travelling

Scott Manson documented his epic six-leg journey from Glasgow to mainland Europe’s southernmost point for his YouTube channel Planes, Trains, Everything – but faced endless setbacks

A YouTuber who embarked on an epic three-night, four-day odyssey from Glasgow to mainland Europe’s southernmost point was left gobsmacked upon arrival – only to discover the gates were locked.

Scott Manson, who presents the travel channel Planes, Trains, Everything, chronicled the mammoth six-leg expedition for his audience, billing it from the start as an extraordinary undertaking.

“I’m traveling from Glasgow to the southern tip of mainland Europe. Now, this is going to be a long, long journey. It’s going to take three nights and four days. There are six transportation legs. The first leg is Avanti West Coast down to London.”

His itinerary saw him travel from Glasgow to London Euston, then traverse the capital to St Pancras International for the Eurostar to Paris. From the French capital he pressed southward to Lyon, onwards to Barcelona, and subsequently to Madrid before boarding a long-distance coach to Algeciras.

A concluding local bus journey and stroll delivered him to Tarifa, widely acknowledged as mainland Europe’s southernmost extremity, reports Glasgow Live.

However, the expedition was anything but smooth sailing.

Scott disclosed the trip “nearly went totally belly up” following a catastrophic high-speed rail collision in Spain earlier this year. Referencing the tragedy, he explained: “One high-speed train jumped the tracks, landed on the opposite side, and was hit by a train heading in the opposite direction. Forty-five people were killed. Absolutely horrendous.”

Worried his connection might be axed, he consulted the Renfe website.

While tickets remained available initially, the evening before departing the UK he received an email stating: “Unfortunately, your train’s canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

This left him frantically seeking an alternative for the vital Madrid to Algeciras stretch. Flying via Gibraltar was contemplated but ruled out as impractical and potentially costly, necessitating multiple connections and a border crossing.

Instead, he managed to book a nine-hour daytime coach – twice the duration of the train journey.

“It’s going to be horrendous, but it needs to be done,” he remarked, noting the alteration also delayed his arrival until 8pm, compelling him to postpone filming at his final destination.

The complications continued mounting. The Avanti service from Glasgow ran late, necessitating what he characterised as a hurried sprint across London.

His Eurostar seat was relocated to a “windowless window seat.” The Barcelona to Madrid train ran behind schedule.

Madrid’s weather turned “atrocious.” And the replacement train southbound was cancelled entirely.

Following all that, the ultimate disappointment awaited at Tarifa. Upon reaching the Spanish municipality, Scott headed towards Isla de Las Palomas, an island at the southern tip of Punta de Tarifa – the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula.

However, to Scott’s dismay, the area was cordoned off and accessible solely through guided tours. “Well, you spend three nights and four days travelling to the southernmost tip of the European mainland, and it’s shut,” he said.

“At least I’m not the only one who arrived thinking the place would be open. There are two Chinese tourists there. I can’t complain—they’ve travelled further than I have to get here—but I think it caught quite a few people off guard.”

He suggested strong winds might have rendered the exposed headland too dangerous. “But yeah, that’s as far as we can get.”

Despite the setback, Scott stayed positive. “For as long as I can recall making these YouTube videos, I’ve always felt there was a force pushing back, trying to stop me from completing videos. This was a prime example.”

Nevertheless, he maintained the experience was worthwhile. “But I am so glad I did this journey. I’m so glad you guys came along with me as well. I’ll see you next time.”

A CHANGE to how you board the Eurostar is about to make it much easier to head over to Europe.

The international train operator has said they will cut boarding times by 30 minutes in an attempt to ease crowding at St Pancras station.

Currently, Eurostar passengers must check in an hour before boarding their train, where they they have to wait in departures.

According to The Telegraph, there are plans to allow passengers to board Eurostar trains as soon as they arrive at the station.

This would mean that passengers would be able to board up to half an hour before their train departs.

The hope is that this will allow people to arrive at St Pancras much closer to the time that their train is due to leave, as well as ease crowds.

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Wendy Spinks, chief commercial officer at London St Pancras High Speed, said that the process of boarding Eurostar had become too much like flying, when in reality it should be easier than an airport.

