RACING from London to Leeds | PLANE vs TRAIN

British airline Flybe recently reconnected London Heathrow and Leeds Bradford Airport, and we wanted to put their service to the test in our latest plane vs train battle.
Liam went by train with LNER from Kings Cross, London to Leeds and Nicky took the Flybe flight from Heathrow to Leeds.
Follow @NickyKelvin - / nickykelvin
Follow @Liam_Spencer - / liam_spencer
Plane price:
Flybe Ticket - £54.99
Tube and Heathrow Express - £27.50
Lift from Mum - Free!
Total: £82.49
Train ticket:
First Class LNER Train Ticket - £58
Tube - £2.50
Taxi - £15
Total: £75.50
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Edited by Phil Hanson

[@JuanWayTrips]

Liam seemed way more relaxed outside of the tube and cab rides to/from the station. Nicky's experience seemed stressful from start to finish just to try and win lol

[@nickyjkelvin]

😂

[@paradonym]

But nicky's persinality is also one to be easier to stress I bet.

[@HenryGaming6000]

😂

[@magic_claw]

The whole of the USA needs to see this. I think the other advantage that trains typically have is that they take you right into the city? Plus, no security theater, better baggage requirements, better WiFi? desks etc. Train fan. Also an airplane fan, of course.

[@eon1166]

It’d be cool to see implemented but it’s super unlikely just because of how much larger the US is compared to Europe/the UK.

[@magic_claw]

Agreed, but there are some corridors that could make this work. Especially densely populated northeast. Boston, DC, NY/Philly, and into PA would be a great route that would be frequently used if viable. Amtrak hasn’t done a good job so far. There are some private players trying to do stuff - in Florida for example. If it makes economic sense, it usually ends up happening in the US. So we might see it eventually.

[@byblispersephone2.094]

Yes but the UK is a much smaller country than USA so trains are viable here

[@magic_claw]

@@byblispersephone2.094 London - Leeds is about the same distance as NYC - Boston. It will serve about the same population too (Boston comparable to Leeds, and London comparable to NYC). Yet, check out the AmTrak service from NYC - Boston. Lackluster will be understating it.

[@alexlangford6291]

Could be a new West End show called Security Theatre.

[@paularuddell8312]

Thank you for your kind review of the service onboard the Flybe flight! I had the pleasure of welcoming you on board and featuring in this video! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Even though you didn't win this one... its the winning mindset that counts! 🥰💜

[@highpath4776]

I think if the departure/arrival times suit LBA to LHR (or London City) can be handy, and more so if you live to the west of London (Slough for example would be quicker )

[@justmeajah]

You're so friendly! 👏👏

[@jakehowie442]

No wonder FlyBe went bust…£55 for a short flight to Leeds. You can flight tickets to Europe cheaper than that

[@highpath4776]

@@jakehowie442 Cheaper than the train though !

[@jakehowie442]

Wasn’t his train ticket cheaper and he was sitting in first class?

[@hellojasonsuresh]

For London - Leeds, the train is definitely the best option. Not only is it centre-centre, it's also way more frequent (at least half-hourly) and in general, it's cheaper (though still not exactly cheap). However, the air service is useful for international connecting passengers at Heathrow to get to Leeds where it would be much more convenient than chugging into town with luggage and up to Leeds on the train. There's also a niche market around the M25/M4 corridors that may find the flight better than going into Central London too. At the Leeds end, it's worth considering what part of the city you want to be in too. For North Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate et al, the airport is fine - but if you're going to Central or South/East Leeds, the train is almost certainly quicker.

[@jerry2357]

But if you’re changing planes, it’s often better to go via Amsterdam (rather than Heathrow) from LBA. Or via Dublin if you’re going to the USA.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

In truth this route is aimed at those making connex at LHR. Flybe has since cut its schedule to a single daily flight. It must be struggling.

[@jameswhughes]

@@alexmcwhirter6611 The route is being dropped entirely next month, I'm not surprised (doubt they could get any connecting passengers either especially when BA failed already)

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

@@jameswhughes Thanks for confirming. Yes as you say it's hardly surprising.

