NFR - Our public transport is an absolute disgrace!

[Jack Fulham]

Train prices are ridiculous. Plenty of value in long distance coaches though. Most low cost airlines are cheaper than trains if you're doing long distance.

[jarv]

Living in USA for many years, I love it when I come home to UK. I can get anywhere by foot, bus or train. Never have to set foot in a wretched car. I  live in a neighborhood which is very nice but 2 miles from the nearest shop. There is no such thing as a bus and I can get a train to Boston from a station about 7 miles away. It is VERY uncomfortable, VERY slow and believe it or not, makes me long for good old BR.

However, I do worry when I get the train to Fulham on a Saturday. Track work, stations closed etc etc. On eggshells about making it for k.o.

[cmg]

Train prices are ridiculous. Plenty of value in long distance coaches though. Most low cost airlines are cheaper than trains if you're doing long distance.

Longer distance train prices can be ridiculous: they can also be very cheap - if you are prepared to put up with airline-type restrictions (pre-booking, restriction to one particular service). The problem lies with the insanely complicated and often totally illogical ticket pricing employed (e.g Euston to Dublin via Holyhead = £40, Euston to Holyhead only (same train) = £80. I have 100s of other examples of this kind of nonsense. E.g Wimbledon - Woking peak time return = £13.50; Wimbledon - Farnborough ten miles further on on the same route, you can get off at Woking if you want = £12.20).

Coaches are cheap (but slowish) but that puts you back on the road.

I agree that public transport in London is generally excellent (and very attractively priced for old buffers like me!)

Airlines can be cheapish but airports are miles outside city centres and often more expensive to get to than the flights themselves (rail companies love to stripe up the tourists).

[Holders]

A friend wanted to fly home from Edinburgh to Exeter in June. It turned out that it was cheaper for her to fly Edinburgh to Malaga (and see her mother for a week) then Malaga to Exeter than it would have been for the one flight Edinburgh-Exeter.

Railway pricing infiltrating airlines?