I thInk this a great story, who cares if he actually flew it or not, it just goes to show overpriced the railways are and how crazy flight prices are at the moment. (Sorry, as s forum virgin I can't post links, so here's the fully story from the Guardian Travel) A teenage blogger claims he saved £7.72 on his train journey from Sheffield to Essex – by taking a plane via Berlin. Jordon Cox, 18, who blogs as The Coupon Kid for MoneySavingExpert.com, wrote that he travelled an extra 1,017 miles last week and saved £7.72 by getting back to Essex from Sheffield via Berlin. He wrote: “I know that flying is not very environmentally friendly and I won’t do this every time I travel, however this was the cheapest way for me to get home and I got to enjoy a ‘free’ mini holiday to a city I’ve always wanted to visit.” Cox said he booked a cheap train fare to Sheffield but found a return ticket was £47. He found that flying from East Midlands airport to Berlin, spending seven hours exploring the city and then flying to London Stansted and getting a bus home was cheaper than a single train journey in England. He also discovered he could buy a return train ticket to Berlin city centre, enjoy a free tour of a government building and eat lunch there and still save money. He wrote: “OK, this isn’t for everyone as it can take a whole day to get to your final destination, but if you’re not in a rush, your focus is saving money and you fancy a little walk around a European city, it’s worth a look.” He reminded anyone considering his methods to factor in travel to and from airports to ensure an overall saving and remember their passport. /Andy
Link to story here: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...-from-sheffield-to-essex-by-flying-via-berlin I enjoyed this too. The obvious issue is the getting to and from the airport, versus the local train station. Although a passing reference is made to it at the end, I reckon he rather glossed over the effort required there. According to Google Maps, Sheffield train station is 52 miles by car from East Midlands airport! But yes, the key point is very valid - UK train travel can be a total rip off, whereas flying is comically cheap at the moment. BTW "enjoy a free tour of a government building"?? This kid really does know how to live it large
I suspect the expensive ticket was for travel on the day. Booked in advance it would probably be cheaper. But you can't always book in advance! You can actually get a National Express coach direct from Sheffield to East Midlands airport. Cost is £9.80 though.
