In today's times when rail and trains offer convenient journeys to most destinations between neigbouring cities, is there really any justification for plane travel between nearby cities?
If you were travelling from London to Paris, New York to Washington or Tokyo to Osaka, taking a flight used to be the norm, but despite being cheap (if booked in advance, part of a budget airline deal or not taking into account the cost of getting to the airport) the time taken to arrive at your destination is often less by train. The journey is in almost all cases more comfortable as you just arrive at the station, check in and get on a comfortable train. For planes there is a more complicated process check in times, take off, landing and so on, but the journey whilst in the plane can be very comfortable too.
Click on the above image to checkt he carbon footprint for such journeys and compare the time savings you could make. You may be surprised to see that plane travel isn't always the quicker route.
Do you travel by tube or plane? Have you been taking the Eurostar to Paris since it's introduction or do you continue to fly there? Should carbon footprint be factored into your plans and should the better environmental option impact the price? Blog on..
11 comments:
very interesting.. I used to fly everywhere but it has got a whole lot easier to go by train and I hate waiting for planes at airports.
I can't stand the security hold up at airports so now take trains. They aren't as horrid to wait for - except when you queue up for the ticket office - and the journey is a whoosh. Plus no heart-holding moments at take off and landing!
Me too, I prefer train because I like wathcing out the window, zooming past everything! Planes are great but should only be for longhaul flights. Short haul ones you don't enjoy anyway.
Yep, longhaul flights are the best. Watching the clouds, leaving the UK seeing it become a dot and then entering night time and seeing the night sky by airline window and then of course descending into another time zone, climate and country - I love it every time!
Shorter journeys should definitely be by train, it's nice to whoosh into Paris a few hours later from London, it's like we're all connected! Going green can be about the fun too!
Airlines need to stop short haul flights and make them redundant.
Trains are great, especially rail ones. (Not underground..shudder!).
Rail from London Victoria/Euston to anywhere is nice and the stations are so cool now full of food, shopping and lots of different types of people.
I love the bigger train/rail stations as you often meet friends or new people there. You're surrounded by connections between humans and emotions. People bidding others farewell, some sitting and reading with a coffee, others working on their laptops. It's a hub for humanity!
Airports are just vile now. Forget DUTY FREE, it's like heaven once you've gone through check-in, security, baggage and so on. If your flights delayed your stuck and once your on the plane you might be next to someone who stinks or not have enough room. The flight itself is pleasant but it's the time before hand that sucks. Even if you have to arrive an hour before check in, it's still too much as on a train you just have to get there before it leaves!
I love flights for long trips to other countries that make you feel like you're taking a long holiday and rail trips for shorter breaks. Both have their plusses and minuses. Greener is train so use it when you can/
The difference in CO2 is MASSIVE! I can't believe this. There goes my flight bookings for EasyJET!
I love the title of this post, the film was fantastic! John Candy was a legend!
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