Birmingham to London - a 'fare' comparison

Last week, I needed to be in London for 1pm on Wednesday and to be back around 7pm the same day - a good chance to optimise my travel experience for cost and comfort...

For walk-on standard class fares, the options are:

• LondonMidland both ways for £26 - full flexibility on time of travel back from London that day (£27 if flexibility over the month is required)
• Chiltern Railways both ways for £33 - full flexibility on time of travel back from London for a month
• Virgin Trains out but Chiltern back for £44.30 - (peak restrictions apply out of Euston but not Marylebone) valid for a month
• Virgin Trains both ways for £117.80 - OP single out; Anytime single return

Those who read my blog regularly will not be surprised that I plumped for the Chiltern Railways both ways fare, not least because it gave me another chance to sample the ex-First Class carriage on the 1055 departure out of Moor Street...