Train, Bus or Car ??
 

Hello..We are two girls travelling in England..I would like to know what is the best way to get around..Train, bus or car ?

Since we are only 2 girls in our 20s I'm not sure how safe it would be travelling by car...

Very difficult to answer w/o knowing where in England you are going to be travelling.

What's your itinerary? And your budget?

Are you confident drivers? And on manual, not automatic transmissions?

Don;t see how this is a safety issue (unless you make a habit of crashing into people) - it's really just a financial/logistics one.

(And please - girls are under 15 or so - after that you're women - or ought to be.)

Need to know where you are and where you are going. If in London and going to say Nottingham or York, take the bus or train. If in Cotswolds or Scotland and want to see the countryside, driving is the best way - assuming you can use a stick and shift with your left hand. Automatics double the rental cost. Round-a-bouts are another discussion on their own.

Well we would be going to York, maybe Scotlands, Cotswald, Cornwall, Lake/ Peak District, Isle of Wight, Stanford upon Avon...

Well since I am from India we drive on the same side so that won't be a problem. Would be driving automtatic...

Safety I meant as in just two of us travelling alone by car in case of any problems or if we get stranded somewer...

Ive heard in some places it difficult to go by train or bus..Which option is the best and chepeast...

For most of your intended destinations, the car would be best. Here's my advice...

Learn to drive a manual - it's not hard.

Stay out of cities with the car i.e. York, etc.

Don't hesitate to park it and use public transportation where it'd be more appropriate i.e. Isle of Wight, etc.

Have a working cell phone is case you get lost or stranded.

Trains are very expensive, buses/coaches are fairly expensive. Cars are fairly cheap to hire but fuel is expensive. A car will get you where you want to go when you want to go which other forms of transport may not.

Driving is easy but roads are very busy near any big towns and on some main roads/motorways. It will also depend on when you are going to the UK as school holidays can be a bit of a nightmare in some places.

Get yourself a good map and guidebook. Beware of speed cameras which are everywhere. Parking can be a big problem in some cities. London charges to enter Mon-Fri so park up and get a train/bus in. Don't leave any valuables in your car when not in it. Beware of pickpockets.

You can drive to Scotland or take a cheap flight (Ryanair) and pick up another car there an hour later. Lots less traffic in many places but parking is so expensive. Lots of B&B about if you are travelling outside of school holidays.

Two other cost factors are if at least one of you is not at least 25 you will pay a per day premium for the rental for being a young driver. Also if you both will be driving you will have to pay a per day extra driver fee.

Trains and buses will take you wherever you want to go, but you need to read up a lot more about places. There are no such places as "Scotlands", "Cotswald", or "Stanford upon Avon".

If going by train check out the BritRail England flexipass - good on all trains in England - if going to Wales and Scotland then check out BritRail pass. Passes are marketed for foreigners and not sold at stations in UK

They may or may not be a good deal depending on your itinerary but could be - especially since they can be used on any train any time - no advance purchase no restrictions. And since these passes have no increased in price since the Pound took off to astronomic heights they are a better deal then ever. For a neat look at UK/England rail travel go to www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - both for current prices and advice. From the latter request the free European Planning & Rail Guide that has a good chapter on UK trains, with itineraries and bits on the places many go - a good primer on British rail travel. British trains go very frequently to nearly all main cities and all tourist areas many folks visit. check out www.nationalrail.co.uk for prices and schedules to see if the pass is a good deal or not.

As a general rule it's easier to travel by train for cities and car for countryside. It sounds like you mainly want to see countryside.

Lots of women drive everywhere alone in the UK, and some would regard it as safer than public transport. This has been the case since long before we had mobile phones - but having a mobile phone will make life easier in case of any problems.

Bear in mind that lots of our country roads are narrow and winding, so it can take a long time to get anywhere - and the motorways (which can be slow too) are not generally very scenic. Take a look at www.theaa.com to get some ideas of distances and timings between different destinations - although I generally find I need to add on at least a third to their timings. usually estimate 50 mph at best -

How long do you plan on being in the UK. Your "wish list" covers hundreds of miles from one end of the country to the other. You'd need 5 or 6 weeks to cover all of that by train and even more if by car.

Unless you just mean Edinburgh, Scotland will take a minimum of 7-10 days. The Cotswolds at least 3 days. Stratford/Warwick 2 days. Lake district - 2-3 days. Peak District - 2-3 days. IOW - 2 days. York 2 days - or 4-5 days if you want to see any of rural Yorkshire. Cornwall 4-5 days. Travel between all of these places another 5-6 days.

So - how long do you have??

Car may not ba an option depending on your ages.

Some companies won't rent to anyoone under 25. Some will but will charge you a surcharge.

Cars are a safe way to go - your rental will include a breakdown service. If you don't already have one get a mobile phone, unless you are in a remote area of scotland you will get a signal.

If under 26 then if going by train the BritRail England and all BritPass has especially cheap fares for youthpasses for those under 25. At your age i would strongly consider the train.

<<< Trains are very expensive, buses/coaches are fairly expensive. >>>

Which country are you talking about? Or do you think that fares of £1 for long distance coach travel or £12 for London to Edinburgh are expensive?

what percentage of seats do you think on London-edinburgh trains sell for 12 pounds? just curious as to how easy these are to book.

Quite - it requires split second timing to get those train fares, I think. I've never been able to find an Edinburgh-London fare for much less than £80 or even £100, so I always end up flying.

which often makes the British railpasses good deals at those prices if traveling much... especially the youthpasses for those under 26. any train anytime is a plus.

Actually since we are both under 25 the car rental rates are quite high so I guess that would not make too much of sense.

So now I guess its only train or bus. I have about 25 days in the UK and have already been to London many times so don't need to spend too much time there.

How is travelling by bus ? Is there any pass similar to the BritRail pass ? Or is train better ?

Yes there is some kind of bus pass but buses are very cheap usually - but to me not really comfy like trains where you can get up and walk around, have better views out windows, etc. Buses i've been on have been mobbed and seats not that comfy. cheapest way but consider one of the BritRail youthpasses which allow complete flexibility on taking any train any time - won't cost much more and infinitely faster and more comfy.

For $340 you can get an 8 day youth BritRail flexipass good over a 2-month period - you chose the days as you go along for unlimited travel midnight to midnight. If going Nov-Feb the pass is reduced 25%. Must be under 26 - that's what i'd consider for what you outline.

London-Edinburgh 4.5 hours - much longer on bus i think though really not sure - but buses seem to stop a lot and don't go the 125mph these trains can go.