Green days out in London
27th October 2022
Earlier this year National Rail appointed three Chief Environment Officers, whose role is to explore Britain by train and champion sustainable travel. The winners were selected by a judging panel made up of explorer and broadcaster Simon Reeve and travel vloggers Wanderlust Chloe and An Adventurous World.
Our new Chief Environment Officers, Gabby Secomb-Flegg, took a trip to London to uncover some of the fantastic sustainable days out you can enjoy when you travel by train.
Here are some of the great things Gabby experienced, that you could enjoy too:
Granary Square
Close to Kings Cross Station, and near Regents Canal, is Granary Square. The bustling square is home to lots of great bars and restaurants. There’s always something to see and do thanks to a year-round calendar of events that includes everything from Fashion Shows to Film Festivals, Concerts and more.
Trafalgar Square
Home to the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Nelson’s Column and four bronze lions, Trafalgar Square is one of the best know squares in London.
Buckingham Palace
Since 1837 Buckingham Palace has been the London home of many a British monarch. It is also one of the most popular places to watch the Changing of the Guard, but if you want a picture taken with a Guard head to Pall Mall where you’ll find a Guard at St James’ Palace to stand next to for a quick snap.
Big Ben
No trip to London is complete without a trip to see the Houses of Parliament's iconic clock tower that houses Big Ben. It is the world’s largest four-faced chiming clock, and stands at 96m tall.
Shakespeare’s Globe
The Globe Theatre is one of the most unique theatrical spaces in London. Located on the bank of the River Thames, it is a beautiful reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse where William Shakespeare had his plays performed.
Rail travel is one of the most sustainable forms of public transport, with 1 train having the ability to remove up to 500 cars off the road. Below you can find out how much carbon (and money) you can save when you travel by train using a Railcard.
A return journey from Brighton to London Kings Cross creates the following amount of carbon:
- Train: 6.94kgs
- Car: 23.26kgs
- Plane: 42.64kgs
Two adults travelling to London Kings Cross from Brighton can save £9.40 when travelling by train with a Two Together Railcard*
- Price with Railcard: £18.00 (£9.00 each)
- Price without Railcard: £27.40 (£13.70 each)
A return journey from Cambridge to London Kings Cross creates the following amount of carbon:
- Train: 6.76kgs
- Car: 22.62kgs
- Plane: 41.48kgs
Two adults travelling to London Kings Cross from Cambridge can save £19.20 when travelling by train with a Two Together*
- Price with Railcard: £37.20 (£18.60 each)
- Price without Railcard: £56.40 (£28.20 each)
A return journey from Oxford to London Kings Cross creates the following amount of carbon:
- Train: 7.38kgs
- Car: 24.7kgs
- Plane: 45.3kgs
Two adults travelling to London Kings Cross from Oxford can save £26.30 when travelling by train with a Two Together Railcard*
- Price with Railcard: £50.90 (£25.45 each)
- Price without Railcard: £77.20 (£38.60 each)
You can find out more about our Chief Environment Officers and the journeys they are taking here.
*Price is based on two adults travelling together with a Two Together Railcard discount on an Off-Peak Return on 19 November 2022 and returning the same day. Prices checked 27 October 2022.
Carbon calculations were made using the LNER Carbon Calculator.