Mal Grey wrote:Living in the South East of England fuel prices are indeed becoming a big factor in my more distant "away trips". Before the pandemic, I used to be able to head up and back to the NW Highlands with the car for £150 or so, including some driving around, but mostly just there and back. This last Easter that was more like £260. Unfortunately often having a canoe on the roof somewhat limits my options and also limits car sharing to an extent, but I can't blame anybody else for that but myself. At the moment, I am spending more weekends at home, as I can't justify the price of fuel, and want to be able to afford another holiday this year.
I also drive a lot for work, and have to pay then claim back, which is somewhat battering the credit card. Used to be £50 a week ish, now £80. That's fine as I get it back, but leaves me a bit on edge if there are any expenses delays before the CC bill is due.
I've done 2 Highland trips by train, the latest was on the sleeper a few summers back. It went well and was a great part of the experience, but can't be done at short notice, and stops much of the flexibility of your planning. Price wise its not that dissimilar for a lone traveller to vehicle fuel costs, if you book a long way in advance, but then there are the added costs or difficulties of getting around once you're up there.
I'm not in a difficult financial situation compared to many, earning roughly the median average UK F/T salary, so cannot expect or deserve sympathy, but if the current overall "real" inflation continues I will very soon be spending more than I earn some months, and relying entirely on savings or a modest annual bonus (which is less likely to be paid in a deflated market) to actually be able to enjoy a holiday this year. The biggest single factor in this is the fuel price (home and vehicle). However, some people will be struggling to feed themselves and heat their homes, so it feels churlish to moan. It will, though, affect a lot of people's quality of life, at a time when many folk are still a bit fragile from the last few years' turmoil.
This all rings very true for me, living in the English midlands.
And I agree that, living in comfort, I have no right to moan!
A few random thoughts which might be of slight use anyone who is trying to minimise costs when going on trips to Scotland.
I'm not obsessive about fuel economy, but I find that the vast majority of my petrol costs for a walking trip are on the motorway - the section Birmingham to Stirling. Beyond Stirling, I am more likely to be driving at a more economical 50-60mph average. The lack of other traffic in the Highlands means that, even on single track roads, you can keep moving steadily with very little stop-start. It is much less costly than equivalent driving in England.
I have a small car (honda Jazz) and it has never struggled on any Highland road, e.g. the ones to the Grey Corries and to Plodda Falls. So I don't see the need for a bigger car - they seem to use up huge amounts of fuel. At the moment it is costing me around £50 to fill up, whereas everyone I know seems to be talking about "£100 to fill your car".
Electric cars are of course a whole other debate. I will move to one when I can buy one at an affordable cost!
I've not tried it yet, but some people drive on the motorway at 60mph to save fuel. My main concern about this would be that in a steady flow of busy traffic such as you get on the M1, M6 etc, one vehicle moving more slowly can create risks. However there are normally lorries (frequently 2 lanes of them) who are doing the same thing.
I have used the Glasgow to Skye bus which stops at a number of ideal hill walking locations in the west Highlands. Had a great holiday based at Cluanie a few years ago - train to Glasgow, then the bus.
I doubt if, beyond Glasgow, the train is a realistic alternative for most people, unless you are retired and have much more leisure time. The logistics and advance planning are tricky. A typical example: my son recently travelled Liverpool to Oban - it took him 13 hours due to delayed / cancelled trains and missed connections.
Car share might be a better option. It will rarely apply in my case, but you could put a notice on Walkhighlands eg "I'm going from Glasgow to Glencoe and back on Saturday, looking to share fuel costs."
tim