Could it ever be cheaper to drive than to travel by train?

Strider590

Train is probably cheap unless you sit in the wrong seat or fart too loudly and end up with a £250 fine.

lindopski_2

I dont know if it does make any difference now but when I was 18 I looked into cars at the time and a Mk2 fiesta 1.3 would have cost me shed loads more than my 1973 Rover P6 2200 Auto which seemed bizarre as I had a whole pile more horsepower to play with.

It may not be the case these days for youngsters but perhaps random test a classic on these comparrison sites to have a look.
Austin A35,Ford Zodiac,Mk1 Granada,Hillman Imp,Moggy Minor,Triumph Herald,Riley RME etc
Like I say they might be just as expensive but worth a look, it worked for me in the 90's

rev_henry

lindopski wrote: »

I dont know if it does make any difference now but when I was 18 I looked into cars at the time and a Mk2 fiesta 1.3 would have cost me shed loads more than my 1973 Rover P6 2200 Auto which seemed bizarre as I had a whole pile more horsepower to play with.

It may not be the case these days for youngsters but perhaps random test a classic on these comparrison sites to have a look.
Austin A35,Ford Zodiac,Mk1 Granada,Hillman Imp,Moggy Minor,Triumph Herald,Riley RME etc
Like I say they might be just as expensive but worth a look, it worked for me in the 90's

Can still work, through owners clubs etc. I wouldn't like to be using many of those for a regular journey from Leeds to Reading though.

lindopski_2

It doesnt sound like a very regular journey though and a moggy minor could chug along lovely - just make sure you grease the truneons

A P6 Rover would get you there in style and comfort and would just eat up the miles - but probably your fuel allowance too lol

Wallace and Gromit seem to do fine in their A35 Van

Weird_Nev

So, let's say 3 journeys a month at £70 for 9 months a year- £2,000 ish.
Can you buy, insure, maintain and fuel a car, any car, for less than that?
No, not a chance. Sorry.

Investigate other modes of transport, of potentially other relationships.

sunshinetours

Buy your girlfriend a nice present of a rail card and bingo she can then come and see you!

Hammyman

alanrowell wrote: »

So by train it's 8 hours from Reading to Hull?

It used to be pretty much that. I remember once leaving Reading Station around 4pm on Friday to go on leave for the weekend and missing the last train at the change over at Doncaster for Hull at 11pm and having to have my parents drive 60 miles to pick me up.

So yes, at the time I was doing it, it took 8hrs by train from Reading to Hull.