08 1.2 Automatic Micra...

[Morba]

Kinda can't fly if he has to make 2 stops and pick up equipment.
Really don't understand why they aren't providing you with a car for this given the circumstances

 

[Jonny ///M]

Nothing really to add other than how ******* boring it was doing Liverpool > Glasgow in a luton van that topped out slower than arctics

I'd hire a car and boot the arse out of it or take public transport.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Is first class in the UK really that much better, do you get your own rooms or something ?

It varies by operator but the good ones are very nice. It does seem quite different to First on the continent, I walked through a 1st Class coach on a Belgian train the other week and was amazed at how... like standard it was.

On FGW at least you get big reclining leather seats, loads of space, 'free' drinks etc. It is of course an absolute ripoff at walk on prices - £250 return to London from here, ouch - but booking in advance (Which I appreciate isnt an option for the OP now) means you can get some astonishingly good deals. It's almost always very quiet as well, I've been on trains where an announcement is made apologising for the overcrowding and I've looked up and the coach I'm in is almost empty. All for a few quid more than normal..

I hate traveling by train I'm always bored while in the car you can turn up the radio and listen to highway to hell and sing along loudly or whatever. Driving is more fun that staring out the window of a train or being bored on a lappy.

If the drive involves 100% motorway I find going by train more fun because I can simply browse the web or watch films. I will however only use the train if:

a) The drive is 100% Motorway
b) The train is direct and can be booked in advance at a significant saving
c) I do not need a car at the other end

I'll never bother if I have to faff about changing 2 times and standing around in random locations for hours on end, just as I'll never bother if the drive is interesting, but for going to places like London or the airport or something its awesome. Sometimes it sucks, if I want to get the girlfriends the route is completly pathetic and goes via Bristol and Wals taking 5 hours. It's less than 3 by car!

Don't knock it until you've tried it!

 

[Moeks]

It varies by operator but the good ones are very nice. It does seem quite different to First on the continent, I walked through a 1st Class coach on a Belgian train the other week and was amazed at how... like standard it was.

They are indeed, I guess snowdog is used to the Dutch trains ...well I use Dutch trains regularly every time I go to the Netherlands, (so 4-5 times a year on average), far more than I use our trains and I often walk through the 1st class coaches and they are little different to the standard ones really, nothing like the 1st class you can get here ...then again I suspect they don't cost anything like it either.

The standard NS Rail seats on the 3 major different types of coach they seem to use are pretty damn basic, they don't even have plug sockets so you can plug your laptop in at the seats with static tables (not that the tables are really suitable for that anyway the way they are designed) ...they can also be really difficult to use with anything but a small suitcase as they don't have a proper luggage rack either, the worst are these weird double decker coaches they have, there is nowhere to put anything larger than a regular shoulder bag or backpack at all. Also the walk way down the middle of the caches is really narrow which can make it even more annoying with heavy luggage.

 

[I get around]

I did Leeds - Bristol and back in a day in a 1.8d escort van during summer with no stereo.

You sir are a pussy.

Vans are fine, they aren't cramped as hell like hatchbacks. I've been in the new micra, ok I'm not exactly a small lad but jesus christ is was so small.
I could drive my works van all day purely because I have more than enough head/ leg room for once.

Thats a tiny drive anyway, I do swindon to swansea and back once a week, and swindon to plymouth and back once a week. It' slightly depressing how much time I spend on motorways these days

London - glasgow is major long haul, you'll want something which isn't a complete heap of low powered town car.