Transport issues

Here's another reason why I shall not be giving up my car ever, despite the Government's desire for people to use public transport.

Firstly, train fares have gone up to discourage people from using trains because of overcrowding. Last month they cut the timetables and reduced the number of carriages!

I am going to see Kylie in Manchester so I was trying to find the easiest, less stressful (but not necessarily cheapest way) to get there.

The concert doors open at 630pm and starts 730pm. MEN (Arena) is right in the heart of Manchester, which barring rush hour traffic, would take me about 4 hours by car (with no stops). I have done the journey to Heywood in about 3 hours before now, but I left at 6am on a saturday morning.

Anyway, the three options:

1) Car
2) Coach
3) Train

Going by car would mean driving 5 hours (allowing for M6 and Manchester rush-hour traffic) and when I arrive, trying to navigate a place I have never actually been to and trying to park. The MEN has an NCP car park on site, which is good but it also costs.

Not knowing the end time of the concert, the dilemma will be "do i stay or do i risk driving back" - another 3-4 hours??

Ok, so i could get a hotel for the night. Average costs were between £100-£300 for a room, and all of the cheaper ones were booked up already. The problem with the hotels was they only catered for 1 or 2 people, hence bumping the costs by having to have 2 rooms. We found a double-roomed apartment for £165 in the end, not too far from MEN Arena.

What about coaches? National express leaves from the centre of town and goes to a bus station not far from MEN... But two problems:

1) It leaves at 730am and arrives at 530pm ( 10 hours)
2) It goes via London (where there's a 2 hour wait)

The return journey is next day at 12midday, arriving back at 930pm (also going via London).

So, the last option, Trains. I had worked out that getting there would not, in theory be a major problem but getting back meant either staying over and returning next day, or leaving the concert early and being stranded somewhere like Swansea for 5 hours!

As for the cost, for the 3 people going, with an OPEN ticket, would have been £300.... Even a saver was about £190, for the 3 people.

Once there, we need a shuttle train to Victoria, but the train goes right to the MEN Arena, and the hotel is less than 3/4 mile from it, so all in all a pretty good outcome.

To do the train option means leaving at 1120am and arriving 430pm, with additional time getting to the hotel/venue, etc. At least there's only one change over, unlike some other routes that had 2/3/4 changes!


Mr Blair and the government need to get and use public transport in the real world for real life journies, they'll soon see how F***** up it is and how much the car is here to stay.

No matter how much they rip off the driver with stupid, unrealistic taxes, people need to drive. I would be interested to know where the taxes go, certainly not on roads, or transport!