THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL

There is no simple answer to the question, “Which is the best way to travel?” It depends on several factors: the distance, the time available, what you can afford and so on.

Air travel has obvious advantages in the case of long distance journeys. No other means of transport is as fast. If you are planning to go to China there is really no reasonable alternative. It can be expensive, of course, though if you have time to shop around you will find some very good bargains. Some disadvantages of air travel are the difficulty of getting to the airport, long waits to check in, and an even longer wait if your flight is delayed because of bad weather, the embarrassment of going through customs, of watching an officer turning over your personal belongings, the narrow and uncomfortable seats on board most aeroplanes, and the sudden fear that can overtake you the moment you board the plane, rising to panic when it takes off.

Trains are ideal for shorter overland journeys. Unlike airports, stations are generally located in city centres, making it easier for people to get to them. This is specially useful for sightseers and also makes rail transport the most convenient way for many people to get to work. In many countries trains are a very economic way of travelling, but in Britain they are expensive and subject to frequent delays because of the age of the network and signalling system and lack of government investment. On long distance trains there is generally a dining-car where you an order meals, and a buffet or refreshment trolley for drinks and snacks. You may often be able to travel directly to your destination but if there are no direct trains you will have to change, which may make your journey rather complicated. You will need to study the timetable carefully so that you do not miss the departure time. When you go on a day trip and are booking your ticket at the booking office, it can be cheaper to buy a return ticket than a single one. If you are travelling overnight you can book a couches or a berth in a sleeper.

For local travel there are buses (or, in some places, trams, which are returning to our street after decades). Buses with two floors are called “double-deckers” in Britain. If you have no car this is your only way of travelling around town within your local area, which may be poorly served by rail transport. They are usually cheap and frequent and you can by a season ticket. Couches are long-distance buses which are faster and more comfortable. Travelling by coach may be almost as fast as rail transport, since they use the motorway, and a lot cheaper.