[Travel] France’s Plan To Ban Short-Haul Domestic Flights

[Cowfold Seagull]

Will we still be able to fly to Spain?

You really are full of surprises Harty, l really didn't think you were the type for a cheap week in Benidorm.

 

[zefarelly]

Germany, Spain, Italy, all could do similar, all have excellent, and fast, mainline rail servises city to city.

True of most westernised European countries in fact . . . except Britain of course.

Ours was cutting edge . . . . 130 years ago.

Unfortunately it's now 130 years old, and much like the rest of our infrastructure Is knackered and limping on with patches trying to satisfy the needs of 3 times more people than it was designed for.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Ours was cutting edge . . . . 130 years ago.

Unfortunately it's now 130 years old, and much like the rest of our infrastructure Is knackered and limping on with patches trying to satisfy the needs of 3 times more people than it was designed for.

We were at the cutting edge of almost everything 130 years ago!

 

[nicko31]

The thing is the airlines do tax it - just no one taxes them.

Well they pay corporation on their profit unless they manage to avoid it, but there's no tax or levy on flying and no duty on kerosene fuel.

Aviation has always been given a free ride

 

[Icy Gull]

wrong thread

 

[Weststander]

We envy wonders such as TGV.

Then slag off governments building the same here.

The French famously just get on with it, not giving a shit about environmentalists or locals bemoaning the loss of pristine countryside. Their approach also hugely reduces the cost.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The thing is the airlines do tax it - just no one taxes them.

Majority of some tickets, certainly some long hauls are taxes.

Departure tax is going up again in April

 

[cjd]

We envy wonders such as TGV.

Then slag off governments building the same here.

The French famously just get on with it, not giving a shit about environmentalists or locals bemoaning the loss of pristine countryside. Their approach also hugely reduces the cost.

Wow...Where do I start..?

First issue is getting a bus from Bordeaux Airport to the main train station. It runs every hour and "only" nine Euros.

Train goes to Saintes( and god help you if you don't sit in your allocated seat )


The train stops at Saintes and then anything up to two and a half hour wait for a train to St Jean D,Angely ( my nearest town ).


Once there a mere 14 miles to my home. There used to be one bus a week, but sadly not even that now. Taxi,s almost impossible to find.

A total distance of roughly 100 miles and journey time of anything from 4 to 6 hours. ( Assuming you get a lift from St. Jean D,Angely ).

I do like it here, but have to smile at the often distorted view of how "good" people think other countries are.

 

[nicko31]

We envy wonders such as TGV.

Then slag off governments building the same here.

The French famously just get on with it, not giving a shit about environmentalists or locals bemoaning the loss of pristine countryside. Their approach also hugely reduces the cost.

Rail travel absolutely smashes everything else when it comes to achieving low emissions. The French do have the luxury of a lower density of population, our crowded isle makes projects very challenging and expensive

On subject of emissions another bad one for emissions are cruises and long distance ferries, up there with business class air travel

 

[Stat Brother]

We envy wonders such as TGV.

Then slag off governments building the same here.

The French famously just get on with it, not giving a shit about environmentalists or locals bemoaning the loss of pristine countryside. Their approach also hugely reduces the cost.

Just looked on Trainline.

For a random day in January I could buy a ticket for the 2 hour journey from Paris to Bordeaux for £40.57 (+ £9 for first class).
No changes.
365 miles.

That'll be 40 miles shorter than London to Glasgow.

£40bn on HS2 isn't and will never ever give us, the people paying for it, that kind of service.

What we're getting is an already out dated half arsed service of which the benefit will be getting to Birmingham 20 minutes quicker.

 

[Stat Brother]

Wow...Where do I start..?

First issue is getting a bus from Bordeaux Airport to the main train station. It runs every hour and "only" nine Euros.

Train goes to Saintes( and god help you if you don't sit in your allocated seat )


The train stops at Saintes and then anything up to two and a half hour wait for a train to St Jean D,Angely ( my nearest town ).


Once there a mere 14 miles to my home. There used to be one bus a week, but sadly not even that now. Taxi,s almost impossible to find.

A total distance of roughly 100 miles and journey time of anything from 4 to 6 hours. ( Assuming you get a lift from St. Jean D,Angely ).

