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Anyone here took their car on Motorail?

Sp!ke

Sp!ke

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Joined
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Location
West London
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SL500 & The Fart Car
I tried it a few years ago with the motorbike to Italy and this year I've booked the wife and car on it back from Slovenia (to save me flying back out to help her drive back).

A private sleeper compartment, three course dinner while watching the world go by with the car safely on board. Not particularly cheap but when you work out fuel savings (potentially overnight accomodation) and motorway tolls it isnt so bad.

Current routes below if anyone is intersted.

Motorail-train-map.jpg
 
I was only thinking about this the other day. A shame none of the routes come close to getting me to Slovakia (in laws).
 
GrahamC230K said:
I was only thinking about this the other day. A shame none of the routes come close to getting me to Slovakia (in laws).
Click to expand...

Luckily for me a new route to Koper opened up this year (60 miles from in-laws).
 
Enjoy the narration :)

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I can't get my head around Motorail why would anybody that drives a prestige car and enjoys driving want to load it on a train and miss all the spectacular driving roads en route to their destination, now that really is having a dog and barking yourself :D
 
Interesting - Alessandria would place me only a couple of hours from my dad's place. Limited season and bit too expensive to make it worth my while though.
 
flanaia1 said:
I can't get my head around Motorail why would anybody that drives a prestige car and enjoys driving want to load it on a train and miss all the spectacular driving roads en route to their destination, now that really is having a dog and barking yourself :D
Click to expand...

Think of it this way, you have two options.


1. Drive for 1000 miles across europe. Mile after mile of drab grey motorways, traffic, trucks, kids in the back bored and starting to get tedius. Tiredness, danger, wear and tear on car, drink too many red bulls to keep awake, not sure if its them or the slightly odd smelling sandwidges to blame for feeling queezy. Argue with wife about navigation skills. Last 50 miles of journey get interesting but after 18 hours too tired to care. Arrive completely knackered.

2. Drive 150 miles and get on train. Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks as you board your private compartment. Relax in comfort watching the world go by with a glass of your favourite tipple and your favourite read. Kids now on top bunk in wonderment at the view. Later go for a stroll to the restaurant and enjoy a full 3 course dinner at you reserved table. Return to cabin to find beds prepared. Fall asleep having eaten a little too much. Wake with a knock at the door - breakfast is served. Look at watch - wow, we'll be there in an hour just enough time to finish breakfast and have a shower before we arrive. Enjoy remainder 50 mile drive. Arrive early refreshed.

I can assure you that it is a nice way to travel to your destination and have your car or bike with you when you get there.
 
We did Calais - Narbonne in 2001. It was an awful experience...the ro=lling stock was old and very hot...with the windows open it was very noisey.

The route is no longer running.



 
Last edited:
Sp!ke said:
Think of it this way, you have two options.


1. Drive for 1000 miles across europe. Mile after mile of drab grey motorways, traffic, trucks, kids in the back bored and starting to get tedius. Tiredness, danger, wear and tear on car, drink too many red bulls to keep awake, not sure if its them or the slightly odd smelling sandwidges to blame for feeling queezy. Argue with wife about navigation skills. Last 50 miles of journey get interesting but after 18 hours too tired to care. Arrive completely knackered.

2. Drive 150 miles and get on train. Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks as you board your private compartment. Relax in comfort watching the world go by with a glass of your favourite tipple and your favourite read. Kids now on top bunk in wonderment at the view. Later go for a stroll to the restaurant and enjoy a full 3 course dinner at you reserved table. Return to cabin to find beds prepared. Fall asleep having eaten a little too much. Wake with a knock at the door - breakfast is served. Look at watch - wow, we'll be there in an hour just enough time to finish breakfast and have a shower before we arrive. Enjoy remainder 50 mile drive. Arrive early refreshed.

I can assure you that it is a nice way to travel to your destination and have your car or bike with you when you get there.
Click to expand...

I personally wouldn't do either , 500 mile a day drive max stopping for lunch at nice places to keep the kids happy, dinner at a small private hotel along with overnight accom, 400 miles next day stopping overnight just short of destination (100 miles or so) overnight accom with dinner wake up refreshed and carry on for last 100 miles arriving relaxed and refreshed, just my personal choice and how we used to do it but I love driving and do so at every opportunity
 
flanaia1 said:
I personally wouldn't do either , 500 mile a day drive max stopping for lunch at nice places to keep the kids happy, dinner at a small private hotel along with overnight accom, 400 miles next day stopping overnight just short of destination (100 miles or so) overnight accom with dinner wake up refreshed and carry on for last 100 miles arriving relaxed and refreshed, just my personal choice and how we used to do it but I love driving and do so at every opportunity
Click to expand...



Yeah but ... I only have so many days holiday per year. I can't do 4-6 days getting there and back plus holiday.
 
Sp!ke said:
Yeah but ... I only have so many days holiday per year. I can't do 4-6 days getting there and back plus holiday.
Click to expand...

Motorail sounds perfectly logical to me. There's a section on the Seat61 web site about the options.
 
flanaia1 said:
I personally wouldn't do either , 500 mile a day drive max stopping for lunch at nice places to keep the kids happy, dinner at a small private hotel along with overnight accom, 400 miles next day stopping overnight just short of destination (100 miles or so) overnight accom with dinner wake up refreshed and carry on for last 100 miles arriving relaxed and refreshed, just my personal choice and how we used to do it but I love driving and do so at every opportunity
Click to expand...

I can understand the attraction of motorail, it's like taking the ferry instead of the chunnel, you get a break and some food, then plough on to your destination.
 
m1br said:
Think of the cost of flying and hiring a car. Makes good sense to me too.
Click to expand...
Depends on the destination and the type of car you want to rent.

In 2011 my wife and I did a 18-night tour of Spain in her SLK350. The trip was a mixed "for the journey" and "for the destination" thing, so the drive and what we drove was important. We took the Plymouth/Santander ferry out and back which is expensive, but cheaper and more importantly quicker than driving through France. As part of planning the trip I priced it up based on flying to Spain (dirt cheap) and renting a similar sort of roadster (SLK / Z4 / etc.). It was massively cost prohibitive, even taking into account wear and tear on her SLK.

For a single destination / econobox car trip things are different though.
 
I remember my Father doing this from Paddington to St Austell as the M4/M5 was not invented then (that makes me feel old)

I'd still prefer to drive
 
The other thread made me see this!

A query - do you travel on the same train as the car, or do they send the car separately?

Tempted to book this for the summer!

M.
 
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