Looking for a way to cut costs on your train journey? Off-Peak tickets on South Western Railway (SWR) offer a great balance between flexibility and savings. Available for both Standard Class and First Class, these types of tickets allow you to travel at quieter times while enjoying lower fares. But when exactly are Off-Peak times, and how can you buy these tickets?
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Types of Off-Peak tickets on SWR
Depending on your travel needs, you can choose from:
- Off-Peak Day Return – Ideal for a same-day return journey during Off-Peak hours.
- Off-Peak Single – A one-way ticket valid during Off-Peak times.
- Off-Peak Return – Travel outward on the date shown on your ticket and return within a month, as long as both journeys are Off-Peak.
When are SWR Off-Peak travel times?
Off-Peak times vary depending on whether you're travelling to or from London:
- Travelling into London (Zones 1-6) – Off-Peak tickets are valid on any train arriving at London Waterloo from 10:00 onwards.
- Travelling away from London (Standard Class) – Off-Peak tickets are valid on any train leaving London Waterloo from 09:00 onwards.
- Travelling away from London (First Class) – You can travel from 09:00, except for trains departing between 16:00 and 19:00.
- Restrictions also apply to:
- Vauxhall departures from 16:04 to 19:04.
- Clapham Junction departures from 16:07 to 19:09.
How to Get SWR Off-Peak tickets
You can buy Off-Peak tickets up to 12 weeks in advance or even right up until the day of travel (usually up to 10 minutes before departure). Booking early and checking different travel times can help you secure the best fare.
The easiest way to find Off-Peak tickets is to search within the timeframes provided above in our Journey Planner. You can also filter by ‘Cheapest’ when browsing the list of possible journeys, and the results returned will likely be those in Super Off-Peak or Off-Peak tickets.