TrainPal Review UK: Split Tickets, PalPoints and Real Savings

Last updated: 14 October 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate and referral links, which are paid links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. Brands don't choose what I feature or what I say about them.

Cool Factor: 4/5, Stone cold

Welcome to my honest TrainPal review, where I put the app through its paces to find out whether it actually saves you money on UK train travel. After months of booking tickets, testing split fares, claiming Delay Repay and earning PalPoints, I'm sharing everything I've learned. On top of that, you can get up to £11 off your first ticket when you sign up with my invite code 57807b9c.

Want up to £11 off your first ticket?

Use my TrainPal invite link with code 57807b9c, and the discount applies automatically to your first booking.

Get up to £11 off your first ticket

What is TrainPal?

TrainPal is a train and coach booking app owned by Trip.com Group. It launched in 2018 and has since become one of the most popular budget-friendly rail booking apps in the UK. The app is available on iOS and Android, and it holds Approved Retailer status with National Rail. In other words, the tickets you buy through TrainPal are exactly the same as those sold at station counters or through any other authorised retailer.

So why use it? The answer comes down to three things: automatic split ticketing, no booking fees in the app, and a reward system called PalPoints. I'll cover each of these below. For a quick overview of what TrainPal offers and how to claim your discount, take a look at my TrainPal service guide.

First impressions

Setting up an account takes under two minutes. The app interface is clean, colourful, and easy to navigate. You can search for routes, compare prices, and complete a booking in just a few taps. Apple Pay and Google Pay are both supported, which makes the checkout process feel fast and modern.

However, the first thing that hits you after downloading is the gamification. There's a spin-the-wheel mechanic, pop-up reward notifications and animated prompts that feel more like a mobile game than a travel app. It really lets the app down. My tip is to ignore it completely, because Spin to Win and the rest are mini games that get in the way. Once you do, the app is very easy to use.

The experience: what works and what doesn't

Split ticketing is the standout feature

This is where TrainPal really earns its keep. The app automatically checks whether splitting your journey into multiple tickets would be cheaper than buying a single fare. You don't need to do any maths; TrainPal handles the routing and presents the cheaper option alongside the standard price.

On longer routes, particularly those passing through major stations like Birmingham or Crewe, the savings can be significant. I've regularly seen 15 to 30 per cent reductions on cross-country journeys. Crucially, you don't need to change trains. As long as the service stops at the split point, you stay in your seat.

No booking fees

The TrainPal app doesn't add a booking fee on top of the fare for UK and European train tickets, except tickets in Spain. TrainPal says booking fees may apply to some purchases on its website, though, so book in the app. For frequent travellers, that adds up quickly over time.

In-app refunds and Delay Repay

TrainPal lets you start a Delay Repay claim from the app, but in my experience it doesn't save you the paperwork. The last two times I claimed, I still had to fill in the train operator's own form on its website. Refunds for cancellations are handled in-app, although some users on Trustpilot have reported slow response times in more complex cases.

On cancellations, Off-Peak and Anytime tickets are refundable until midnight on the day before you travel. A retailer can charge up to £5 to process that refund. Advance tickets, on the other hand, aren't refundable if you change your mind. Instead, you can change the time or date for a fee of up to £10 plus any difference in fare. TrainPal's refund guide covers which tickets qualify.

PalPoints and membership tiers

Every booking earns PalPoints, and how many depends on your TrainPal membership tier. Silver earns 10 points for every £1 you spend, Gold 15, Platinum 20 and Diamond 25. You then swap points for a discount voucher on a single journey: 750 PalPoints buys 1% off, and 1,500 buys 2% off. On Silver, that means £75 of bookings for 1% off one journey, so it's a nice extra rather than a big saving. My PalPoints have never expired, but TrainPal doesn't say how long they last.

Higher tiers also pay cashback into your PalWallet, which is TrainPal's balance inside the app. Diamond members get 0.5% back on each booking and Platinum members 0.3%. On Silver and Gold, you get 0.1% back on your second booking, as long as it costs more than £20.

Two TrainPal membership screens: Silver earns 10 PalPoints per £1 and Diamond earns 25 PalPoints per £1 plus 0.5% cashback — PalPoints and cashback on the Silver and Diamond tiers. Tap or click the image to open it full size.

TrainPal Card

The TrainPal Card is TrainPal's own discount card, and it sits under Railcards in the app. It costs £25 for 90 days and takes 10% off UK bookings, at Peak and Off-Peak times, up to £10 off any one booking. The 10% card on sale now covers up to 30 bookings in 90 days. TrainPal also sells a 15% version from time to time, and the terms on mine allow up to 70 bookings. It works alongside a Railcard and vouchers, and the discount comes off automatically.