She added: “It has become too close to the airport experience, where you check in, go to security, wait in the lounge and then rush to the gate.

“You will always want some people to turn up a bit earlier so that you can process them and get them on board but at least 50 per cent of passengers should go straight to the train.”

Not only should train travel be less stressful, but it also allows passengers to go directly into the city centre, rather than an airport further out.

But she warned: “The more you go beyond two hours and start getting out to Germany or Geneva, say, then your time differential is harder against flying. If we shrink the time that you hang around in the station it cuts the end-to-end journey.”

The changes come amid the major renovation of St Pancras, ahead of the launch of new travel rivals Richard Branson‘s Virgin Trains and Trenitalia of Italy by 2030.

Ms Spinks also warned that the busy departures area is preventing any further growth of Eurostar, especially ahead of the new kiosks ahead of the new EU Entry/Exit System.

The St Pancras renovation – which is expected to cost around £100million – will hopefully free up space and could even cut waiting times to just 15 minutes.

Not only that, but a new ground floor layout would double the station’s current capacity to 5,000 passengers an hour.

The full renovation is set to be complete by the 2030s, which is also when the new additions of destinations such as Germany and Switzerland could be rolled out.

In other train news, UK’s busiest train station with 100million passengers finally gets go ahead for controversial £1.2billion expansion.

Plus, major UK train station shuts for nine days for ‘once in generation’ overhaul worth £8million.

One in four couples consider themselves incompatible travel partners, with disagreements over budgets, itineraries and even bedtimes – take this quiz to discover how compatible you are

One in four couples consider themselves incompatible travel partners, with tensions most likely to flare over budgets, itineraries – and even bedtimes. A survey of 2,000 people in a relationship found of the 89% who have travelled with their partner, 23% do not think they are well-matched in their preferences.

Only 28% think their partner ‘ticks all the boxes’ when it comes to travelling together. Among the top things couples disagree about when having a trip away were where to eat, what times to wake up and go to bed, and the budget. However, differences aren’t necessarily a relationship ender.

A quarter believe opposites attract as it helps prevent rows such as not wanting the same seat when using shared transport (43%) and prompts them to venture beyond their comfort zone (35%).

The study, commissioned by Railcard.co.uk, also revealed the benefits of travelling as a duo, including making memories together (57%), consistently having someone to talk with (47%) and building emotional bonds (36%).

Over half reckon it requires one to two journeys to determine if they are genuinely travel compatible with someone. Those who are in sync (77%) credit shared preferences around accommodation (60%), activities (48%) and budget (43%).

Uncover your ultimate travel compatibility score – take the quiz now.

Catherine Lyver from Railcard.co.uk said: “The study shows that travelling with a plus-one comes with its quirks – from debating who gets the window seat to discovering you have very different definitions of an ‘early start’.

“But that’s all part of the fun. Travelling together sparks the kind of conversations that help you learn more about each other and create the memories you laugh about later.

“And with a Two Together Railcard, couples, friends or relatives can save a third on their rail journey while enjoying quality time – even if it’s spent negotiating playlists.”

The research also revealed that despite nine in 10 believing travel compatibility matters, over half (51%) reckon compromise is crucial to a happy relationship.

Being more thoughtful of each other’s needs (34%) and discussing priorities before a trip (25%) are amongst some of the ways travellers have overcome differences with a companion.

Of the 30% who said a train journey is where they and their partner are most travel compatible, 55% viewed these trips as quality time together and 41% said it gives them a chance to catch up.

Catherine Lyver added: “This Valentine’s Day, it’s likely many couples will be travelling together for a day trip or night away.

“Why not make the train journey a part of the experience and make the most of the quality time together”.

TOP 10 THINGS COUPLES DISAGREE ABOUT WHEN TRAVELLING TOGETHER:

1. Where to eat
2. Time to wake up
3. Budget/cost
4. Length of a stay
5. Time to go to bed
6. Itineraries (e.g., how to fill the days)
7. Activities
8. Type of music to listen to
9. Time of day to travel
10. Sight-seeing plans

Londoners can save more money on weekend breaks to five popular UK cities by opting for one particular method of transport over the train, new research has revealed

New research has revealed that anyone travelling from London to five UK cities can save up to £48 per journey, simply by making their journey via coach instead of the train.

