Hopeless public transport!

I've recently been fortunate enough to get the chance to go to a few big events (well, I saved up the money and paid for them really!). Genesis live in Twickenham last weekend, Star Wars Celebration Europe next weekend, and in September I'm off to see two NHL Ice Hockey games at the newly re branded O2 arena (formerly Millenium Dome), all in London. With the exception of the second of the Ice Hockey games for which I got a car parking ticket too I decided it would be much easier to use public transport.

So, the train seems to be the answer. A few weeks ago I had to go to London on business so taking the train worked out well... it was a weekday so I just turned up at the station, paid for my return ticket, and off I go. I'd already had an argument with Midland Mainline about their requirement to register on their website to get on-line information so I made a point of picking up a paper timetable while I was at the station.

Now I'm armed with a timetable for Kettering to St Pancras and the Internet... where could I possibly go wrong.

My first mistake was thinking I could actually do something useful with public transport. For the trip to Twickenham I had the problem that I needed to go to Coventry first. To get from Kettering to Coventry by train you have to take a convoluted route... which takes you via Leicester to Nuneaton. At that point I give up... I'll take the car.

The next mistake was thinking that the trains run at suitable times for big events at weekends. Take the Ice Hockey... well, I can get a train into London without any problems, but the last train home is just after 22:00. Yes, on a Saturday! Alternatively I can go from Peterborough to Kings Cross... all well and good until you see that the return journey includes a bus ride from Huntingdon to Peterborough... probably adding about 50% to the length of the journey!

The biggest mistake though was not getting a car park ticket for the first night at the O2 since it seems that using the train will be a complete non-starter. I did consider doing the Star Wars Celebration trip by train too, but I've been advised it's easier to drive.

Incidentally, I also plan to go to Aalborg in North Denmark in October... but even then it seems it's cheaper to take the Channel Tunnel and drive all the way than it is to go by car ferry or fly and rent a car!

Is it any wonder we don't use public transport?