To think the reason UK holidays can be shit is not the weather but the traffic?

[MrsBede]

....and it's much worse this year?

I went from the Midlands to North Wales a couple of weeks ago and it took twice as long as it should have both there and back. Just got back from London and it took about 90 minutes longer than it should have. For both these trips it wasn't just one delay, but several unrelated ones - for the former every step of the journey pretty much had long delays. For London it's just the M1 - that was slow going there for a long stretch and on the way back my SAtnav recommended a detour and that had delays too.

As well as this, my city is being dug up here there and everywhere - I can think of about 5 different local routes that all have roadworks on them and ensuing delays - one was the bloody slip road when I finally got off the motorway today!

It just spoils everything - we're going to Hampshire for a few days next week and the thought that the 3.5 hour trip is likely to be more like 6 is really putting me off and I half feel like cancelling, which is very unlike me indeed. I certainly expect some delays when going longish distances but AIBU to think this year has been worse than ever, and it's not fair! (Yes, I'm tired and very pissed off...)

I agree but trains in this country are absolutely awful.

My partner is going to a stag do in a about a month..We've just looked at train costs for him.
Travel time is roughly the same 4/5 hours (South east to North West)...but he'll be able to get there and back on one tank of fuel..

So someone please tell me why he'd spend £271 on a return train fare when the car will cost maximum £50 (including parking)..yes the train is better for the planet but I really can't see any other pros...

Train- 2 changes
Car- Direct up the motorway..

Most people will drive not just for the convenience but because they can't afford to get public transport.

When going to work or in the local area we cycle everywhere though..

I don't think trains are awful. I prefer to travel by train rather than driving. I have travelled between Leeds and London, and Sheffield and London more times than I care to remember, and can count on one hand the number of awful journeys I have had.

In fact the worst service I have endured is Trans Pennine Express because they don't put enough coaches on for the number of people who want to travel.

So someone please tell me why he'd spend £271 on a return train fare when the car will cost maximum £50

But the car doesn’t cost £50. You need to include a proportion of the cost of the car - many thousands - insurance, MOT, servicing, breakdown cover, etc.

UK population in 2005: 60.18 million.
UK population in 2020: 67.1 million.

Difference: 6.92 million.

It’s not surprising the roads are busier really!

@Lemonsyellow but you’re already paying for insurance, mot etc whether you use it for a holiday or not.

Having been stood on a hot, sweaty train with no seats that was held up I’d much rather be stuck in traffic in my car with air con and music.

Oh, and we’re projected to hit 70 million people by 2029, so it’s only going to get worse.

Travelled back from Lake District to Devon yesterday, took 9 hours. Roadworks a lot of the way, why oh why roadworks in August! I nearly lost the will to live….😫

See my previous post but:

Trains don't have to be expensive if you get a railcard and are savvy about how to get the cheapest ticket online. I booked 2 adults and a child 3 months in advance London to York on a Family railcard for £99, which I didn't think was bad. And we played Uno on the way.

I grew up in a rural area and the bus service was, and still is, terrible. All the youngsters move to local towns for ease of commuting. All my family have cars, though my parents have free bus passes. They don't use them much because there's only one bus every 2 hours from 7am to 7pm. If the bus service improved, my parents and my car-loving brother have said they would use it.

I am not anti-car. I think they are bloody useful. On an environmental note, their efficiency is increasing all the time and now we can buy fully electric cars. But there is always the stress of driving and owning one, such as roadworks, and idiot drivers, and stupid charges like low emission zones, and bad parking. If you can take the stress, that's great. I would love to pass my test and buy a car. I lack spatial awareness and am too anxious though.

My next trip might be a tour of Scotland using trains, buses and ferries. Some people say I'm mad. I think it'll be an adventure. I have just discovered electric bikes, which help get you places unreachable by train. My daughter who is s teenager wants to go too. Can't wait.

but you’re already paying for insurance, mot etc whether you use it for a holiday or not.

I assumed you wouldn’t be. I assumed if you were travelling by train it would be because you didn’t have a car. When we got rid of our car we worked out we were much better off - despite having to buy train tickets.

@MinesAMassiveSalad

We use trains abroad and marvel at the low prices.

Which countries? I travel by train internationally as a bit of a hobby I find it highly variable

I guess it is variable! We did Italy, Germany, Austria and Czech Republic.

We were not in a rush and chose cheaper trains if available.
I accept we have a fast system here but the complication in ticket pricing which had occured in the last twenty years has our me right off UK train travel tbh.

But the car doesn’t cost £50. You need to include a proportion of the cost of the car - many thousands - insurance, MOT, servicing, breakdown cover, etc.

If you already own a car, you would be paying those costs in addition to the train fare.

