Cheap flights to destinations afar might have quite literally taken off, but you still can’t beat a classic British trip to the seaside. Blackpool has been a favourite for years, and you can get there on a budget, too! Here’s our guide to finding the best train tickets to Blackpool.

What are the train stations in Blackpool?

Did you know that two different railway lines serve Blackpool? The most common one is the line that’ll take you to Blackpool North. Trains from York, Leeds, Manchester and beyond serve this station, and it’s the largest one in Blackpool.

If you change at Preston, then you can also use the line to Blackpool South. There’s also a stop along the way at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. These are smaller, unstaffed stations, but they’re a bit closer to the attractions in Blackpool itself. One train per hour runs on this route.

When you buy train tickets to Blackpool, remember to select which station you’d like to travel to. Tickets to Blackpool South aren’t normally valid at Blackpool North, and vice-versa. Usually, the prices are a little different.

What are the best tickets from Manchester?

That’s nice and simple! Northern runs direct trains from Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road twice every hour up to Blackpool North. They have Advance tickets on this route too, which are usually sold right up until the train leaves. Let’s see what we get if you want to travel to Blackpool North in an hour:

As you can see, it’s possible to get train tickets to Blackpool for £9.30 while you’re on the way to the station. These cheaper Advance tickets start at £5.50.

If you’re making a return trip, then an Off-Peak Day Return (valid after 9am on weekdays and any time at weekends and on Bank Holidays) is £21.10. It’s £22.70 if you want to travel earlier on a weekday (or if you’re returning on a different day). Either way, Railsmartr will show you the cheapest fare for the journey that you want to make.

Are there cheap train tickets to Blackpool from Glasgow?

If you’re travelling from Glasgow down to Blackpool, then you have two options when it comes to train companies. You can either use Avanti West Coast or TransPennine Express. When we looked at train tickets to Blackpool a month in advance, it was usually the case that Avanti West Coast was cheaper. For most of the day, it was pretty easy to get a one-way ticket for £36:

However, it’s possible to go cheaper than that. If you book a ticket to Preston first, you could save a heap. Don’t worry about connecting trains either, as you’re still covered if there’s a delay, even if you have two separate tickets. Just make sure that you give yourself at least eight minutes to change trains, as this is the minimum allowed time at Preston. So, let’s look at the prices from Glasgow Central to Preston first:

So, it’s just £12 or £14 to go to Preston. From here, it’s £8.80 for a single ticket to Blackpool North if you’re travelling after 09:00 on weekdays (anytime weekends and Bank Holidays), or £8.90 if you’re coming back the same day too. Northern also sell Advance tickets for specific trains, and these tickets are typically sold for around £3.50 to £5.50.

So, this means that you can travel to Blackpool for significantly less. Even if you were to buy a flexible ticket for the train from Preston to Blackpool, it’d be £20.80 in total, rather than £50.40. That’s less than half the price!

How much are train tickets from Birmingham?

So, you want some train tickets to Blackpool from Birmingham? Not a problem. Most of the time, you’ll need to take Avanti West Coast up to Preston, and then change for a Northern service. However, it’s possible to catch a direct train twice a day. Let’s see what impact this has on the cost when we want to book a month in advance:

So, the direct train is the cheapest! At the moment, they tend to leave at around 09:07 and 13:07 on a Monday to Saturday, but engineering works mean that this can change a little. The trains normally return back to Birmingham at 11:51 and 15:51. Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct train between Birmingham and Blackpool on a Sunday.

Is there anything else I should know?

Ready to book a trip? We’d recommend doing it with Railsmartr. We’re completely independent, so we’re happy to ‘tell you like it is’ with rail fares and rail travel.

Changed your mind? Need to travel on a different day? No problem at all. You can change or refund your ticket (if it’s refundable) without any extra fees.

^{_{All fares stated on this page are for ONE adult with no Railcard discount and were correct at 09:00 24/07/23. They’re subject to change at any time and Railsmartr are not responsible for any loss or disappointment incurred as a result of the information provided.}}