Caithness Rail Travel

[98elite]

Just wondered what the locals thought of the rail service to and from Caithness, is it a good option? whats your thoughts?

[krieve]

If you are planning it take something to do and a soft cushion unless you want a numb bum. lol

[fed-ex]

A hot water bottle and a flask will come in handy too for that long long journey.....

[Gizmo]

The journey and prices pretty much suck, but the young female trolly dolly is pretty foxy :)

[fed-ex]

Surely you don't mean Ronald............

[Gizmo]

eh!....i did say...."THE YOUNG FEMALE" trolly dolly.....are you looking at Ronald in a different light than i am?....lol

[lizzie]

If your planning going on the choo choo then soft cushion for sitting on, puzzles to do for the long boring journey and warm clothes as often the choo choo is cold.

you'd be better taking the bus then again someone mentioned on another thread that the bus driver drives with his foot down ouch!!

Can you no drive to where you want to go or were you asking because you wanted a scenic journey?

[spiggie]

if you like sitting on the train 4 agggggggeeesssss c'mon 41/2 hours from inverness to wick, thats a joke!!

[EDDIE]

Well im sorry to say but the train takes to long to get to inverness its more a sleeper u need to be honest about i think the best way to get to inverness is buy car

[devon lass]

It takes along time to get to Inverness from Wick but its half price for Highland residents if you buy a pass valid for one year about £8.50 and its a very scenic ride in the summertime, you cant see nothing in the winter its too dark. Try to pick a day when the kids are at school.

[Fran]

i prefer to go by train than the fast buses, its safer. Plus, you can have a walk, have a cup of tea, sleep and go to the loo. the journey soon passes if you have a sleep.
It is better for thurso passengers, than wick ones, as it is another hour for the train to go from wick to Thurso, then back to Georgmas, then start the journey to Inverness. It was much better when there were two trains which joined at Georgemas, saved a lot of time.

[98elite]

Can you no drive to where you want to go or were you asking because you wanted a scenic journey?

I was thinking more about the plus side of taking the train, especially during the winter months.

1.fuel costs

2.Inverness parking ( which was a nightmare last weekend, park and ride means trailing bags back to the car so might as well take the train, if you want city centre parking then you need to be in very early so road conditions come into play when leaving Caithness early in the morning)

3.you get dropped off next to the Eastgate.

4. you can enjoy a glass of wine or a beer on the way home.

5. relax and read the paper or a good book.

I could go on, I know its a long journey especialy from the Wick but surely its much more relaxing at a time of year where everyone seems to be rushing about in a blind panic as Christmas approaches.

[watman]

I prefer taking the train, you can relax, have a drink and enjoy the fantastic scenery whilst gettiing pampered by the trolly dollys. Tea, Coffee, Milk and Sugar ma Boygie!
Who cares if it takes longer, whats the big rush anyway?

[Donnie]

The Journey is fine but it costs too much.

[sweetheart]

I've never taken the train north of inverness.

The car journey, on clear roads can be round 2 hours one way to
inverness. If i plan to return north the same day, that's 4 hours.
The train journey is impossibly long... for tourists and persons who
don't mind riding at tractor-speed up the scenic straths of the
north.

Only lived here for 7 years, but i can't see starting to use the
train unless i can park in forsinard and take a flight from inverness
airport. The problem is that i need to get to a decent airport, and that
means inverness, because wick costs a kings ransom. Then i want to
leave my car, by the very nature of flying, and would prefer to leave
it closer to home, and take a fast train, or a car-speed train journey,
but not one that by the time you've arrived inverness and transfered
to dalcross, a many-hour journey... and when the real journey STARTS
when the airplane takes off, sometimes for 12 hours more... as usual
with travel, the more you pay, the faster it goes.

[Henrik7]

The train takes far too long and near the xmas time it's well busy and when you've got lot's of shopping it's not helpful.

[Saveman]

Whats the standard fair between Wick and Thurso?

On Train and Bus?

[dragonfly]

The Journey is fine but it costs too much.


not if you have a highland railcard. I've a family one and last time I used it, it was £15.75 return for me and 2 kids, cheap as chips but stone cold on the train, so wear a couple of pairs of socks and a warm coat or two :o

[angela5]

I stopped using the rail service from Wick to Inverness many moons ago.
Too cold and the journey is 4 hours, i'd rather go by car only 2 hours and have never had a problem parking in Inverness.