So to summarise,
- long haul coach travel was phased out in the 1840s under competition from steamships & rail.
- steamers would be 12 shillings (saloon) or 8 shillings (deck) or free for work-your-passage.
Travel time about 24-26 hours.
- rail 12 shillings (ish), no cheap options. Travel time?
I see the advantages of taking the steamer
() one trip, essentially door to door, whereas a rail journey requires transfers.
() cheaper if you don't care for comfort.
Given average wages 17 shillings a week, journeys like these are easy for most people.
This changes my picture of the times.
Rather than a journey to London being a major, once-in-a-lifetime investment,
it could be a weekend trip to do shopping and see friends, and had been so from
about 1870 onwards.
My ancestors from this period could have gone up and down the country frequently.
-DC
