Do you prefer flying over driving?
 

Curious what other FTers think.

Sometimes the aviation bug bites me and I feel I need to FLY anywhere.

Then I usually get taken back to the reality of long security lines, sitting next to strangers, delays and cancellations and prefer driving.

Since my main work area changed from EMEA to DACH, I hardly fly at all. Certainly within Germany, I prefer sitting in my car for 5 hours, over 3 hours of flying (including getting to and from the airport), as in the UK I wouldn't ever fly MAN-LHR or similar routes.

From my location, LHR is only ~350miles away and if it wasn't for the channel, I'd probably never fly. Just yesterday, I was thinking about driving but didn't in order to be home quicker... Now it's 11 hours after my scheduled departure (cancellation + delay) and I very much regret not just taking the car, cruising to France for 3 hours, relaxing on the ferry and then taking another 2 or so to get to London.

The advantages of the car are clear: Come and go as you like, listen to the Music you like at full blast, smoke (yeah, I am that flithy), take as much luggage as you like and don't worry about stripping for airport security... Plus: I only get to fly economy, but "drive Business Class" (gotta love bavarian car manufacturers).

How do you deal with it? When do you drive, when do you fly? Is there a cut off in distance or time?

Our most recent trip to the US resulted in just under 3,000 miles in 3 weeks, some of which was 6 hours at a time driving from Panama City (FL) to New Orleans, which would have been less than an hour by plane.

We only fly when we can't get there by car, but I do love to drive.

I can't do a like for like comparison as I don't have a pilots license ;)

As a passenger I'd prefer to be flying than being a passenger in someone else's car. Being in control is one of the nice aspects to driving which is lost when you're a passenger.

As a driver I'd say anything up to three hours driving is fine, longer if the alternatives are poor (e.g. No direct flight or the train service is rubbish - such as Manchester - Newcastle, Edinburgh - Leeds, etc the train is slower than driving and facilities are poor).

Stuck for multiple hours on the M62 earlier this year due to an accident ahead caused by heavy snow. I was actually very relaxed and calm about the whole thing. I was very happy that I could sit in comfort, control my own music and temperature. There was nothing I could do about the situation so no need to get worked up.

I genuinely hate driving. So, I prefer flying.

I don't even have a driving license! :D

There has never been a need since my shorthaul model is train and/or taxi. Sometimes I even take a bus.

In the UK the trains are in my experience generally reliable. On longhaul routes the service is excellent in 1ST with free Wi-Fi, drinks and snacks. I like to sit back and relax as the countryside whzzes by!

Fares are probably much cheaper than the cost of owning a car and I can normally get to NCL from LON for GBP 89 return in 1ST.

This year I have spent GBP 588.63 on transport within the UK, broken down as follows:

* GBP 283.13 on East Coast (10 sectors, all 1ST)
* GBP 114.7 on other rail operators (almost all 1ST)
* GBP 108.7 on London Underground
* GBP 13.7 on Tyne & Wear Metro
* GBP 68.4 on taxis
* GBP 0 on walking

A car really is not necessary for me!

I prefer driving over flying as well, for the reasons you specified, but my location doesn't provide me with many opportunities for driving :)

I will often fly into LAX if it's cheaper and drive to LAS or SFO from there. It's a nice drive and much better than transferring in the US.

How far in advance do you book for that rate? I used to get rates ~£80 return when a used to get 20% off advance tickets (one of the benefits of the old East Coast rewards scheme, which is different to the current one).

Still a little over £100 for an advance ticket is still excellent value. I still miss the ability to get a three course restaurant meal on the train, but the food East Coast currently provides is a lot better than you'd get on a 3 hour flight.

Of course these prices are restricted tickets, but it's the same if you were paying that sort of money for a flight, you'd have to travel on your booked service.

What I find excellent value is the Scottish Executive package. £229 gets you a ticket that's tied to a specific train outward, but fully flexible (any train within a month) on the return, for most business travellers flexibility on the return is the greatest advantage in case meetings overrun or finish early and great for the leisure traveller if they want flexibility as to their duration in London.

To be even more business friendly, it's a standard class ticket - to fit in with travel policies - but with a 'free upgrade' to first class. The ticket itself has Class: STD, but is accompanied with an upgrade voucher valid both ways. The only drawback to this is that if you're re-routed onto another train company they can probably insist you travel standard class.

