Originally Posted by
ppp909
What others haven't said, and may not be obvious, is that train ticket pricing is similar to airline prices. In other words, walk-up fares are extortionate. A peak return fare in standard class is over £300, and the "peak" period lasts for most of the day. If you find yourself in the situation, a separate peak single plus an off-peak single in the other direction will work out cheaper than a return.
Make sure you get an advance fare if at all possible.
Sorry but this is somewhat misleading.
For a London-Manchester day trip, the walk-up Off-Peak Return ticket costing £86.90 is valid on weekdays beginning from the 09.40 departure - which gets you into Man at 11.46 - and any train after that up to and including the 15.00. Trains depart every 20mins. It’s then valid on any train coming back from Manchester.
On Saturday / Sunday / public holidays, the Off Peak Return is valid on any train, any time.
Therefore, for a day trip as OP plans, unless you wish to depart London before
9.40 Monday-Friday, you should never pay more than £86.90 return.
If you do wish to depart before 9.40, then an Advance is of course highly recommended. Note that Advance tickets on Virgin can now be bought online/mobile on the day of travel so always check before buying an Anytime at the machine.