@yummumto3girls

Travelled back from Lake District to Devon yesterday, took 9 hours. Roadworks a lot of the way, why oh why roadworks in August! I nearly lost the will to live….😫

Because disrupting holiday travel is preferable to disrupting people going to school/work I guess! Like railways doing engineering works on bank holiday weekends.

@HalzTangz

I don't understand why councils didn't get a load of roadworks done between march and June last year when there was virtually no traffic on the roads. They seemed to wait until business reopened before starting their roadwork schedules

Covid restrictions were in place for everyone.

Pointless getting a train down to Devon as you won’t be able to get around via train or bus so will be stuck in one place your whole holiday.Public transport is a nightmare down here. An hourly( often late or cancelled)10 min bus journey to the biggest city is over £7 per person including children. Bus routes are also very limited take aaaaaages and not many to touristy places and beaches. As for trains. All the small stations in tucked away places you’d want to go to were closed by Beeching and are now in places you’d need a car to get to.

Nobody elsewhere gives a shit and locals are expected to suck it up. Perhaps if we’d have had more investment things would be better for holidaymakers. Frankly we’re all sick of the clogged up roads and empty shelves in supermarkets at the moment. The vast majority of locals don’t benefit at all from the influx.

Covid restrictions were in place for everyone.

Some roadworks got done in the first lockdown, people could go to work if they couldn't work from home apart from certain sectors like non essential shops and hospitality. They probably didn't do them because it was 'the wrong time of year' or some excuse like that, road repairs always seem to be do in July /August.

Just see above that August is likely because of school holidays for roadworks.

@ShaunaTheSheep

Why are you all being sheep and travelling at the busiest times to and from popular locations? Baffling.

Because the popular places are popular for a reason - nice beaches, scenery, restaurants, activities, etc. Let’s face it, who wants to go to Walsall for hard earned break?

If you’re staying in a hotel/apartment/cottage the changeover days are the same - Saturdays - because it makes the most efficient use of both the guest’s annual leave and the owner’s capability to maximise income because there are fewer ‘dead’ days.

None of this is rocket science.

Anyone that gets railcards and shops at Tesco, you can use Clubcard points, DH got his £30 over 60 one for £10 in Clubcard points

If you’re staying in a hotel/apartment/cottage the changeover days are the same - Saturdays - because it makes the most efficient use of both the guest’s annual leave and the owner’s capability to maximise income because there are fewer ‘dead’ days.

This is one of the reasons we bought a caravan, you can go and come back on which day you want, camping is similar, We found the Friday/Saturday changeover day restrictive, its easier to travel in the week and DH sometimes does running events that are at weekends when we are away so we can fit in with those also.

Aside from the cost trains are not a reliable way to travel long distances right now. Many services are being cancelled last minute due to 'driver shortage' and there are not always alternative options. If there are it usually means being herded onto a packed train, standing room only and navigating changes through other stations. Not the most fun start to a holiday.

My last 3 experiences of train travel.
X2 trains cancelled. 1 train delayed 40 mins
One journey that takes 35 mins in a car , took over 3 hours on the train . I thought the train would be fun, but when it took over 3 hours to get home , no one was having fun.
Train ticket for a different journey cost 176 pounds. Petrol would have been less than 40 pounds .
Only crowed place I’ve been in months was on a train. Packed to standing room only, mask wearing no longer enforced . Tested positive for covid 4 days later.
Reasons like this have pushed me back to the car even when I could use a train .

And I agree about roads. We had 2 separate weeks booked in Cornwall . Due to covid and travel times we have cancelled our second week. Don’t want to be part of the problem for a second time .

@Lemonsyellow

So someone please tell me why he'd spend £271 on a return train fare when the car will cost maximum £50

But the car doesn’t cost £50. You need to include a proportion of the cost of the car - many thousands - insurance, MOT, servicing, breakdown cover, etc.

That's all "sunk" costs, they've happened, so are irrelevant for the decision as to whether to drive or take the train for that journey. You look at marginal (i.e. extra) costs for decision making.

@User7458

If you’re staying in a hotel/apartment/cottage the changeover days are the same - Saturdays - because it makes the most efficient use of both the guest’s annual leave and the owner’s capability to maximise income because there are fewer ‘dead’ days.

This is one of the reasons we bought a caravan, you can go and come back on which day you want, camping is similar, We found the Friday/Saturday changeover day restrictive, its easier to travel in the week and DH sometimes does running events that are at weekends when we are away so we can fit in with those also.

That's a unique UK throwback from decades ago. Abroad, they're generally much more flexible. Yes, a fixed changeover day maximises landlord profit, but that only works when demand is high and all weeks can be filled. Obviously that's the case in the UK at the moment. When demand is less and there is more competition, that policy loses potential customers.