It's a shame there's no similar ticket NCL-KGX. I'd pay the extra £100 over the advance ticket in many circumstances for the flexibility. But the current fully flex first class ticket prices are too high to justify.

It'd be great to have an affordable turn up and go long distance rail network.

The only train services I'd rate travelling on over driving or flying are East Coast (both classes), Virgin (first class only, would actively avoid them in standard - due to cramped seating and poor luggage space), First Great Western (believe it or not - but only trains that are running a proper catering service) and the Caledonian Sleeper (not tried the Cornish one). I've not tried Chiltern or Grand Central so can't comment on that.

There is minimal difference between the Caledonian Sleeper and the Cornish Sleeper. They're both good but could do with improving the breakfast offering.

First Great Western's Travelling Chef is quite simply superb. The breakfast range and quality is more than one would expect.

Chiltern don't have first class = avoid! Virgin much quicker and more frequent London to Birmingham.

Grand Central only run a few services each day. If they cancel one they'll put you on one several hours later = avoid!

East Midlands are good if travelling between Sheffield, Derby or Notts and London.

Hull Trains are quite simply the best. They get the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any rail operator and their advance fares are good value. Their First Class offering is quite simply stunning.

As for air vs car, I never drive. It's either rail or air for me. Scotland is air, anywhere else is rail. I find rail very relaxing and rarely suffer delays. I go to the north west from London approximately twice per month and can honestly count on one hand the number of delays of any consequence. London to Cheshire in 90 mins great. My experience of flying BA to GLA is being seat shifted, having poor times to choose from (first flight from LHR is (07:10 then next one is after 10:00 = very poor!). Breakfast on the 07:10 is welcome although not as good as breakfast on long distance trains.

If I didn't leave near to Heathrow I'd consider getting the sleeper to GLA and train back but flying is considerably quicker for me.

Only problem with Hull trains is they go to Hull ;)

Same here, when I worked/lived in Windor (moved from London) suddenly I'd be flying routes that I used to get the train (i.e. heading north) and booking the train travel I was making through the East Coast website (mostly FGW) got me enough reward points that it gave me free first class trips on East Coast.

When I used to travel between London and Edinburgh a lot (2003) there was a train ticket that included one way first class on GNER and the other direction on the sleeper (it was called Scottish Executive, but is different to the current ticket by the same name I mention earlier), it was great, heading home on the Friday evening, enjoying the on-board restaurant then on the Sunday getting the sleeper which saved spending a night at a hotel or getting up ridiculously early to fly.

:D

I have got them from Doncaster to London when in South Yorks. They're worth going out of your way for ^

It depends. I *like* driving a lot (see user name :) ) but spending hours on a motorway isn't that wonderful either.

Within the UK I'd probably go with rail most of the time just because I find it more relaxed than faffing with airports. I'm near enough to London to make train travel out of there feasible.

One thing I will always do is take the car to Belgium and fill the boot with beer to bring back.

France with a ferry crossing to somewhere other than Calais is an option I quite like as well.

Ultimately it's timings and schedule that dictates rather than preference though so if it's something that can be done within one day flying will probably win out.

Chalk me up as one of those people who will fly BOS-EWR, even though when you include driving to the airport, checkin/security, taking the flight, waiting for bags, and taking the train from the airport to final destination basically takes up as much time as doing the actual 4.5 hour drive.

It's not that I hate driving...but I do get 40 minutes of work done if I fly :D

Plus the miles :)

What's the most cost effective? I'd imagine driving is cheaper than flying due to lower fuel costs in the US.

That's what most of my colleagues prefer taking the train. Arguably time spent driving, is time wasted not being able to work.

But I don't like working while traveling anyway. Having (had) to travel at / over nights and on weekends on many occasions, I consider travel time "me time" now, whether on a workday or not...

...said the guy who should stop reading FT now, as he needs to get some urgent work done, despite being stuck in an airport lounge...

As a passenger I prefer flying.

I like trains but the standard on the commuter trains here in London is a joke
In regards to driving, on Omni "Furthest you have driven in one day" some who have done 2000miles in about 24h, madness :)