Driving to London for the first time in years

Published on: 2026-07-25 17:29:41 by Neil Brown

Today, for the first time in years - probably 20 or so - I drove to London.

I didn’t really want to drive to London, and it is daft that it was even a credible option.

I’d much prefer to take public transport and, when I go to London for work, I do. Thankfully, there is a reasonable if not brilliant train service from Newbury to Paddington.

Time-wise, there was not a massive difference between driving from Newbury to Westfield, and then taking the tube, and taking the train from Newbury and then taking the tube. Not much in it at all, assuming that everything is running correctly. No traffic jams, leaves on the line etc.

The difference was in price.

There were five of us travelling today - Sandra and me, and a friend with two children.

The train fare alone, from the National Rail website, was going to be over £110, including a significant discount for travelling together (the “GroupSave” discount).

There might have been a cheaper configuration of tickets, but this is what the National Rail website offered. I am not even sure if this covered the London Underground element or not.

Instead, it cost about £10 in electricity for the car, £12 to park at Westfield, and then ~£30 on for the London Underground. So just over £50, plus some wear and tear to the car. And, of course, the initial outlay of buying and maintaining a car.

Other than the last few miles to / from Westfield, the journey was easy. It was quiet (especially on the way back, when everyone else had a nap), comfortable, and cool.

I still prefer the train, as I do enjoy being able to work or read my book, and when I normally travel for work I take my bike so I don’t need to deal with the underground either.

I don’t really want to drive to London, but it certainly made financial sense today.