1. Peak traffic means cheaper, Off-Peak trains!
We all know traffic is terrible on weekends and bank holidays, so what you thought would be a day spent chasing the kids around Cadbury World or grabbing brunch with your friends at The Alchemist (just 5 minutes from Birmingham New Street) turns into a day spent baking on the tarmac, waiting for the journey to end. Luckily, West Midlands Railway and London NorthWestern Off-Peak tickets mean all rail travel on weekends and bank holiday are Off-Peak. A return ticket from Birmingham New Street to Bournville (for Cadbury World) costs just £8.70 for two adults and two children and includes 2for1 Attraction entry. So you spend £49.90 on your day out by train, rather than £82.60 by car. Grabbing that brunch will be cheaper, too. A journey from Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street costs just £5.70 return. Which means more money in your pocket to spend on having one or two more of those crucial mimosas at brunch.
2. No parking woes
Catching the train drops you right into the heart of the action: whether that’s Stratford Upon Avon to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, Birmingham New Street to hit up the Bullring & Grand Central or Stafford for a day at the Bird of Prey Sanctuary. You don’t have to go fumbling in your cup holders for change to feed the parking machines either, you can spend your parking fee on an iced coffee with extra cream, treat your loved one to an extra special lunch, or put it towards that new top you’ve been coveting. (Treat yo’ self.)
With trains to popular destinations running regularly, all you have to do is check the timetables – not the car park capacity.
3. Spontaneity & Flexibility
Catering to the spontaneus being within you, the set price of return tickets with West Midlands Railway mean you can grab your partner, your kids, your mates or simply yourself and hop a train to discover something new and exciting, at the drop of a hat and hassle free.
4. Well-deserved 'me time'
Catching the train means your home-time journey is just as relaxing as your day out, and if you're travelling alone, it's the perfect opportunity to take some well deserved time to yourself. Leading the busy lives so many of us do, make the decision to turn off your phone, disconnect from the world and unwind, focusing on nothing other than yourself. Finish your book, listen to a new podcast, take in beautiful scenery along the way or simply sit back and snooze whilst you’re gently rolled home. Now doesn't that sound sublime?
5. Make your journey part of your day out
Catching the train means making your journey as much a part of your day as the outing itself. If you’re meeting the girls in town for a celebration, or heading to Shrewsbury’s International Comedy Festival, start the day on the train! Bring along some snacks, kick off the celebrations with a couple G&T’s, and catch up on all the latest gossip without the designated driver having to crane to listen to friends chattering in the back seat. If you’re travelling with the kids, why not take along a deck of cards, colouring books, quizzes and more to make the most of your time with the little ones? Not only do you get to chill out, train journeys are time well spent when catching up with loved ones.
