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Post by Humph on Oct 29, 2016 9:42:42 GMT
Yeah, it's London Midland. But it's cheap right? 😉 sure is, but.... Well, while not quite in the same league as your picture above, it was indeed a miserable experience. The train was rammed when I got on it in Stafford, had to stand all the way to London. Stopped at every poxing station on the way it seems. Apparently there was some problem that led to that service being over subscribed due to issues on other routes. Then coming back, I found I was in time to get an earlier train, but then discovered that it's route had been cut short to Rugby due to a "trespass incident" on the line ( is that code for someone leaping in front of a train? ) so had to wait for the next one. This in turn meant that the next train not only had its own passengers but also those who were unable to travel on the earlier service. Hence it was packed beyond belief and I had to stand all the way back too. Pressed against an internal door with people tight packed up against me for two hours, unable to move, unable to change position, boiling hot, airless and someone near me was dropping silent but deadlies at regular intervals. It was utterly horrible, people were getting bad tempered every time the train stopped and even more tried to board. Driving brings its own problems of traffic congestion / longer journey times etc but would have been infinitely preferable to that miserable experience. At least when you drive you have your own space, can stop when it suits you and generally speaking you don't have to spend any time pressed up against sweaty people with raging flatulence. I can see now why that route is much cheaper, but still not cheap enough to want to repeat the excercise any time soon.
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WDB
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Oct 29, 2016 10:58:24 GMT
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Post by WDB on Oct 29, 2016 10:58:24 GMT
Grim indeed, Humph. I don't think I'd risk a train journey of more than an hour without a seat reservation - but even those can become unenforceable in the circumstances you encountered.
In happier news, my two train trips to Cologne have borne fruit in the form of a request to negotiate a contract, so there'll be another one before long. Although I chatted to a Düsseldorfer in a shop the other day, who was adamant that his town is a better place to stay. Trouble is, I'd have to fly there.
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Post by Humph on Oct 29, 2016 11:56:05 GMT
If you get the train from Koln to Düsseldorf you pass a large block of flats where the hookers sit in the windows advertising their services. I think that's at the Koln end. Can't remember.
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Post by Hofmeister on Oct 29, 2016 12:20:55 GMT
There is only one way to travel by train, and it matters not what country you are in
First Class, with a reserved seat. One of the better ways to travel around Italy for example (one of the finest ways to enter Venezia and the only way to get to the center of Milano) and if booked here, remarkably cheap.
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Post by Humph on Oct 29, 2016 12:46:38 GMT
Yeah, first class return this coming Monday at any kind of sensible times ( Crewe / London ) ....
Three hundred and forty four pounds !
😱
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2016 13:03:30 GMT
Cologne to Duesseldorf takes 30 minutes on a Regional Express or 21 minutes on an InterCity for an extra 12,.50€ if those 9 minutes are really important to you. You can pay 17.50€ to shave another minute off the IC time using ICE and S bahn with one stop.
It's a toss up between Duesseldorf and Munich which is the most expensive city in Germany.
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Post by Hofmeister on Oct 29, 2016 13:09:55 GMT
Yeah, first class return this coming Monday at any kind of sensible times ( Crewe / London ) .... Three hundred and forty four pounds ! 😱 Yup, absolutely, that way you keep the riff raf and the commercial travelers floggin their schmatta in their place
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Post by Humph on Oct 29, 2016 13:19:21 GMT
Thought there must be a reason.🤔
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 8:12:27 GMT
Have you thought about going down the night before from Crewe? Cheap fares and stay overnight in a low cost hotel?
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Post by Humph on Oct 30, 2016 8:23:19 GMT
I have, but after nigh on 40 years of traveling about hither and thither, I prefer my own bed when possible. Hotels can be depressing places.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 10:10:51 GMT
True. Got to stay away for two nights next week. I know I won't get a full night of proper sleep; i'll be fully awake by 6am with nowhere to go and nothing to do until 7.30. Sometimes Espadrille comes with and I sleep much better.
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Post by commerdriver on Oct 30, 2016 17:20:52 GMT
Reality time, trip to York on business this week, go up Monday evening (early start Tuesday) return Wednesday evening, standard class (has to be over 3 hour for first), total price including reserved seats and wi-fi using my senior railcard, £83 return. How the other half lives eh?
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Post by Alanović on Oct 31, 2016 11:16:08 GMT
Ain't the plane cheaper than the train these days? Humph coulda gorn Manc - LHR, shurely?
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Oct 31, 2016 11:21:39 GMT
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Post by Humph on Oct 31, 2016 11:21:39 GMT
Hours drive to MAN, hour to check in, 1/2 hour flight, hour to get off the thing and get into London (all at best) No real advantage?
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Post by Alanović on Oct 31, 2016 11:37:18 GMT
Advantage: not being on a train.
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