[@brimbles4999]

mentioning leeds locals flying to get connecting flights in heathrow makes a lot of sense, shows the importance of having high speed rail include airports honestly, sad hs2 isnt doing that now that i think about it

[@PokhrajRoy.]

As someone who has traveled from London to Leeds and back, the train is a WAY BETTER and AFFORDABLE (depending on when you book it) option of traveling. Also, it’s great fun!

[@Nooticus]

So true

[@msm2267]

Depends where you start from. Central london yes, suburbs maybe not. But agree in this scenario bearing in mind lba isn’t actually in Leeds…a race to Manchester would be closer

[@highpath4776]

@@msm2267 Doubt it , west coast mainline is much faster than LNER.

[@Mgameing123]

@@highpath4776 ye also not to mention avanti has amazing value for money.

[@highpath4776]

@@Mgameing123 Depends on when you travel and when you book.

[@RalphHammett]

Yes! Another TPGUK upload! Time to get my popcorn 🍿

[@shamramashran]

As a soon-to-be tourist to the UK, I really appreciate this video. Traveling via train vs air within Britain was something I really wanted reviewed. Def looking forward to more content like this. Hoping there is a race between London and Edinburgh soon😀

[@philhowells7715]

Good to see the races again, even if the plane did lose. As for the pricing, Lift from mum surely should have been Priceless, not free? Lovely doggy 🐕

[@Emthe30something]

This comment is priceless

[@itz__lampy5023]

Yes they are back 📸

[@lorijohnston4311]

Love these videos, guys! I love the trains in the UK and Europe. Wish we had those options here in the States. Such a pleasant way (generally) to get from point A to point B. I will say that Flybe's cabin looked very smart. Your mom is adorable, Nicky, and love your dog! Congrats to Liam for winning the race! Please keep these videos coming!

[@michaelritchie5303]

Love these races. Notice an Air Canada jet at 6:28. Cheers from Canada.

[@onlineamiga]

City to City, the train would have absolutely panned the plane. The fact they were going somewhere out of leeds, which Im guessing was somewhere between the city centre and LBA means it made it a more even race. But gee, so much more hassle at an airport than just taking a direct train. If you were going further, like up to Scotland then maybe the plane would have had a good margin. But its not worth doing up to Leeds.

[@romero2g4u]

This made me miss the UK! I was there for 6 weeks 2 months ago and hands down the train experience is amazing! Took train from London to New Castle for a Little Mix concert on a Saturday morning and it was a breeze. Then, we took a train from New Castle to Birmingham the next day Sunday morning for a Dua Lipa concert. It was such a breeze since you don’t have to be up earlier for getting to the airport and going through security. Also, love that the train leads to the City center.

[@InternationalFeds]

Regardless of which way is faster (which would vary from day to day depending on delays), the train journey seems more relaxing and it is also much more environmentally friendly compared to flying!

[@od9898]

Just not true but cool

[@hopliteavenger8517]

It’s but cool

[@skylineXpert]

You have privatization of the railways to thank for it in terms of prices. In terms if enviroment unless the train gets powered by coal or gas or diesel and you sit streaming in 4k on a dirty server then yes it is effective in terms of collective transport. But if trains take more than 6 hours then dont expect anything

[@Rowan66109]

@@od9898 it is true

[@maxsaviation9512]

Environmental friendly doesn’t matter! Aviation barely contributes

[@realman6ft6]

Love the fact that Liam was doing a mini fist pump with an internal feeling of smugness. And one of the best comparisons. In the UK door to door the plane is marginally quicker than the train to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Manchester maybe 10-15 mins and that’s not factoring in airport lounge time.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I missed the Plane vs Train Videos. I remember the one about Paris which led me to this wonderful channel.

[@notmenotme614]

9:35 Anyone else from Leeds notice that he exited the train station on the canal /Rive Aire side. By the Doubletree Hilton / archways. Then at 9:57 he’s magically stood outside the opposite side of the train station by The Queens hotel / Weatherspoons

[@rduffy9948]

Love the UK train services. Would take a train over plane anyday. Good video.

