Travelling to London from the Southwest - Intro
I regularly have to travel to london for work, and sometime pleasure and I present the below list of way you can get there and try to summarize costs also. Some notes:
- Based on Travelling from Devon, near Exeter so option are best suited if you are in that area also.
- If you have a group (kids) then driving becomes proportionally cheaper.
- I have not included for travel in London (underground - pay by contactless card is best)
Travelling to London from the Southwest - By Train - £120 to £220
An off peak return to Paddington will cost around £100, so if you can schedule your meeting for lunch time, you can take advantage of of there off peak (or super off peak) tickets. Of course if you need to get there for start of the day (9am for example) then you will need an anytime ticket which will costs £200!
Unless you cycle or walk to the train station you will need to pay for parking, which will be about £20 for the day.
Travelling to London from the Southwest - By Air - £220
If you need to go to the east of London, then flying from Exeter is a good move. The flights are well timed, and will enable you to get to a 9am meeting no worries.
You need to pay for parking at the airport, and the flights should be booked 7 days or more in advance to avoid price hikes, but flying costs less than you think.
Travelling to London from the Southwest - Drive Rail Combo - £115
A good option is to mix and match. You can drive to say reading or slough and and then hop on a quick train to Paddington. This is a cheap option, and can be done spur of the moment. Of course if you drive a 4x4 or gas guzzler, then this will not be as cheap. Diesel would be about £50, Parking £25 and rail tickets about £40.
Travelling to London from the Southwest - Drive - £115
If you are careful about the time of day, and choosing your destination you can drive to say Sloane Square, park under ground for £45 and hop on nearby tube.
Of course this will be a long drive, and there is potential for traffic problems. But it is still a good move, for last minute jaunts during low traffic hours.
Conclusions
So the most carbon intensive option is the cheapest option. Go figure.
Environmental Consultants London
