Post by ronturner on Oct 18, 2018 7:59:39 GMT 1
In another section there is discussion about trains v planes to places like Exeter and Aberdeen from Liverpool.
Well, here is my experience recently, in France. I live 10 minutes by car from Lucon in the Vendee.
We took a trip to Toulouse.
By car it is a ride of 6 hours each way, plus stops, so say 7 hours. and the cost including diesel and tolls was just over 80€ each way. Total 160€. Add about 30€ for parking at a city hotel. Total 190€ One advantage of the car is the flexibility to change route and meander a bit, if you want
By air from Nantes fares were about 155 for two of us, plus bags adding up to 210€ total. Prices varied a bit between EasyJet and HOP. Add car parking costs brings the total to over 250€ and tolls and diesel to and from Nantes another 20€ Total 270€
Total journey time including driving to Nantes ( 90 minutes, parking check in and flight was over 5 hours to Toulouse city Centre.
Of course at Lucon we are fortunate to have a railway station on the main line from Nantes to Bordeaux, Journey time was 6 hours by train, plus 10 minutes from home to the station. Free car parking there for unlimited time.
From Lucon to La Rochelle the railway is in poor shape so the train speed is a bit slow. After La Rochelle it really gets moving and after the change at Bordeaux to TGV it was like greased lightning, all the way to Toulouse.
No limit on bags and weight, no security lines and passport checks. Loads of legroom, Comfortable sears pre assigned free of charge. Another feature not widely known by foreigners, is that with TGV and intercity you have certain guarantees including the right of refunds if your train is late. (Staged time blocks and refund rates), and most importantly of all a guarantee to get you home or put you up if a late connection results in you missing the last train that day.. This guarantee is part of the price you pay.
Total cost of the journey for two of us 86€. To get this price we bought senior cards which cost us an extra 50€ each making the total 186€, but now of course we have those cards for a full year.
If we did not have our station at Lucon this might be a different story, but we do, and we use it.
la Rochelle airport is much closer to me, but the ticket are just far too high, flights involve connections and of early departures around 06-00. Not for me.
Well, here is my experience recently, in France. I live 10 minutes by car from Lucon in the Vendee.
We took a trip to Toulouse.
By car it is a ride of 6 hours each way, plus stops, so say 7 hours. and the cost including diesel and tolls was just over 80€ each way. Total 160€. Add about 30€ for parking at a city hotel. Total 190€ One advantage of the car is the flexibility to change route and meander a bit, if you want
By air from Nantes fares were about 155 for two of us, plus bags adding up to 210€ total. Prices varied a bit between EasyJet and HOP. Add car parking costs brings the total to over 250€ and tolls and diesel to and from Nantes another 20€ Total 270€
Total journey time including driving to Nantes ( 90 minutes, parking check in and flight was over 5 hours to Toulouse city Centre.
Of course at Lucon we are fortunate to have a railway station on the main line from Nantes to Bordeaux, Journey time was 6 hours by train, plus 10 minutes from home to the station. Free car parking there for unlimited time.
From Lucon to La Rochelle the railway is in poor shape so the train speed is a bit slow. After La Rochelle it really gets moving and after the change at Bordeaux to TGV it was like greased lightning, all the way to Toulouse.
No limit on bags and weight, no security lines and passport checks. Loads of legroom, Comfortable sears pre assigned free of charge. Another feature not widely known by foreigners, is that with TGV and intercity you have certain guarantees including the right of refunds if your train is late. (Staged time blocks and refund rates), and most importantly of all a guarantee to get you home or put you up if a late connection results in you missing the last train that day.. This guarantee is part of the price you pay.
Total cost of the journey for two of us 86€. To get this price we bought senior cards which cost us an extra 50€ each making the total 186€, but now of course we have those cards for a full year.
If we did not have our station at Lucon this might be a different story, but we do, and we use it.
la Rochelle airport is much closer to me, but the ticket are just far too high, flights involve connections and of early departures around 06-00. Not for me.