I buy a new card every 90 days, and my current one has saved me £74.48 so far against the £25 it cost. At 10% off, you need to spend £250 on tickets in 90 days to cover the price. However, it doesn't renew automatically and you can't get a refund on it, so occasional travellers are better off without it.

Two TrainPal app screens: the 90-day TrainPal Card for £25 with 10% off UK bookings, and an active card showing £74.48 saved — The TrainPal Card offer, and my own card, in the TrainPal app. Tap or click the image to open it full size.

What do other reviewers say?

TrainPal's main Trustpilot profile (mytrainpal.com) holds a TrustScore of 4.1 out of 5 from about 11,800 reviews. Users consistently praise the low prices, split ticketing and the lack of booking fees in the app. On the UK App Store it scores 4.7 out of 5 from about 31,900 ratings, and on Google Play it also sits at 4.7 out of 5.

That said, there's a second Trustpilot profile under trainpal.com with a much lower TrustScore of 1.3 out of 5 from about 150 reviews. Complaints there tend to focus on the cancellation fee, unresponsive customer support, and issues with the gamified rewards system not paying out as expected. I think it's important to flag both sides for a fair TrainPal review.

Value for money

On pure ticket pricing, TrainPal is consistently one of the cheapest ways to book UK rail travel. The combination of automatic split ticketing and no booking fees in the app means you'll often pay less than the price shown on a train operator's own website. For regular commuters, PalPoints and the TrainPal Card add further savings on top, and every discount stacks on one booking.

On one of my bookings, a £75.40 fare came down to £41.67. My Network Railcard took off £25.20, a promo code £1 and my TrainPal Card £7.53. I then paid £16.36 of the £41.67 with cashback and referral rewards from my PalWallet. On a £105.60 fare, however, the TrainPal Card took off only £10, because that's the most it takes off one booking.

Two TrainPal price breakdowns: a £75.40 fare reduced to £41.67 by Railcard, promo code and TrainPal Card, and a £105.60 fare where the TrainPal Card discount stops at £10 — Two of my TrainPal bookings, with the discounts stacked at checkout. Tap or click the image to open it full size.

Where the value picture gets murkier is around cancellations. Advance tickets can't be refunded if your plans change, a refund on a flexible ticket can carry an admin fee of up to £5, and customer support can be slow to resolve disputes. If you're the kind of traveller whose plans change often, weigh that risk against the upfront savings before committing.

The verdict

Cool Factor

★★★★☆

4 out of 5

My TrainPal review lands at a confident 4 out of 5, Stone cold. The app delivers real, measurable savings on UK train travel through smart split ticketing, no booking fees in the app and the TrainPal Card. PalPoints add further polish. It didn't quite reach Ice cold because the gamification really lets it down, Delay Repay still means filling in the train operator's own form, the refund admin fee of up to £5 stings, and customer service can be patchy when things go wrong. Despite that, for anyone who regularly buys train tickets in the UK, TrainPal is one of the strongest options out there right now.

Get up to £11 off your first ticket

Use invite code 57807b9c when you sign up. The discount applies automatically to your first booking.

Disclaimer: This TrainPal review is based on my own use of the app and research using publicly available sources, including Trustpilot, MoneySavingExpert and official app store listings. This article contains affiliate and referral links, which are paid links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. Brands don't choose what I feature or what I say about them. Prices, offers, and features may change at any time. Always check directly with TrainPal before booking. This is not financial advice.

TrainPal review: frequently asked questions

Is TrainPal legit?

Yes. TrainPal is an Approved Retailer with National Rail and is owned by Trip.com Group, one of the world's largest online travel agencies. The tickets it sells are identical to those you'd buy at a station counter.

How does TrainPal make money if there are no booking fees?

Booking in the TrainPal app is free of booking fees, but TrainPal still charges for other things. The TrainPal Card costs £25 for 90 days, a refund can carry an admin fee of up to £5, and some purchases on TrainPal's website carry booking fees.

Is the TrainPal Card worth it?

It is if you spend more than £250 on train tickets in 90 days, because 10% of that covers the £25 the card costs. My current card has saved me £74.48 so far. For occasional travellers, it's probably not worth it.

What are PalPoints worth?

750 PalPoints buys a 1% discount voucher for one journey, and 1,500 buys 2%. You earn 10 to 25 points for every £1 you spend, depending on your membership tier.

Can I get a refund through TrainPal?

Yes, but it depends on the ticket type. Advance tickets can be changed for a fee but aren't refundable if you change your mind. Off-Peak and Anytime tickets are refundable until midnight on the day before you travel, and a retailer can charge up to £5 to process the refund. You can manage everything through the app.

How does TrainPal compare to other booking apps?

I've written a dedicated side-by-side breakdown in my TrainPal vs Trainline comparison post, which covers fees, features, and savings in detail.

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