Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
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Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
1–10 of 191 posts
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#2> the Caledonian Sleeper has to be one of the railway highlights of the UK
ahh, I've really wanted to like it, but I've found it exceptionally uncomfortable each time I've used it, and also very expensive. I much prefer the sleeper trains in Thailand
> Train travel in the UK can be highly scenic
The UK really is very pretty. It's easy to forget when in countries with blockbuster scenery, but British countryside really is a joy to look at.
EDIT: one day I'd like this to be an overnight Zeppelin route, but it's never going to happen
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#3From the looks of it, this chap was travelling around in first class. Which would probably give a slightly different impression of train travel... I suspect he also wasn't travelling at peak times when trains are at their busiest and most unpleasant.
To some extent, I agree that trains get a lot of criticism, and only some of it is deserved. But some of that criticism is very deserved...
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#4> British people love to complain about the state of their railways
I find people have a very different experience with UK rail on whether they're travelling for business or pleasure.
People who commute have to take trains at peak time, at the absolute highest ticket prices, take hundreds of trains a year giving lots of opportunities to get delayed, might get yelled at for being late, and at the end of their journey is... work.
On the other hand, my train travel is off-peak, not that frequent, and almost always taking me to a loved one, a party or a concert. Understandably, my feelings towards trains are very different to my commuter peers!
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#5If you have plenty of flexibility, take a few journeys only and plan well ahead train travel in the UK is a bit pricey but generally fine.
If, on the other hand, you need to go somewhere at short notice or you need to commute by train, they will f*king gouge you.
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#6From the looks of it, this chap was travelling around in first class. Which would probably give a slightly different impression of train travel... I suspect he also wasn't travelling at peak times when trains are at their busiest and most unpleasant. To some extent, I agree that trains get a lot of criticism, and only some of it is deserved. But some of that criticism is very deserved...
And travelling around with the sort of budget that can consider first class and a willingness to book tickets at suitable times (and comparing prices with international sleeper trains in the rest of Europe!) completely misses why British commuters paying 20%+ of their after tax income for an annual rail pass into London consider it expensive.
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#7> British people love to complain about the state of their railways I find people have a very different experience with UK rail on whether they're travelling for business or pleasure. People who commute have to take trains at peak time, at the absolute highest ticket prices, take hundreds of trains a year giving lots of opportunities to get delayed, might get yelled at for being late, and at the end of their journey…
When I lived in the UK, I thought 30 minute delays two days per week were the worst thing ever.
After living in Germany... British railways seem like an enterprise level SLA.
Tickets with a short expiration time (2 hours... why?), hour(s) long delays, sudden last minute platform changes (you need to use the underground passage full of people), trains just disappearing off the screen with no notice after being delayed several times (I mean, come on!), incredibly rude controllers who just seem like they really want to throw you in prison for not having a ticket (oh yeah, that's a thing, take that Brits!), shoddy rail and frequent stops in the middle of nowhere (or 100 meters from your station), trains that make the Pacers seem like Cadillacs (OK that was one time, not sure where they pulled that pos from)...
I kinda see why Germans hate Deutsche Bahn :D
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#8Having both traveled across the country and throughout Greater London on trains, it is actually really convenient. London is its own kind of beast with the tube/overground, but throughout the rest of the country its definitely pleasant. Going through London during peak hours, dealing with trains randomly stopping midway through a journey with a packed carriage, dealing with anti-social teens, or traveling in the middle of summer in the tube isn't super fun. But on the other hand, going through the countryside on a long distance train like going up to Scotland is great; I basically just watched the views go by for 4 or so hours.
That all being said, I can totally see daily commuting by train being the absolutely most miserable thing.
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#9Try to commute for a month next time please. ; )
Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective
#10If you have plenty of flexibility, take a few journeys only and plan well ahead train travel in the UK is a bit pricey but generally fine. If, on the other hand, you need to go somewhere at short notice or you need to commute by train, they will f*king gouge you.
How far ahead do you have to book? I've never noticed prices to vary depending on time ..