This is when to book Christmas train tickets to get the best deal

October is also the best month to nab cheap Christmas plane tickets

Every December, thousands of Brits make the mass pilgrimage back to their hometowns – much like Mary and Joseph did (if you swap Bethlehem for Basildon and a donkey for British Rail).

With such high demand, travelling during the Christmas period can come with an exorbitant price tag attached – unless you time booking your train tickets just right to get the best deal.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that now is the time to nab cheap Christmas train travel.

The journalist and presenter said: “Travel companies are supposed to release their tickets around 12 weeks before the date of travel – we’re in that sweet spot now.

“On each train there’s a number of advance tickets that are cheaper and once they go, they go.

“The earlier you buy, the more likely you are to be able to buy the super cheap advance tickets. Which is why from now is the time – if you know you’re going to your family – to be booking your train tickets.

“Greater Anglia, CrossCountry and East Midlands already have tickets on for that type of period.”

He gave an example of the cheaper prices available for those who book now: “London to Leeds return is £39 advance at the moment. If you leave it until the advance tickets have gone you’re going to be paying somewhere around £110.”

Lewis advised those looking to book to sign up for The Trainline’s alert, which lets customers know when the train tickets they want become available.

He also recommended the National Rail website’s future travel chart, which shows users how far in advance they can book tickets with each train company.

He added: “If you know what your Christmas travel plans are and they include the train, book now.”

October is also a great time to look for flights over the festive period, according to flight expert and founder of Jack’s Flight Club, Jack Sheldon.

He told The Independent: “Most travellers assume that booking a flight over the Christmas holidays is best done as far in advance as possible, but this is a common misconception that the airline industry loves to peddle. Airlines factor in the high demand for flights over this peak holiday period in advance, and price them high to begin with.

“They’ll then monitor seat availability for these flights throughout the year and, when they feel seats are undersold, they’ll do a short, unannounced ‘flash sale’ in order to catch up to their projections.

“These flash sales can occur throughout the year, but most often you’ll see them closer to the holiday season – typically throughout October and early November.”