Crazy train fares

I have to agree about the train fares being insanely high, though they've been that way compared to the Continent for a long time. I spoke with a German guy a couple of years ago who told me when he visited the UK he could rent a car for a week and drive everywhere he had to go for a fraction of the cost of three one-way train fares. Besides, he claimed he could stay at B&Bs off the beaten path that way for about half the cost of the same thing convenient to the train. Made sense to me, especially if he used easycar.

With Virgin it makes a lot of difference if you can book in advance. So a return for me (lake district) to London is £14.50 return which is very reasonable. However, I take your point about some fares being bonkers. I'm not sure if the rail regulator has any say in these things?

personally i doubt if i will ever get a train from penzance to aberdeen, they are putting the price up of the first class fare (the only way to travel...;-) to £523!!!!! my current "commute" is walkable or 70p on the bus, much preferable...

I reckon I'm getting better value for my money these days. My fare hasn't gone up for two years but the journey time has increased by 20% ! And I'm sure when Great Western realise just how funny their train management is @ Reading, they'll start charging us for watching it. Beats the hell out of The Office.

A few years ago I found out that I had to be in Leeds before 12 noon on a certain day and back in Brighton that same night - and had to be in Brighton the night before. Given an early start, not beyond the bounds of possibility surely. Nor was it - at a price of £170! I had to take it - I was at the station and had no alternative. However, on returning home after a very bad day on trains, I phoned up a local limo service and discovered that for £155 I could have had a Rolls Royce and driver to take me to Leeds and bring me back. Shurely shome mishtake?

Fedex would have been even cheaper.

Fedex is Ok for Elfyn but hopeless for me - the old body can't take that long in a cardboard box.

FLY! Blackpool to Stanstead £29 and it only takes 2 hours!!! Why you would be in Blackpool in the first place and how you get from stanstead to wherever you're going is up to you and will, of course, cost a packet.

blackpool to stansted may well be £29 but you can fly to barcelona and back for that.. the rail fares in this country are astonishingly stupid, yet we still have a knackered outdated system. Oh yes, we Brits really know how to run businesses...