Return
What it really means
A ticket that covers going there and coming back. In the UK a return is often only slightly more expensive than a single, so it is usually better value.
Context, tips & common mistakes
Two returns exist: the day return (out and back the same day) and the open return (back within a month, on valid services). British rail pricing produces the famous absurdity that a return often costs barely more than a single — pennies more on many routes — so never buy a single without checking the return price, and conversely never assume the return is the best deal either: two Advance singles frequently beat a flexible return if you can commit to specific trains.
Mechanics: paper returns come as two coupons — keep both, surrender only the right one at barriers (the outward portion going out), because losing the return half means buying again. E-tickets handle this automatically. The 'anytime return' is the fully flexible, fully priced version; off-peak returns carry the usual time restrictions on both legs, including the return journey's evening peak.