What is Secret Fare, exactly?

A Secret Fare is a discounted rail ticket that lets you travel for less on selected UK train services if you’re flexible about your departure time.

You choose:

• Your travel date

• Your departure and destination

• A preferred time window (morning, afternoon, or evening)

You do not choose an exact train time at booking. Seatfrog will assign your train and send your confirmed ticket at least 24 hours before departure.

How Secret Fare works

1. Select your travel date and route – enter your departure, destination, and date.

2. Pick a travel time window – morning, afternoon, or evening.

3. Buy your Secret Fare ticket – prices can be significantly lower than standard advance fares.

4. Wait for confirmation – your exact train and ticket details are sent by email about 24 hours before departure.

Important rules

• Secret Fare tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable once purchased.

• You cannot select a specific train at booking.

• Your ticket is only valid for the specific train and journey assigned.

• Railcard discounts do not apply to Secret Fare tickets.

• Seating together for groups is not guaranteed even if booked together.

Availability and booking window

• You can book Secret Fare tickets from when reservations open (often months before travel) up to a few days before departure.

• Routes and availability vary by operator and service.

Your booking confirmation

After purchasing a Secret Fare ticket, you will receive a booking confirmation email.

This email confirms:

• The route you selected

• Your chosen travel date

• Your selected time window (morning, afternoon, or evening)

It also includes your booking reference, which is a 10-character alphanumeric code containing a mix of upper and lower case letters (for example: DpLAmSfQdZ)

Your booking reference is required if you contact Support.

The booking confirmation is sent to the email address entered at the time of booking.

Secret Fare bookings cannot be changed once confirmed.

Updating your email address in the Seatfrog app does not change the email linked to an existing booking.

If you entered the wrong email address when booking, contact Support and provide your booking reference.

When you receive your ticket

Your Secret Fare ticket will arrive:

• By email

• With an e-ticket to use on your phone or printed if required

This will include your exact departure time and seat information.