I do like it here, but have to smile at the often distorted view of how "good" people think other countries are.

Google image suggests it's worth every minute.

Well done you.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Our railways are an expensive joke. Just an absolute f***ing shambles or a service.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Well they pay corporation on their profit unless they manage to avoid it, but there's no tax or levy on flying and no duty on kerosene fuel.

Aviation has always been given a free ride

No, no they haven't.

Airport departure tax raised around 4 billion in 2019 on top of normal taxes, how much more do you expect them to pay?

There is an increase on APD coming next year as well for people, we are taxed on flying more than anywhere else in the world already

 

[Springal]

Great to see Brighton fly a private jet to Dubai.

Because there isn’t enough capacity between Emirates , BA, Virgin, Ethiad on a daily basis to fly commercial !

 

[Springal]

Majority of some tickets, certainly some long hauls are taxes.

Departure tax is going up again in April

YQ & ‘Surcharges’ are a fake ‘tax’ by airlines though rather than an actual tax

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Germany, Spain, Italy, all could do similar, all have excellent, and fast, mainline rail servises city to city.

True of most westernised European countries in fact . . . except Britain of course.

Come, now.

Let's not start talking this great country down.

Incidntally, striking public sector workers are playing into Putin's hands. Someone called Nadhim Zahawi said so today on the radio. The name rings a bell...something to do with saying one thing and doing another?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I think with the excellent domestic rail network in France, so many cities reahable from the capital within two & a half hours, that this really could work.

Obviously not a cat in Hell's chance of it catching on in the Uk though, where on British Snail it takes nearly half of that time to reach London from the coast, even on a good day.

I can remember years ago soon after the Paris Lyon TGV opened that it was taking business away from airlines running flights. It was quicker from City Centre to City Centre.

ps- just checked : Paris Lyon was, as I thought, the first TGV line opened, and that was in 1981.

 

[Mr Smggles]

Just looked on Trainline.

For a random day in January I could buy a ticket for the 2 hour journey from Paris to Bordeaux for £40.57 (+ £9 for first class).
No changes.
365 miles.

That'll be 40 miles shorter than London to Glasgow.

£40bn on HS2 isn't and will never ever give us, the people paying for it, that kind of service.

What we're getting is an already out dated half arsed service of which the benefit will be getting to Birmingham 20 minutes quicker.

£40bn on HS2? Double it, add 10 and you still won't be there. £40bn only gets you to Birmingham in Phase 1.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Wow...Where do I start..?

First issue is getting a bus from Bordeaux Airport to the main train station. It runs every hour and "only" nine Euros.

Train goes to Saintes( and god help you if you don't sit in your allocated seat )


The train stops at Saintes and then anything up to two and a half hour wait for a train to St Jean D,Angely ( my nearest town ).


Once there a mere 14 miles to my home. There used to be one bus a week, but sadly not even that now. Taxi,s almost impossible to find.

A total distance of roughly 100 miles and journey time of anything from 4 to 6 hours. ( Assuming you get a lift from St. Jean D,Angely ).

I do like it here, but have to smile at the often distorted view of how "good" people think other countries are.

I think we are digressing just a tad here, the thead is all about the busy city to city journeys, that can negate air travel on the same route.

£40bn on HS2? Double it, add 10 and you still won't be there. £40bn only gets you to Birmingham in Phase 1.

 

[Sea Cider]

Wow...Where do I start..?

First issue is getting a bus from Bordeaux Airport to the main train station. It runs every hour and "only" nine Euros.

Train goes to Saintes( and god help you if you don't sit in your allocated seat )


The train stops at Saintes and then anything up to two and a half hour wait for a train to St Jean D,Angely ( my nearest town ).


Once there a mere 14 miles to my home. There used to be one bus a week, but sadly not even that now. Taxi,s almost impossible to find.

A total distance of roughly 100 miles and journey time of anything from 4 to 6 hours. ( Assuming you get a lift from St. Jean D,Angely ).

I do like it here, but have to smile at the often distorted view of how "good" people think other countries are.

Are you suggesting that unless there is a direct TGV from Bordeaux Airport to your house, the French have failed at railways?