So much for trains

[bellinghman]

I was just attempting to get train fares for a journey from Sierre (Swiss Alps) to London.

Holy crap! How do they expect anyone to use trains? I can get from Sierre to Paris at a reasonable price - a very reasonable price for a direct TGV that takes 5:20. But that's no use whatsoever, if it then costs THREE TIMES AS MUCH for the Paris to London link, which is only 2:40.

</rant>

EDIT: Many thanks for the purpletigron/purplecthulhu's advice on getting round Eurostar.

EDIT: OK, I can do Sierre to Paris-Lyon for 113 CHF, if I buy it from the Swiss, and using the halbtax card. That's just under £48. And going via the "I am American" part of the Eurostar site allows me to buy the single/non-flexible fare at $89 each - which is roughly £45. That's compared to the insane £300+ it was trying to do me for originally for the Paris to London leg!

So, Swiss Alps to central London for £93 isn't too bad. I just wish it wasn't such an incredible hassle finding this all out. If I was a PA doing this, and factoring in the cost of my time, it'd be another matter.

EDIT: Ooops, forgot time zone differences. That was 2:40, not 1:40

Comments

[drplokta]

Damaging in what way? There's some evidence to suggest that jet contrails are the biggest single source of global cooling, and that global warming would be significantly worse without extensive civil aviation. In which case, the warming effect of the CO² emissions from the planes is more than counterbalanced by their cooling effect.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

However, the cooling effect from a jet contrail doesn't last very long. Turn off the aircraft (pace continental US airspace immediately after 9/11, when almost everything was grounded) and the result quickly goes away. They could see a difference within 48 hours.

The carbon dioxide takes somewhat longer to remove again.