Milton Keynes to London: the options compared

Milton Keynes to London is one of the easiest journeys in the country to do by train, and one of the more awkward ones to do by car. That does not mean the train always wins.

The train

Milton Keynes Central to London Euston takes around 35 minutes on a fast service, with trains running frequently through the day. [CHECK current timetable and fares] It is genuinely quick, and for a single traveller heading to central London it is hard to beat.

The honest limitations:

• It gets you to Euston, not to where you are going. Add the tube, a taxi or a walk at the other end.
• Peak time walk-up fares are expensive, and peak trains are busy.
• With luggage, a laptop bag and a suit carrier, Euston at 8am is not where you want to be.
• You still have to get to Milton Keynes Central and park there.

Driving into London

Driving in means the Congestion Charge on top of fuel, the ULEZ if the vehicle does not comply, and then finding somewhere to park. Central London parking is charged by the hour and it is not cheap.

For a single meeting in central London, driving yourself is usually the worst of the three options.

A chauffeur

A car makes sense into London when the journey is not a simple Euston and back.

• Several meetings in a day across different parts of the city, where you need somewhere to work and leave your things between them
• A client or a visitor you are collecting, where putting them on the tube is not the impression you want to make
• Any journey where you are carrying equipment, samples or presentation material
• Evenings and events, where the last train home decides when you leave
• Groups, where one car replaces four tickets

We charge by the hour for this kind of work, with a two hour minimum. The driver waits, takes you between stops and is there at the end of the night. Parking, tolls and the Congestion Charge are charged at cost rather than marked up. Our hourly rates are on the prices page.

We also cover London to London work when we are already in town, which is often worth asking about if you are booking a day with several stops.

What we would say

• One person, one meeting near a tube station, off peak: take the train.
• Several stops in a day, or anything to carry: a car by the hour usually wins once you count the taxis between meetings.
• Collecting a client or a visitor: a car, without question.
• An evening event: a car, because the train home dictates the end of your night.