I reasd an article today comparing travel in this Country,London to be exact,transport was...a Renault Twizy,a car,Piaggio scooter,and public transport, fastest?...the Scooter (1hr 04mins), the slowest?....step forward....public transport (2hr 15mins),the car and the Twizy to about the same (1hr 40 mins).So. stress free transport?......don't think so.
It must work for some folk, but everytime I've tried trains and buses it just takes longer without allowing for getting to stations or bus stops. Long distance train prices are a joke next to flying. I can get to London from Aberdeen in 1/5 of the time by flying vs the train, and the train costs more than BA even with their route monopoly. Are the economics of train systems just not there without huge subsidies?
A complete aside, but why do trains weigh so much?
I reasd an article today comparing travel in this Country,London to be exact,transport was...a Renault Twizy,a car,Piaggio scooter,and public transport, fastest?...the Scooter (1hr 04mins), the slowest?....step forward....public transport (2hr 15mins),the car and the Twizy to about the same (1hr 40 mins).So. stress free transport?......don't think so.
From where to where? I can't imagine anywhere in London that it would take 2 hours and 15 minutes to go from A to B. From Upminster to Heathrow (just about the furthest within greater London you can go on public transport) is scheduled to be 90 minutes, in the morning rush!
If I knew what I was getting into, I wouldn't have done it...and I would have been wrong.
Expensive? Yes, although can be done cheaply and having travelled there it was a piece of cake.
You do not mind paying the money if the service is as good?
Therin lies the problem, we need the huge resources that Japan have put in - however they are losing money hand and fist but the system is the best in the world, you really can go almost anywhere by train.
Notice how many modern Japanese films and cartoons have some railway link - it's integral to modern Japanese life.
Expensive? Yes, although can be done cheaply and having travelled there it was a piece of cake.
You do not mind paying the money if the service is as good?
Therin lies the problem, we need the huge resources that Japan have put in - however they are losing money hand and fist but the system is the best in the world, you really can go almost anywhere by train.
Notice how many modern Japanese films and cartoons have some railway link - it's integral to modern Japanese life.
Good news however, they enjoy their cars too .
We took the Bullet train on our honeymoon, from Tokyo to Kyoto and back. Think we paid £60 each for 2nd class with an advance booking, and it was as efficient as you'd expect. You lose the feeling of speed until you go into a tunnel - then whoooooooosh doesn't even begin to describe it. 2 hours 18 minutes, 518km = 140 mph average despite a couple of stops, and a max speed about 165 mph. A train leaves every 5 to 10 minutes between Tokyo and Kyoto during the day. I'd pay a subsidy for that, but you need their network to join it all together to make it worth it.
HS2 in the UK? Absolute joke for expense vs benefit vs not ready for 14 years vs connections to other good services!
Starts at Cobham going too Esher, then on too Waterloo,and then a 5 min walk too office using Train, Tube and London Bus,exact time taken was.....2hr 10mins,quickest was on a Piaggio MP3 300 LT, it took 1hr 04mins,source article is AutoExpress.
No matter how you travel you are definitely going to be paying a lot of money as the travel costs are rising. Finding cheap deals online is easier now whether it is a cheap flight or cheap hotels you would find it online.
16 May 2012
I reasd an article today comparing travel in this Country,London to be exact,transport was...a Renault Twizy,a car,Piaggio scooter,and public transport, fastest?...the Scooter (1hr 04mins), the slowest?....step forward....public transport (2hr 15mins),the car and the Twizy to about the same (1hr 40 mins).So. stress free transport?......don't think so.
It must work for some folk, but everytime I've tried trains and buses it just takes longer without allowing for getting to stations or bus stops. Long distance train prices are a joke next to flying. I can get to London from Aberdeen in 1/5 of the time by flying vs the train, and the train costs more than BA even with their route monopoly. Are the economics of train systems just not there without huge subsidies?
A complete aside, but why do trains weigh so much?
6 November 2007
I reasd an article today comparing travel in this Country,London to be exact,transport was...a Renault Twizy,a car,Piaggio scooter,and public transport, fastest?...the Scooter (1hr 04mins), the slowest?....step forward....public transport (2hr 15mins),the car and the Twizy to about the same (1hr 40 mins).So. stress free transport?......don't think so.
From where to where? I can't imagine anywhere in London that it would take 2 hours and 15 minutes to go from A to B. From Upminster to Heathrow (just about the furthest within greater London you can go on public transport) is scheduled to be 90 minutes, in the morning rush!
If I knew what I was getting into, I wouldn't have done it...and I would have been wrong.
7 August 2008
We have one hell of a long way to go.......................
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html
http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/
Expensive? Yes, although can be done cheaply and having travelled there it was a piece of cake.
You do not mind paying the money if the service is as good?
Therin lies the problem, we need the huge resources that Japan have put in - however they are losing money hand and fist but the system is the best in the world, you really can go almost anywhere by train.
Notice how many modern Japanese films and cartoons have some railway link - it's integral to modern Japanese life.
Good news however, they enjoy their cars too
.
I'm now on all fours
16 May 2012
We have one hell of a long way to go.......................
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html
http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/
Expensive? Yes, although can be done cheaply and having travelled there it was a piece of cake.
You do not mind paying the money if the service is as good?
Therin lies the problem, we need the huge resources that Japan have put in - however they are losing money hand and fist but the system is the best in the world, you really can go almost anywhere by train.
Notice how many modern Japanese films and cartoons have some railway link - it's integral to modern Japanese life.
Good news however, they enjoy their cars too
.
We took the Bullet train on our honeymoon, from Tokyo to Kyoto and back. Think we paid £60 each for 2nd class with an advance booking, and it was as efficient as you'd expect. You lose the feeling of speed until you go into a tunnel - then whoooooooosh doesn't even begin to describe it. 2 hours 18 minutes, 518km = 140 mph average despite a couple of stops, and a max speed about 165 mph. A train leaves every 5 to 10 minutes between Tokyo and Kyoto during the day. I'd pay a subsidy for that, but you need their network to join it all together to make it worth it.
HS2 in the UK? Absolute joke for expense vs benefit vs not ready for 14 years vs connections to other good services!
29 October 2007
The Colonel@
Starts at Cobham going too Esher, then on too Waterloo,and then a 5 min walk too office using Train, Tube and London Bus,exact time taken was.....2hr 10mins,quickest was on a Piaggio MP3 300 LT, it took 1hr 04mins,source article is AutoExpress.
Peter Cavellini.
19 March 2013
No matter how you travel you are definitely going to be paying a lot of money as the travel costs are rising. Finding cheap deals online is easier now whether it is a cheap flight or cheap hotels you would find it online.