Ticket to ride, not fly
Posted Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 12:25 AM by Lonely Planet
With hefty fare rises, overcrowding and frustrating delays it's easier said than done ditching the plane for the train, however much you want to travel with a clean conscience. But the deal got a little sweeter today when Greenpeace volunteers turned up at airports across the UK offering British Airways passengers the chance to exchange their domestic tickets for a seat on a climate-friendly train.
The proliferation of short haul flights in the UK - there's over 30 a day flying the 320km between London and Manchester - is the main cause of the massive growth of emissions in the country. With flying causing 10 times more damage to the climate than taking the train, the volunteers (decked out in fetching flight attendant attire) were encouraging passengers to stand up to BA who have, according to Greenpeace, proved to be one of the worst offenders when it comes to restricting greenhouse gas emissions.
Would you swap your air ticket for an equivalent train ticket?
Labels: Europe, Sustainable and responsible tourism
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6 Comments:
Aswe rush as we rush in a train...........i love train journeys .in india its much much cheaper n thesedays faster too
I have found, living in Australia, that (undersea) trains are not an option! If in Europe - fine - takes as long to get to the airport and in and out with security etc - London to Manchester?? - definitely get the train. All state capitals are at least 1000km away from Sydney where I live - so give me a break. India - definitely go the train (even though I flew Jaipur to Mumbai the way it turned out) - but otherwise would have been 20 hrs or so and i needed to connect with an onternational flight so made sense - never had to leave the airport
Give an Aussie a break?? Ok, we forgive you for living in Australia.
I would do it for a novelty. But unfortunately planes are just quicker. And life is about efficiency. Well, it is. Not my decision. But I do realise there is something unsustainable in the way I catch domestic flights like I might a taxi. Hmmm.
In europe? Most definitely. The only reason I fly in Europe is cost, trains are just so much more expensive! If I travel overland internationally in Europe I usually catch a Eurolines bus as well, again down to the cost factor. As much as I would like to, I just can't afford the extra 30 or 40 euros to catch a train.
I feel there is something so romantic about travelling by train, as opposed to just boarding a plane. And far more adventurous too!
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