Cheapest Gold Card

Barry Doe highlighted the cheapest Gold Card on the rail network as Lichfield Trent Valley to Lichfield City - see http://stibasa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/cheapest-gold-cards.html. Unfortunately, as he reports in Rail 765, London Midland Trains realised that this not often sold ticket had hardly risen in price for 19 years and they promptly put it up from £108 to £144! It is still the cheapest, but see the link for why you might consider the Isle of Wight (Ryde) card at £168 if you're likely to be using South West Trains.

Cheapest Gold Cards

According to fares supremo Barry Doe, in Rail Magazine issues 761 and 763, the cheapest Gold Card - £108 at current prices - will be Lichfield Trent Valley to/from City. The former cheapest Gold Card was Ryde St Johns Road to/from Ryde Esplanade on the Isle of Wight. This now costs £164, but, if bought at a South West Trains station, it (and I assume any South West Trains Gold Card) entitles the holder to 6 free South West trains tickets in the year. This may save you more than the £56 difference in price from the Lichfield one.

The discounts obtainable with a Gold Card, which change from 2015, are explained here:http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx