Which Train Station From London to Bath?!
Apr 20th, 2013, 10:05 AM
#24
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To go back to the original question, there are two routes between London and Bath. One is First Great Western from Paddington via Swindon, and the other is by South-West Trains from Waterloo via Salisbury. The trains from Paddington are quicker, direct, more frequent (twice hourly) but usually more expensive. The trains via Salisbury are slower, usually require a change at Salisbury, less frequent (hourly) but cheaper.
Just as there are 2 for 1 offers if you buy a rail ticket to London, so there are 2 for 1 offers if you buy a rail ticket to Bath. Details are on the First Great Western site at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk under offers.
There is not much to chose between the view from the window on the two routes, and it doesn't matter which side of the train you sit, except one side gets more sun.
As always, buying tickets in advance will save you money.
Just as there are 2 for 1 offers if you buy a rail ticket to London, so there are 2 for 1 offers if you buy a rail ticket to Bath. Details are on the First Great Western site at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk under offers.
There is not much to chose between the view from the window on the two routes, and it doesn't matter which side of the train you sit, except one side gets more sun.
As always, buying tickets in advance will save you money.
Apr 20th, 2013, 11:28 AM
#25
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I absolutely don't buy this "it's the right hand side (relative to the direction of travel) that's the one for the coastal views if you're heading north." on British trains.
The argument works on some silly Amtrak trains which like to pretend they're planes, and have tiny windows - just as the argument works on most planes, because you canb see only out of "your" window.
On most British trains, the view on the right hand of the train is better if you're sitting on the left of the train, unless you've got serious visual impairment: on TGVs and similar trains going over 150 mph, the argument for sitting on the opposite side to the one with the view is a very great deal stronger still.
Not only do I find that I get a better view out of the window on the other side: whenever I look around me, most people looking out (most don't of course: they're reading, working, or watching last night's TV) are looking out across the aisle.
Because the view's better.
Chartley's absolutely right, though, about the sun. There are no blinds in Standard Class. Usually, being on the sunny side is a great deal more uncomfortable, when there's sun - especially when the sun's low in the sky.
The argument works on some silly Amtrak trains which like to pretend they're planes, and have tiny windows - just as the argument works on most planes, because you canb see only out of "your" window.
On most British trains, the view on the right hand of the train is better if you're sitting on the left of the train, unless you've got serious visual impairment: on TGVs and similar trains going over 150 mph, the argument for sitting on the opposite side to the one with the view is a very great deal stronger still.
Not only do I find that I get a better view out of the window on the other side: whenever I look around me, most people looking out (most don't of course: they're reading, working, or watching last night's TV) are looking out across the aisle.
Because the view's better.
Chartley's absolutely right, though, about the sun. There are no blinds in Standard Class. Usually, being on the sunny side is a great deal more uncomfortable, when there's sun - especially when the sun's low in the sky.
. But actually it was because I was using my new iPad mini and it did an auto correct that I didn't notice.
Apr 21st, 2013, 07:03 AM
#29
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Chartley's absolutely right, though, about the sun. There are no blinds in Standard Class. Usually, being on the sunny side is a great deal more uncomfortable, when there's sun - especially when the sun's low in the sky.>
thank God the sun should only by out for a few days a year IME in any part of dear old England.
thank God the sun should only by out for a few days a year IME in any part of dear old England.
