket and choose which ticket is right for your journey with the new National Rail Season ticket calculator.
A Flexi Season ticket is great for helping you save money if you’re commuting during peak times at least 2 days a week.
Flexi Season tickets allow commuters to make 8 return journeys over a 28 day window, saving at least 20% on the cost of an equivalent monthly season ticket when travelling 2 days a week at peak times.
A refund is calculated from the difference between the price you paid for the Flexi Season and the cost of an Anytime return ticket for each day you have used, minus a £10 administration fee.
If you only have 1 or 2 journeys left on your Flexi Season, you may find that no refund is available.
You must apply for a refund before the end of the 28 day validity period.
The refund will be calculated based on the price of an Anytime return ticket for the journey your Flexi Season is valid for, and the number of travel days used within the ticket's validity, minus the £10 administration fee.
If you bought your ticket from a ticket office, please visit the ticket office to get a refund. If you bought your ticket online or through our app, please complete our online refund form.
Yes. If your journey is disrupted, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Find out more about Delay Repay
You can’t exchange a Flexi Season. If you’ve already been using your Flexi ticket, our recommendation would be to use up your 8 journeys and buy a Season ticket once you’ve used all your journeys.
Alternatively, you can request a refund less the admin fee and then buy a Season ticket.
16-17 Saver and Job Centre Plus Travel Discount Card holders are able to get 50% off their Flexi Season ticket, but no other Railcard or group discounts apply.
If you were sick and couldn’t use your Flexi Season ticket, you must apply for a refund before the end of the 28 day validity period.
There must be a minimum of 1 unused journey left to refund, and a £10 admin fee will apply.
If you can provide evidence that you were not able to apply for a refund because of illness (such as a doctor’s note), we will still consider your refund application after the expiry date.
Mobile e-Tickets
You’ll need to download the GWR app (available from your app store). You can then buy e-tickets from either the app or GWR.com to save straight to your mobile phone.
Most single and return ticket types (including Advance Single fares) are available as mobile tickets. Season tickets aren’t available as mobile tickets yet, but we’ll keep you updated.
You can buy from either the GWR app or GWR.com. If a mobile ticket is available, it will be shown as a delivery option. If you’re buying a ticket on the go, make sure you’ve got strong mobile signal or are connected to Wi-Fi.
Yes, normal Railcard discounts will apply.
Yes. If available, you can reserve your seat.
Your mobile ticket will be delivered to your device as soon as you’ve paid for it.
Yes, you will still receive email confirmation.
Have your mobile device ready, with the barcode showing from the app. To enter or leave the station, place the screen against the scanner on the right side of the gate.
If a station doesn’t have a scanner, a member of staff will be able to check your ticket and let you through.
If you can’t show your mobile ticket, you will need to buy another ticket.
Make sure you bring your mobile device and keep it charged. We provide power sockets on all of our trains.
Your mobile ticket is stored in the 'My Tickets' section of the GWR app. You’ll still be able to view it, even if there isn’t mobile signal available.
You can save a copy or print the PDF version of the e-Ticket attached to your booking confirmation email as a back-up.
Smartcards
We have got 2 options for you to get a smartcard:
- online: you’ll need to set up an account on GWR.com. When you’ve done this, you can apply for a smartcard by going to the Manage My Smartcards section under My account. You should get your GWR Touch Smartcard within 5 working days
Apply for a GWR Touch Smartcard
- ticket office: you can get a smartcard at most GWR ticket offices. You will need to provide your details to be printed on the card
- online: you’ll need to set up an account on GWR.com. When you’ve done this, you can apply for a smartcard by going to the Manage My Smartcards section under My account. You should get your GWR Touch Smartcard within 5 working days
A Touch Smartcard is the easy way to store your train tickets. It's reusable, and a great alternative to traditional paper tickets.
When you set up a GWR.com account, you’ll be able to see what you’ve bought, re-order tickets, and keep your personal details up to date.
Our GWR Touch Smartcard is available for use with season tickets, London Travelcards, and single and return tickets (on selected routes).
You’ll be able to use your Touch Smartcard for travel across the whole of Great Britain and on the London Underground with London Travelcards.
Buy tickets for your Touch Smartcard online at GWR.com, from a GWR ticket machine, or from a GWR ticket office.
GWR.com
- Login to your Touch Smartcard account
- Follow the instructions
- Tap at the ticket gate or platform validator at your chosen station to collect (allow 2 hours after buying).
GWR ticket office
Talk to us and we’ll help you find the ticket you need. You can buy season, Single and Return and London Travelcard tickets.
GWR ticket machine
- Tap your card on the machine’s card reader
- Follow the simple instructions to buy your ticket
- Tap your card on the reader again to load your ticket
Yes, normal Railcard discounts will apply for singles and return tickets. Your Railcard works in the same way as it does with any other type of ticket.
If you buy a smart ticket from GWR.com, your ticket should be ready for collection within 2 hours.
If you buy your ticket from a GWR ticket office or ticket machine, it is instantly uploaded to the card at the time of purchase.
Yes, you will still receive an email confirmation if you buy a smart ticket on GWR.com.
Once your ticket has been added to your Touch Smartcard you can travel as normal.
To ‘tap in’, present your Touch Smartcard at the ticket gate or platform validator (where available). Just do the same at the end of your journey to ‘tap out’.
If you have more than 1 contactless card in your wallet, make sure you keep them apart when you tap in and out to avoid card clash.
If you are travelling on GWR or any other train operator’s service, you do not need to carry a separate photocard.
No. Your GWR Touch Smartcard can’t be used by anyone else.
It is the same as leaving any kind of ticket at home – you’ll need to buy a new ticket for your journey.
If you have a season ticket on your GWR Touch Smartcard, you may be entitled to a refund of the cost of the new ticket. Keep the ticket and ask at the ticket office within 28 days – bring your GWR smartcard with you.
An administration fee of £10 may be applied on the first 2 occasions when a refund is requested. No further refund will be provided in any 12 month period, starting with the date of the first occasion the Season Ticket could not be produced (and regardless of the number of Season Tickets purchased in that time).
Call our Web Support team on 03457 000 125. We’ll cancel your GWR Touch Smartcard to stop anyone else from using it and send you a new one.
We can arrange for a replacement ticket to be added to your smartcard if the ticket was purchased at a GWR station or on our website. We may charge a fee to replace your tickets.
First, speak to a member of staff at any GWR station.
If your GWR Touch Smartcard needs to be replaced, visit any GWR station ticket office or call Web Support on 03457 000 125.