The study, conducted by minibus and coach hire company SMC Coach Hire, analysed travel costs from the capital city to major UK destinations, comparing ticket prices against total mileage to identify where passengers are facing the most expensive rail fares.

The research showed Cardiff as the prime location for making travel savings. While a train journey from London Victoria to the Welsh capital costs an average of £61.39, the equivalent coach journey is just £13.35, a staggering saving of £48.04.

At just 10p per mile, opting to travel by coach offers a fraction of the rail cost for the 131-mile trip.

The top 5 best value routes

The North and Scotland also showed significant disparities, with long-distance travellers set to gain the most from making the journey on a coach:

1. Cardiff: £48.04 saving (£13.35 coach vs £61.39 train)
2. Aberdeen: £47.69 saving (£47.80 coach vs £95.49 train)
3. Leicester: £41.74 saving (£7.35 coach vs £49.09 train)
4. Glasgow: £37.34 saving (£39.45 coach vs £76.79 train)
5. Newcastle: £26.79 saving (£19.50 coach vs £46.29 train

However, distance doesn’t always have a direct impact on the savings. Leicester, one of the shortest routes on the list at just 89 miles, ranked third for total savings. Passengers can make the journey for as little as £7.35 by coach, compared to nearly £50 via rail.

1. Cardiff – train price to London – £61.39, train per mile – £0.47, coach price to London – £13.35, coach per mile – £0.10, approx distance (miles) 131.33, price difference – £48.04
2. Aberdeen – train price to London – £95.49, train per mile – £0.24, coach price to London – £47.80, coach per mile – £0.12, approx distance (miles) 398.15, price difference – £47.69
3. Leicester – train price to London – £49.09, train per mile – £0.55, coach price to London – £7.35, coach per mile – £0.08, approx distance (miles) 89.38, price difference – £41.74
4. Glasgow – train price to London – £76.79, train per mile – £0.22, coach price to London – £39.45, coach per mile – £0.11, approx distance (miles) 345.20, price difference – £37.34
5. Newcastle – train price to London – £46.29, train per mile – £0.19, coach price to London – £19.50, coach per mile – £0.08, approx distance (miles) 247.73, price difference – £26.79
6. Derby – train price to London – £38.19, train per mile – £0.34, coach price to London – £11.85, coach per mile – £0.10, approx distance (miles) 113.09, price difference – £26.34
7. Bristol – train price to London – £37.99, train per mile – £0.36, coach price to London – £13.35, coach per mile – £0.13, approx distance (miles) 106.38, price difference – £24.64
8. Leeds – train price to London – £43.89, train per mile – £0.26, coach price to London – £21.30, coach per mile – £0.13, approx distance (miles) 169.47, price difference – £22.59
9. Nottingham – train price to London – £35.89, train per mile – £0.33, coach price to London – £13.35, coach per mile – £0.12, approx distance (miles) 109.35, price difference – £22.54
10. Brighton and Hove – train price to London – £24.69, train per mile – £0.53, coach price to London – £5.40, coach per mile – £0.12, approx distance (miles) 46.89, price difference – £19.29
11. Manchester – train price to London – £31.29, train per mile – £0.19, coach price to London – £12.75, coach per mile – £0.08, approx distance (miles) 163.22, price difference – £18.54
12. Liverpool – train price to London – £30.19, train per mile – £0.17, coach price to London – £11.85, coach per mile – £0.07, approx distance (miles) 178.62, price difference – £18.34

Stephen Chesters, Director at SMC Coach Hire said: “With the cost of living still a major concern for many, these figures highlight just how much ‘rail tax’ people are paying for their commute or weekend breaks.

“Choosing the road over the rail isn’t just about the journey; it’s about keeping nearly £50 extra in your pocket. Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway for Valentine’s or looking ahead to a half-term break for the family, coach travel is a great alternative to save some money.”