Total price to travel by car (assuming you own one):
Servicing cost: ~20 per 3000 miles
Petrol for journey: ~50ukp
Total: 70 quid.
To take the train: 90 quid + hotel (required) at 80 quid + left luggage in Birmingham and Manchester.
Cost benefit analysis:
Train – easier, can get up and wander round however involves over an hour of trying to persuade website to take cash, prices rising when you try to actually buy tickets.
Car – less comfortable, potentially substantially quicker, approximately half the price, no risk of being on the world’s most cramped train with broken air-con.
Car wins, hands down.
As I’ve said in the comments on this post it was a big change for me to choose the Railways over driving; and not one I’m likely to repeat. Since I’ve booked the hotel and one of the train tickets I may see if they can at least get near the price of petrol (since I’m not unbooking the hotel now. *sigh*.). It’s fucking pathetic, is what it is.
