We have a condo for a week in the Lake District (Penrith) from September 14 to September 21 after being in London from September 11 to September 14 and I'm trying to find out the best options for renting a car vs. train considering cost, time, distance and wear and tear on our semi athletic yet 60 year-old bodies. We later have a flight to Prague on September 21 at 11:00 AM from Stansted Airport. We have been to the UK 5 times and I have already driven from the Isle of Wight to the Isle of Skye (700 miles total) so I'm not hesitant about driving. However, the only place to get a rental from Budget is in Carlisle about 20 miles from Penrith and the rental places are closed on Sunday and only open until 1 PM on Saturday. Virgin train's super discounted advance fare is 67 pounds for the two of us from London. A rental car will get about 30 miles per gallon and the distance from Stansted to Penrith is 267 miles. I need some expert advice. Should we take the discount train from London on the 14th vs renting the car in Carlisle or Penrith? The problem is the return on September 21 to make an 11:00 AM flight from Stansted. If I picked up a car in Stansted and returned it there we would have to leave Penrith at 4 AM to make the flight. I don't know how we could get a train to Stansted by that time without leaving the day before. Any advice from you knowledgeable UK travelers would be most appreciated. rickgoblue@gmail.com
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near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
If I picked up a car in Stansted and returned it there we would have to leave Penrith at 4 AM to make the flight. I don't know how we could get a train to Stansted by that time without leaving the day before. Cambridge is 30 to 40 minutes from Stansted airport by train, with a walk-up fare of £12. There is a Budget car hire place within half a mile of Cambridge station. So if you drove down from Penrith the day before and stayed in or close to Cambridge, that would give you another option. Here's a screenshot of trains from Cambridge on that Saturday morning: http://imgur.com/5GSv3iE Note that the search includes some trains to Stansted Mountfitchet, just ignore those.