Personally, I prefer to travel by train – so long as I get a decent seat in the quiet coach. It’s lovely to not have to think about driving, to be able to shut my eyes, or read a book, or watch a movie. And, I like to look out of the window and see all the beautiful British countryside go past. However, when it’s busy and I’m squashed in, or when there’s a crying baby in the coach, partygoers or drunks, it’s awful. There is no decent Wi-Fi on UK trains, so you have to come prepared by downloading your own favourite shows. More often than not, the buffet car is out of service too, and the food and drinks are lousy anyway, so I take my own picnic. And, train travel can easily be much more expensive than travelling by car, so you pay for the privilege of not having good food and decent Wi-Fi. And this is my favourite option!

When I’m driving, I like to listen to podcasts, and I drift off into my own creative thoughts while idling along at 60mph. I don’t see the point of rushing anywhere these days. One of the issues with driving anywhere in the UK, is traffic. Traffic jams are always an issue, especially at peak times, and motorway service stations are the hell-holes of the country. The only decent food in them is MacDonalds, which tells you everything you need to know. They are usually packed full of tired, irritable travellers, expensive and dirty. Again, I get round this by taking my own food and finding somewhere quiet to stop off for a picnic.

Because I was quite poor, I didn’t actually travel on an airplane until I was 40 years old! I still find it quite exciting travelling by plane, but again, sorry to sound depressing, but the planes I go on are usually packed full of noisy holiday-makers, I’m squashed into a seat, and the food is at best edible. The only thrill is taking off and the sensation of being so high in the air. I never get tired of that.

However, I’m sure the person who wrote today’s prompt was an American, where getting across the country is a huge ordeal. For me, in the UK, it isn’t. I live on the east coast of northern England, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Carlisle is the nearest town on the west coast and it’s only 63 miles away. You could bike it in a few hours, if it weren’t for the fact that it’s over the hills of the Peaks and can be blisteringly cold. That and the fact that I’m fat, unfit, and don’t own a bike.

So, there you have it. Transport in the UK from a layperson’s perspective. Thanks for tuning in.