[@Ducktility]

If only they we priced on par with other European countries...

[@simondavey7787]

I love these races. Train is always best for intercity domestic travel in the UK, in my opinion. I'm curious to see your future races!

[@marcusrashid]

Hey no way. 2:10 that was me getting off the train. Love your videos. Keep it up :)

[@gkurio]

Love Liam's sweatshirt! Go Bears!

[@GregCurtin45]

Congrats Liam! Outstanding race and video. ps: Loved the music choices. Stay safe guys.

[@professorr.5427]

I concur...excellent music choices.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The First Class on LNER is so cool! 👏🏽

[@vmist91]

The newer LNER train first class is not as nice as the one shown in the video

[@Looiiss37]

@@vmist91 They are known as a Class 800 Azuma, they were built by Hitachi and are known as the WORST train interior ever, If it only says LNER on the departure board they are the more comfy train, (aka Class 91)

[@MajesticTrains]

"Lovely" and "Stevenage" are two words that should never be in the same sentence.

[@chrismoore4423]

No brainer to take the train city centre to city centre for journeys up to 3/400 miles. More comfy, more space, more relaxing and less stress.

[@Chronograph71]

Wonderful! Very enjoyable and very dynamic! Thanks!

[@jackhodgson8605]

How great it is to see flybe back flying once more, must try them soon. Very well done to Liam for just beating Nicky. Absolutely love when you guys upload a new video especially races like this keep them coming. Love your dog also Nicky

[@ukdavepianoman]

Great video. Something that struck me watching it is just how good TPGs editing is. Must take a lot of effort. The LNER First Class looked very impressive - comfortable seat, that table was clever design plus some food. Train option would definitely be my choice for a "short" route.

[@53bby_W3b3r]

Always good to see TPG UK back with another video

[@HyperDaveUK]

I'm loving the London to Leeds graphic at the bottom especially when it suggests that Stevenage is over halfway to Leeds! Fun video!

[@cianosullivan2688]

Great to see the BA A380!!!

[@joshholloway4799]

As a train enthusiast I strongly suggest against the idea of Heathrow express please use TfL rail soon to be the elizaeth line it takes a bit longer but is a quarter of the price. And if you are used to thameslink class 700s they use ironing boards seats sane as Heathrow express which are not comfortable. Do not use Heathrow express you do not get your moneys worth!!

[@isaactimmins8959]

tbh all the xpress are a bit of a con, espessially gatwick vs sourthern & themeslink.

[@geoffcook1446]

Thanks for the shout out to Stevenage!! My ol' hometown!

[@VulcanTrekkie45]

Next time you guys are Stateside, you should stage one of these races between Boston and New York! See how different modes stack up along the Northeast Corridor

[@andywatterson4161]

Congrats Liam! Still managed to win, despite taking the wrong exit from Leeds Station. Then, miraculously appearing at the front entrance, where the taxis are! Must’ve cost at least 5 minutes!

[@liamcampbell15]

It did 😂

[@johnchang774]

Love watching you guys! Nice and helpful videos.

[@melsyoutube]

my new fave duo 🥺💕

[@jj-if6it]

Adorable pup

[@Andrew-Wong]

New aviation youtuber subscribers in this channel! Keep it up always!!

[@LoganLavery]

Liam won the other one too 💪 the excitement built quickly on this; quite an epic race. Enjoyed the cameos (FA & Mum) as well!

[@ankledsquid]

even if it was like an hour slower i'd much rather get the train over a journey like this. its a much more civilised way to travel

[@markvanalstyne1381]

Excellent race and video. Big fan of you guys

[@pengo369]

Love when you guys do stuff like this!

[@chasingtheclouds]

I thoroughly enjoy these train vs plane races! You could also try this in Germany and France with the ICE and TGV respectively (or other European countries with high speed trains).

[@tripstracka1643]

Absolutely love these races! Keep them going.

