Public transport in the UK is a sick joke

Example one:
Last weekend I visited Northumberland staying at Bamburgh.  We thought we would go to Edinburgh for the day, so straight after breakfast got the bus to Berwick-on-Tweed, only to find that the bus got there five minutes after the Edinburgh train left, meaning that we had to wait an hour and ten minutes for the next one!  We then looked at the time coming back.   The last bus back to Bamburgh was at 17:50, but guess what? The train from Edinburgh arrives in Berwick at 18:00!  You couldn't make it up.  This meant that we had to get back for 16:30.  It all turned what should have been a liesurely day round the city of Edinburgh into a break-neck whistle stop.  

Example two:
I need to go to London in September.  The cheapest available return ticket is 47 return = 110 Mars bars).  Apparently it can be cheaper if you get two singles.  "OK" I thought. So I clicked on the singles link.  It started off quite good, I found that I can get a single ticket from Nottingham to St. Pancras for 7.  Not bad.  However the cheapest single coming back is 47!!!   Are they having a laugh!?  Two singles would be dearer than the return fare.   

If Gordon brown has anything about him he will renationalize the railways now and get the whole train-bus thing intergrated like the rest of Europe.   

[oldspice]

Travel in most of Europe is much, much cheaper and more efficient than the UK. 

 

My college recently sent me to London for a conference. It is a straight run from Peterborough to London - no changes. Because I was travelling before 8.30am the college had to pay a full wack - 48 return on First Captial Connect (a slow train that stops everywhere on the way down) or 98 on GNER - a 125 through train.  Both prices are ludicrous for the lenth of journey (about 90 miles). In most of Europe it would have cost about 12.

In 2004 I got a return ticket from Seville to Puerto de Santa Maria (about 120 miles) for 24 Euros (14).  The same year I travelled from Sundsvall in Sweden to Oslo (about 400 miles) for 150 SEK (49).  All the trains were on time.  

[smurfboy]

It was in the paper the other day that a week in Barcelona costs less than a week in Blackpool, and a lot of that was down to travel costs. I was thinking of going to Brighton for the Bank Holiday and found out the cheapest train ticket was 94 quid! I could fly to Barcelona on BMI Baby AND get a cab to and from Birmingham Airport for that - and still people whinge on about 'why do people use their cars and fly, it's so bad for the environment...'

[Logger]

I don't drive and have 3 children so this is a subject that is particularly relevant to me.

 

Basically, I refuse to use local buses anymore...they are so expensive that it is cheaper for use to travel locally by taxi!!!

As for the trains, well don't get me started.  First there is the abominable cost and then there is the prospect of being crammed in like sardines and spending 3 hours stood inbetween a bloke with severe BO and the toilet.

I prefer to travel by National Express coach wherever possible.  It is cheaper and more comfortable that the train and at least you are guaranteed a seat.  The only part I'm not keen on is waiting at Digbeth Coach Station.  It's seriously run down and you get some really odd looking people hanging around.  I hear they are rebuilding it though...I hope so.

[oldspice]

I think coach travel is quite reasonable and comfortable but I agree about the coach station - all coach stations give me the creeps. There is an air of sadness about them.

 

The downside of getting a coach to London from here is that it takes about two-and-a-half hours and goes into Victoria whereas the longest train journey is about an hour and twenty minutes.

[goldencup]

When I went to London last weekend I got National Express coach tickets from Bournemouth to Victoria for ONE POUND each way.  The coach was comfortable and left and arrived exactly on time.  Bargain!

[Logger]

Those one pound tickets are fantastic.  No hidden catch either!

[smurfboy]

Logger - have you tried getting the MegaBus from Birmingham to London? It's supposedly a bit of a cattle cart, but you can go as cheaply as a quid.

[smurfboy]

P.S. Yes, they are rebuilding Digbeth at some point.

[Logger]

Logger - have you tried getting the MegaBus from Birmingham to London? It's supposedly a bit of a cattle cart, but you can go as cheaply as a quid.

 

No I haven't, I'm pretty new to the area so I'm still finding my feet.  Thanks for that, I'll definitely check it out

[Forth Bridges]

so:  Integrated Transport Still not happened?

for anyone one that need boost in Bus service please look at the following

Stagecoach Cambridge
Treantbarton
Burnley & pendal

If the intergreated Transport got done it would solve half the problems

NOTE if you return ticket was After 4pm then its counts as PEAK!

Not you should thank you self for not living in Falkirk area nor essex

[Forth Bridges]

Logger - have you tried getting the MegaBus from Birmingham to London? It's supposedly a bit of a cattle cart, but you can go as cheaply as a quid.

 

No I haven't, I'm pretty new to the area so I'm still finding my feet.  Thanks for that, I'll definitely check it out

http://www.megabus.com/uk/

also new service from Birmingham - Preston - scotland coming soon

[Logger]

Brilliant! Thanks folks

This is a service I will definitely use in the future.  I'm particularly interested in the London route as I have family there.  A couple of days ago I had a look on the British Rail website to see how much it would cost for all 5 of us to travel from Tamworth to London...couldn't believe it when the cheapest return that could be offered to me was 256!!! No way would I pay it - I'd rather walk!!!!!

Bus and coach travel is definitely the way to go.

[Forth Bridges]

Its actually cheaper with Singles!