How To Get Your Train Tickets

Find all the information you’ll need about the different ways you can collect your tickets. From e-tickets sent straight to your phone, to paper tickets you can pick up at the station – there’s something to suit everyone.

Getting your ticket

The easiest way to get your ticket is as an E-ticket. You can save this to your device and have it on hand ready for our staff or barriers at the station. But, if needs be, there are other ways of getting your ticket:
Here’s some handy info to help decide what works best for you.

*Please note that e-tickets aren’t available on every journey – the available options will change depending on the train you’re booking.

E-tickets sent straight to your device

  • Safely stored in your email and Avanti West Coast account

  • You can now amend your Advance tickets fee free via our website or app - for more information click here to view our change your journey page

  • Available on any Advance or Anytime/Off-Peak ticket when travelling with Avanti West Coast and selected operators

  • Sent straight to your device (view them in your account, in our app)

  • Must be activated before your journey

  • Cuts out the paper, which is great for our planet and means you’ve nothing to lose*

    *Although, please don’t lose your device or you’ll need to buy a new ticket as well as a new phone.

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Paper-tickets collected from a ticket machine at the station

There are ticket machines at all of our stations. You’ll usually find them near the Ticket Office.

Once you’re at the station, find a ticket machine and enter your 8-character reference - we’ll print your tickets on the spot. Your payment card may be required.

You’ll receive your 8-character reference when you buy tickets online or over the phone. If you booked online, you’ll find the reference in your booking confirmation email. If you can’t find the email, don’t worry, you can always log into My Account to retrieve it.

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Load your ticket straight onto a Smartcard

We’re planning to completely cut out paper where we can, that’s why we’ve created our very own Smartcard. It’s a faster, easier and safer way to buy, renew and travel with a train ticket.

You can order yours online and load a new ticket onto your new Smartcard in one fell swoop. For more information, visit our Smartcard page.

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Paper tickets posted to you via:

First Class post

  • If you decide to get your paper tickets sent to you by First Class post, then there a few things you need to know:
  • list icon You can order a ticket before 5pm and we'll pop it in the post to you the very same day.
  • list icon Our First Class post option only costs £2.
  • list icon We post to almost all of the UK, including Northern Ireland, Jersey, and Guernsey.
  • list icon We’re only able to offer First Class delivery when your travel dates are at least five days after you book. This gives us enough time to deliver your tickets before your journey.

Next day delivery

  • Next day delivery is ideal if you need paper tickets as soon as possible. If you decide to order your paper tickets to be delivered via next day delivery, then there are a few things you need to consider:
  • list icon If you need your paper ticket posted in a hurry, just make sure you order before 5pm and it’ll be delivered by 1pm the next working day (weekdays, excluding bank holidays).
  • list icon If you order after 5pm, it’ll be there within two working days.
  • list icon If you book at the weekend, your ticket will be delivered by 1pm on the following Tuesday.
  • list icon We deliver to almost everywhere in the UK including Northern Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey. But, if time’s against you, give our ticket machines a try. There's one in each of our stations, and you can collect your tickets two hours after you book them.
  • list icon Our next day deliveries always need to be signed for.
Example with Class Names Starting with "save42"
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Travelling from outside the UK?

We're unable to send tickets or smartcards by international post at the moment. Please choose eTicket to get your tickets instantly, or collect at station once you arrive in the UK.

Frequently asked questions