Only to get to places like London. Getting to a station isn't that easy as we either have to use the car or catch the once hourly bus. Bus is easier for us, but some places it does make sense to go by train.
At least the train station is now within walking distance - since I crossed the water as they say locally of moving from town up hill to village at the bottom of the hill. Over the river that separates us.
Parking at any of the stations on the local line is "restricted" so a lot of people catch the bus to the train. Which is fine if you aren't carrying many cases. But with the bus fares being subsidised across the county that's none so bad. You try to organise your train to fit with the buses.
It's also a case of cost isn't it? Public transport of any sort can be costly for more than one compared with a car - if only comparing with fuel. Mind each passenger isn't responsible for all the other costs - repairs, damage, insurance, parking costs and such.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9659 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Mon May 04, 26 11:11 am Post subject:
Not usually to go to Glasgow. Train station is a good halfhour by bus...and for me buses are free in Scotland anyway..
I used train travel last year for a trip to Aberystwyth which made sense as with a senior card it was cheaper than fuel Bus would have been a bit less but then you look at time/stress and I thought not!!
When you compare it to the70s when I had to go to London twice a term (Art College) from Cardiff and you just rocked up and bought your ticket....
Certainly privatising the railways has made things far more complicated and costly. For us, it is usually better to go to London then change trains and usually stations as most cross country routes are rather complicated with several changes of trains. Agree about buses, but I only usually travel by car if I am going to buy or carry a lot of things. We have to use the vans to go to the woods, even though they are only a couple of miles away as we are carrying too much and there is no bus.
You need to book to be sure of a wheelchair space and it is best to take someone with you. Generally staff are very helpful, but also make sure the station you are going to has a lift or something so you can cross the line. My DIL is very good at arranging things for her to travel when they go by train, but if a lift is out of action they sometimes have to go to the next station with a lift and get the train back. You probably won't ever want to go there, but Waterloo is awful; the staff don't even know where the ramps are.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9659 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Wed May 06, 26 7:31 pm Post subject:
Experiencing French transport.
Both Limoges and Bordeaux have good bus/tram/trolleybus systems. Limoge has bendy buses on some routes
TER are brilliant but smaller lines under threat, there is a big fight going on to keep lines in the centre. SNCF have not maintained them well in the past, now they are passing the buck to the government...who pass it down the line...this carries on down to the communes. Right wingers are pushing for rail privatisation...
But while they exist they are great. They need to be used to be justified...and are a lifeline to many. The push is to get more to use them so that their existence can be justified..
A story we've heard already, no?
Definitely Gz. Of course like bus services it depends on whether they go to and from the places people want to travel, and how expensive they are. I haven't used trains in France, except for the Metro in Paris, but have used them in the Netherlands. They were very good there and even the international trains seemed to be on time.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9659 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Fri May 08, 26 4:19 pm Post subject:
Feed back on a railtravel group is saying that DB, Deutschebahn is losing the plot a bit re timing and reliability...it included comments from German members of the group
jema Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 28407 Location: escaped from Swindon
Posted: Sat May 09, 26 6:23 am Post subject:
We'll be interrailing to Lyon in July. It beats flying on many levels.
I cancelled a trip by coach on a three day tour I'd fancied because it was a bit too close to an important hospital appointment to come. It only cost me the deposit as the full amount hadn't been called for yet.
Bit of digging and caught the train to Chester for an away day trip Thursday/Friday/Saturday as I had promised myself a revisit to the city. One day was not enough then. After keeping a track of all my expenses down to the last vegan sausage roll on the Carlisle station, it cost me less than the coach trip would have done.
I saw quite a lot of tourist places on the way there and back that I don't think would actually attract a visit, did a rapid passing inspection of the allotment site in a local town (greatly improved) on the way and decided that I quite like train travel.
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