National Express East Coast, London to York

If you book early enough and are organised enough to travel on specific trains, National Express can get you from London's Kings Cross to York in less than two hours for less than a tenner. With space to stroll around, free Wi-Fi and electric sockets next to the seats, this train journey certainly beats the mind-numbing slog in the car. But, if you leave it late or want the flexibility to travel on any of the half-hourly trains, you may end up paying closer to one hundred pounds. The prices in the buffet car are also high - a small bottle of water is a heady £1.30. But there is nothing to stop you bringing your own. 7/10