Travelling Glasgow to London
I’ve been down to London quite a few times and I’ve tried
out different ways to get there. There are pros and cons to each but the main
things I am looking at are price and ease of travel. Keep reading to hear my
opinion about travelling from Glasgow to London by train, plane, and car.
1. Train
This can vary depending on where in London you want to go.
The first couple of times I went down I was going to the outskirts, which meant
that I had to get three trains to get there. This was time consuming, expensive,
and difficult considering at the time I was on crutches and had a suitcase with
me. There were also delays which meant that I missed my transfers and had to
rearrange everything. Then, because I was booked onto the alternative trains at
the last minute, I didn’t get a seat and had to stand with my crutches or sit
on the floor. I got there in one piece, but was exhausted, sore, and disappointed
considering how much money the journey had cost me and the fact that it had
taken up a whole day of my trip. This journey would take up about 7 hours, have
between 2 and 4 transfers, and costs around £150 for one-way.
However, it is much easier to get into the centre of London,
with a direct train running between Glasgow Central and Kings’ Cross Station. This
is much quicker at only about 4 hours and, if you book online in advance, you
can get a one-way ticket from as little at £30! As it is direct it also means
that you can settle down for the 4 hours and relax, read, or even sleep. You
can also specifically book a quiet carriage if you are hoping to sleep or get
some work done. I did this as I have anxiety and was also planning on reading
for the journey. It was much more relaxing and I would definitely do it again.
2. Plane
Each time I have travelled Glasgow to London by plane it has
been very hassle free. The flight itself is only about an hour and a half, so
you are in and out of the airports in less than 3 hours if you include the
arrival and departure. And it will only cost you around £30 one-way. The only
issue with this is that it doesn’t take you directly into the centre.
However, there are plenty of ways to get to the centre from
the airports. A taxi will be very expensive but is the easiest way to get to
where you need to be. There are the buses and, from some airports, the underground.
However, if you do not know your way or have a lot of luggage this may not be
ideal, although it is the cheapest option. An alternative is that some of the
airports have trams or other direct links to the city centre. These are slightly
more expensive, but still much cheaper than a taxi and are very simple to use.
This is how I prefer to get from the airport from the centre, and from there I can
get to anywhere using the underground! These generally cost less than £20 and
are available to purchase online or from the airport once you arrive.
3. Car
I know what you’re probably thinking: “Why would you drive that
whole distance if the other options are quicker and easier?”
There are some downsides to driving. The drive itself is at
least 7 hours, and then you have to add in breaks and petrol/food stops. You
would definitely have to take regular breaks if driving this far, and so that
can take the journey up to about ten hours! Depending on your car model, this
can cost around £100 in fuel (remember that this could be for multiple people
in the car though, so split the cost). You would also have to make sure that
your car was up to the journey, checking oil levels, tyres, etc.
If you are going to the outskirts of London or would like to
have your car to travel whilst you are there then this is a great idea.
However, if you are going to the centre then I doubt that you will touch your
car, as it is so much easier to travel by public transport (the London
Underground amazes me). Another pro of driving there is that you are not
restricted by luggage. When we drove down it was for a family birthday, and so
we had a cake and lots of other stuff with us. The car make it much easier to
transport all of this, and it also meant that we could leave when we were ready
and take the journey at our own pace. We got comfortable with blankets and, if
you’re lucky enough to have multiple drivers, you can even split the journey
between you. It also allows you to drive directly to where you are going and
not have to worry about transfers and transporting luggage.
I can’t say which mode of transport is best – it all depends
on you and the journey that you are making. But hopefully this will give you an
idea of the pros and cons of each one and help you in planning your trip.
Have
you had any good/bad experiences travelling from Glasgow to London, or do you
have a preferred method not mentioned here?
Nice. I personally take the train, then tube it in. @apeakinside
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my post, I'm glad you liked it. The underground does make things a lot easier once you get into the centre :)
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