Great Western Coffee Shop

I have to go to a friends funeral service in Edinburgh later this month  travel up from BPW on Sunday 27th and need to return on Tuesday 29th  any advice on the best way to split would be most welcome Thankyou in advance WP.

Being slightly controversial, you can do it with Easyjet for around £60 to £70 return (and depending on the time of the funeral could travel up Monday morning).

Yes, that was my suggestion

Guaranteed a seat for the whole journey too...

As someone who frankly tries to avoid flying, I have to say that in this case it may be sensible if Bristol Airport's easy to get at for you and flights are at the right time, ditto at the Edinburgh end and for the return.

For split - take a look [here] (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15904.msg178677#msg178677) for a previous journey I made that's similar (just dashing out so no time to update it now - sorry) but bear in mind that train now needs to be one that stops at the Oxenholme changeover - rule change on 1st October, so the thread's advise is out of date on that aspect.

Cheltenham splits usually give savings.  But you should probably combine with others for greater savings

Just had a look and there are advance return tickets for those dates for £83-90, so much the same price as flying when adding in getting to the airport (and personally I'm amazed that people on this forum are advocating using a plane instead). Unusually fares from Cheltenham appear to be more expensive.

WP. What time do you want to travel, both out and return? Also do you hold a Railcard?

  What's the train v plane journey time? That might give you an idea why people would rather fly!

About 6 hours by train (5h 43m from Parkway is the quickest I could find). That compares to 1h 10m by plane, so with check-in and getting to and from Bristol Airport and Edinburgh Airport (9 miles from Edinburgh) perhaps 4 hours?  However the train is available on an hourly basis whereas I can find only four direct flights a day and gaps of six hours in between some flights.

So, quite clearly the flight would be the best option for some and the train for others.

Thanks BNM and all others
I don't have a railcard would need to leave mid morning on the Sunday.
And return leg to start at or about lunchtime on the Tuesday .

 ;D ;D

Personally  ;) ... I'm a public transport user and I'll use whatever or whatever best combination works for me.  Turns out tp be train 75% of the journey sections - because it's comfortable (and I can work on the say), I can take unlimited luggage, and these days it goes more frequently than most other options. It also gives me the ability to look and learn at both the countryside and the ways that rail systems work in our own area and beyond.

Let me count my last fortnight ...

Train / Tube 1111111111111111111111111111111111111 = 37

Coach / Bus  1111111 = 7

Taxi   111 = 3

Plane   11 = 2

Ferry   1 = 1

I have also driven circa 10 very short car journeys within our home town - in most cases perfectly walkable but with significant amounts to carry. I have had lifts on 9 occasions - 6 of which were to / from Melksham Station where I would have used the rail link bus had it still been running, and two of which were to Westbury where a wait of an hour and 50 minutes on a Sunday at the start of a long trip was unattractive to put it mildly.

I have also walked ... many miles ... as final legs to / from places of work / meeting and hotels.  On six of those walks, bus options were available but I couldn't be bothered to wait for a service for a journey of a mile (two cases) and a mile and a half (four cases).   Even had they been taken on the bus (with some significant waits!) I would still have walked plenty of miles.   I no longer cycle as I fear falling off, due to medical issues I'm assured are permanent. 

Your comment / question, Froome, lead to a very interesting analysis so I've published / said far more than perhaps a little comment. Could lead to an interesting split thread if others would like to add their own stats!

Currently available
Bristol parkway to Cheltenham Spa Advance Single £6.50 on the 10:39
Cheltenham Spa to Wolverhampton Off Peak Return £24.80
Wolverhampton to Crewe Off Peak Return £19.00
Crewe to Edinburgh Waverley Advance Single £42.00 on (12:37 from Wolves to Edinburgh)

Edinburgh Waverley to Crewe Advance Single £22.00 (1051 Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street)
Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Parkway Advance Single £9.00 (1517 from new street to BPW)

Above valid on this itinerary
Bristol Parkway to B New Street 10:39-11:48
B New Street to Wolves 12:01-12:19
Wolves to Edinburgh Waverley 12:37-16:20

Return
Edinburgh to B New Street 10:51-15:05
B New Street to BPW 15:17-16:30


 

I've very pro-rail, but not so evangelical about it that I would dismiss alternatives if they are potentially cheaper, faster, and more convenient.  I'd be a bit disappointed if the forum restricted a discussion of the options available for a contributor's journey on the grounds that one must only use rail.

And I think you'll find that the fares you were looking at are single not return, hence why I thought £60 - £70 for a return flight looked quite attractive.

 

The prices quoted by Froome are indeed singles.

Completing the picture, £44.60 each way with National Express - journey time about 11 hours each way, daily through service.   Add 1 pound booking fee.   Add £1 "booking fee" ...

Having done a similar journey (Stansted to Edinburgh) several times this year (once by train, three times by plane), I can confirm 4 hours is about right for the total travel time when flying, assuming about 45 minutes travelling time to the airport at the England end and a taxi to the city centre at the Scotland end.  This also assumes you are not checking in any luggage and capable of getting through security without flustering around too much (i.e. read up what's not allowed before travelling so your luggage doesn't need to be searched by hand).  Domestic arrivals at Edinburgh are dumped into the departure lounge, from where you can exit to the taxi ranks very quickly.

On the train journey, it took about 8 hours (total travel time, including connections either end) due to a delay.  Nevertheless, flying offered the option of making a day return (therefore saving on hotel costs), that wouldn't have been possible by train, even without the delay.

A material factor for me would be the prospect of much, if not all, of the train journey being on a Voyager most likely (unless one was lucky or foresighted enough to travel on one of the HST services).  That would make the journey more of an ordeal, rather than the pleasure that I normally get on long distance rail journey.

From Edinburgh Airport into the city there is also the choice of the express bus (every 10 mins - takes 25 mins), or the tram (every 10 mins, takes around 30 mins).  I'd probably go for the tram purely for novelty value, even though it is slightly slower and more expensive.

The very reason that every time I go to Scotland it's always via London using either Virgin West/East coast.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice its most appreciated
I'm going to have to drive up north as it turns out
Went base over apex last night on wet leaves and now have a sprained ankle on my left side twice the size it should be ! But the car is an automatic so I will be able to cope with the drive cheers WP.