Bagged a Bank Holiday bargain travel ticket? It may cost triple to get home...

‘Do your research before setting off’

IT might be assumed that the price of a holiday journey this spring Bank Holiday will cost the same in both directions.

But just because you bagged a bargain on the way there, you might not get the same deal coming back.

Figures show rail and coach firms are charging double for a return journey on average. The price hike is worse if you live in Edinburgh, with fares from the capital to Aberdeen costing three times as much on the way back.

Research by travel search engine Gopili found the price hike also applies to journeys between Glasgow and London.

UK chief of the company Rodolphe Morfoise-Gauthier said: ‘Brits should undertake careful research before setting off on their journey to ensure they get the best value for money.’

Researchers bought tickets for single journeys between various destinations for May 31.

A ticket from Glasgow to London is a bargain £30 – although a return journey that same day costs £65. A coach ride to the famous Blackpool Lights costs £26.50, with a return journey that day setting you back £11.50.

A bus from Edinburgh to Aberdeen costs only £5.50, but the same journey in the opposite direction is £18.50.

The findings were mirrored in England, with the cheapest single one-way ticket from London to Cambridge on the train coming in at £15 – more than double the £7 price for the opposite direction. The cost for London to Cardiff was £30, compared with £22 coming the other way.

In most cases the trips were taken with the same rail or coach company, which have exactly the same costs when travelling from A to B and from B to A.

Mr Morfoise-Gauthier said: ‘Passenger numbers have doubled in 20 years, with more and more people choosing to go by train and able to buy a range of good value tickets for their journeys.

‘While fares reflect the market and demand, many are also governed by regulations dating back to the days of British Rail. Train companies are working with Government on radical changes to fares which will give customers clearer, simpler ticket choices and a guarantee of the best possible deal.’