Saving money: Tours and trains

Loving Contiki so much, we decided the best way to see Ireland and Scotland would be to book organised tours.

A week before the tours started, we weren’t surprised to hear that Contiki was fully booked out. Our next option was to sign up for a HaggisAdventures tour through Scotland for £289, and a Shamrocker Adventures tour through Ireland for £315.

These companies are associated with Busabout, the hop-on, hop-off style bus tours. They include all bus travel, as well as tickets to many attractions, but they do not include accommodation. However beds are reserved in recommended hostels for all tourers, and you pay as you go.

I did the maths, taking accommodation into account, the two tours would cost around the same price as the one longer Contiki tour, if not cheaper.

We could also save some pennies by taking the train to Dublin instead of flying. A one hour plane ride would cost £90, whereas the train would cost less than £40. Pretty decent saving.

Only thing – taking the train would incur over 10 hours of travelling. Two tube trains, three V-line style trains, and one ferry. We’re told the journey wouldn’t usually take this long, but train track maintenance works were undertaken over the Easter weekend. Bugger.

Lugging these around all day with a shocking hangover was nearly the end of us

The two weeks we spent in London gave us no dramas with the tube. However the one day we had to be on time and at Marylebone train station by 9am, signal failures held us up for what seemed like an eternity.

Three of us hungover, still held up and only 15 minutes before our first train was due to depart, we made the decision to get off the stopped train and take a taxi the rest of the way.

I forgot it was Easter Sunday.

There was not a cab in sight.

Panic.

Heart racing.

Less than 10 minutes before the train would leave.

I thought, this is it, we’re done. Miss this train and we miss the next two trains, as well as the ferry.

We finally got a cab. Jumping into the back seat so fast, I forgot I had my backpack on. The top of my backpack got stuck on the cab roof, wouldn’t come inside with me, and eventually made me fall backwards like a turtle out of the cab. Luckily I have two best friends who would catch me when I fall. And they did.

Shouting orders at the driver we got into the cab like normal people, threw money at him and ran out into the station.

Two minutes before the train would leave.

Not even carrying, but dragging our backpacks we flashed our tickets, threw ourselves and our luggage onto the train, and took a huge sigh of relief. Holy crap. We made it.

Chillen on the train

The rest of the day was a piece of cake. Fun even.

Ash playing some dungeons and dragons online

Livi sleeping off the booze

In hindsight, flying would have been much easier and less of a hassle. Although the train did save us £50 each, and it ended up to be quite a relaxing day, complete with a self-made Easter egg hunt in the train carriage.

Definitely all things to consider if you’re ever faced with the same dilemma. Also the whole public holiday thing probably didn’t help us either. But saving money to shop won out on this occasion.

Ninja turtle Nikki