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I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

metro.co.uk

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Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#131

Post by netsharc »

Daviey wrote: post #5

Compared to the UK where a standard-class rail season ticket for me to get to London (including underground), at £8,272 p/y.. but for that, I also have the luxury of either standing in an overcrowded carriage, or if I am super lucky I get to sit in a seat that smells of urine.

Germany has rail "discount cards", including for 100%, first class for 7714 euro/year(1)

Tbh I can't imagine it to be relaxing being cooped in your seat the whole day, with people around you. (1) https://int.bahn.de/en/bahnbusiness/offers/businesscards/bah...

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#132

Post by Daviey »

waihtis wrote: post #113
Daviey wrote: post #5

Compared to the UK where a standard-class rail season ticket for me to get to London (including underground), at £8,272 p/y.. but for that, I also have the luxury of either standing in an overcrowded carriage, or if I am super lucky I get to sit in a seat that smells of urine.

Sounds expensive, are you coming from afar? A few years ago a monthly ticket within the London zones 1-6 (or perhaps it was 1-4) was only 150 pounds per month.

Certainly outside London - shortest journey time is 1h9m, 3rd stop.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#133

Post by ciconia »

> Uch. TRAINS. They’re a necessary evil in many of our lives. Horrible big tin cans full of smelly people that never turn up on time and make you late for everything. The less time spent on them the better. At least for most of us in the UK, anyway.

Not my first though when I think of trains, but I'm not in the UK.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#135

Post by stephenr »

Slartie wrote: post #93
troupo wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder more how he keeps his clothes and underwear clean :)

Washes them by hand in the wash basins of the DB lounges, to which he gets free access with his ticket.

Does that ticket also give him free access to a dryer? Or is he just going to hang his clothes up in the train for everyone to enjoy?

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#136

Post by secretsatan »

pera wrote: post #69
Daviey wrote: post #5

Compared to the UK where a standard-class rail season ticket for me to get to London (including underground), at £8,272 p/y.. but for that, I also have the luxury of either standing in an overcrowded carriage, or if I am super lucky I get to sit in a seat that smells of urine.

I never understood why trains are so expensive in England: when I lived in Bristol I liked to spend time in Bath, it's just a ~10 minutes ride but it costed 10 pounds each way if I remember correctly... but at least you could bring your bike for free :p

I'm so disappointed every time I go back there, and the bloody tickets now, ffs, it shouldn't be like air travel, the whole thing was setup by someone who's never used public transport.

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#137

Post by OfficeChad »

01acheru wrote: post #7

All fine and good, I hope he likes it but €10k is a lot of money to live more or less like a beggar. With €10k/y you can afford a house+food+bills in most of Europe and in many places it is way cheaper than that. So... yeah, I find it incredibly stupid.

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Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#138

Post by OfficeChad »

01acheru wrote: post #38
avianlyric wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is this any different to someone choosing to go backpacking for a year? Or do also consider that to be incredibly stupid? It’s pretty clear from the article he’s not doing this to save money, he’s doing because he loves travelling on trains and sees it as an opportunity for exploration and adventure. There’s nothing stupid about being curious, and brave enough to indulge that curiosity.

C'mon there is nothing brave or adventurous about it, it is just first world fancy. I'm happy he enjoys it but end of story let's not make this something special, it is not.

[dead]

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#139

Post by 4gotunameagain »

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #52

If I was his age a $2.5K on a years interrail ticket for unlimited travel across Europe (admittedly 2nd class and there may seat reservation charges) would be very tempting https://www.eurail.com/en

But without beds in night trains, I would imagine it would either get very costly or very tiring very soon

Re: I spend £8,500 a year to live on a train

#140

Post by stephenr »

coldtea wrote: post #120
RLN wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is less than half of my rent in London. That's not including gas and electric bills, as well as council tax! I do enjoy having a kitchen though. "technically has no fixed abode" I think here probably actually means he's registered at his parents house. This would likely be a lot more difficult if you were truly homeless.

> This is less than half of my rent in London. For exchange of no fixed location, and just a single tiny sleep room, though.

And no facilities most of us take for granted: a shower when you want; a washing machine; a kitchen with exactly what you want in it; private space; an actual bed....
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