[@Bogeyboy-kz8uu]

As a trainspotter I had a feeling the train would win. Whilst planes obviously have a higher speed than trains with flying you have to find some sort of transportation before you can actually get your flight along with time for check-in/security and vice versa whilst with trains you get the train from the centre of the city to the centre of your destination. I'd say you should consider flights>trains if the travel by train is 3 to 4+ hours.

[@alexanderunsworth4188]

Love these plain vs Train races!! We need more please 😊

[@gonzalopenagil4454]

this feels so much like top gear specials

[@chrisnettleship4331]

Flybe is a lovely, friendly little airline. I flew to Jersey from East Midlands in 2019 and it was really great. The staff were anazing, the flight was good (on a DeHavelland prop plane). Better than a jet plane. Would defo use Flybe again. They serve all corners of the UK and crown colonies.

[@The_Untitled]

When you zoomed in on the train departure board, the one directly to the right had "Ely" on it. That's where I live!

[@kirstybrown1185]

Got a little worried for Liam, it looked like he was going down the escalators in Leeds station that takes you out onto the Wharfe side 😂😂 which is pretty but not where the taxis are. Then saw the hotel next to the entrance, so he must have figured it out. Posh accents are so hard to place, thought you were a southerner until this video. I hear it now, it’s far too universal when you don’t say the nooo 😂🤷‍♀️

[@liamcampbell15]

I’m from Surrey!

[@buzzukfiftythree]

I can't see a LHR to Leeds/Bradford service succeeding in the longer term. Enjoyable video.

[@NetworkX90]

The train is easily the best option. You can get tickets from London to Leeds for under £20, and the journeys by train are generally much less stressful.

[@ThePointsGuyDepartures]

What service would you rather take?!

[@JuanWayTrips]

Train for sure. Liam's journey seemed way more relaxed, while Nicky had much more to go through just to get to the plane itself. It may have only won by a few minutes this time, but generally not going to get that lucky when flying such short distances.

[@Emthe30something]

As one of you American (Front Range) viewers: Train. Always the train. Jealous of the train.

[@Emthe30something]

Though we do now have a train line from Denver's city center to the airport à la Heathrow Express. Did do bus to train to plane for a flight last year.

[@LokiAvivson]

3:37 slightly cheaper with railcard discount: one-way - £16.50 with railcard discount, £25 for everyone else return - £24.40 with railcard discount, £37 for everyone else

[@claraoswald_121]

Liam seems so much more relaxed, its cheaper, easier and better for the planet. easy choice.

[@jaysonbelyea8981]

Anything with Liam gets a 👍 from me. 😍

[@summeroflove394]

Nicky your dog is adorable 😍😍

[@scruff520]

Brilliant video 👍 thanks guys xx

[@ironmantrains]

Hands down train. My favourite train, the BR HST used to run this route so I'm happy to take the train anyday.

[@bubba842]

That was a Class 91 not an HST. HST is diesel, the Class 91, also called the Intercity 225, is an electric unit. The East coast mainline is electrified so it has never seen an Intercity 125, Hst, on its tracks.

[@ironmantrains]

@@bubba842 Yeah I know. What I mean is that until 2019 HSTs used to run from London to Leeds as well as to Edinburgh doing diesel-under-the-wires

[@kirkrotger9208]

I don't know why you would ever fly this route. The plane may be faster, but the extra time to and from the airport, plus the extra 90 or so minutes before and after takeoff means it's almost always slower for a distance that short, not to mention delays. Even London to Edinburgh the train is time competitive with flying. And the train is cheaper, less stressful, and more comfortable.

[@wellingtonaviationnz]

That is Awesome 👌 👏 👍 , I had a idea if you guys did a race between London and Edinburgh or London and Newcastle upon Tyne

[@jerry2357]

I once left a meeting in west London at the same time as a colleague. Because flights are not very frequent, I was at home in West Yorkshire before his plane took off from Heathrow. I had a flexible ticket, so I could get on the first available train, and there were trains every 30 minutes.

[@samantha-janelong7717]

Absolutely LOVE the races......glad to see they are back!! You guys have a great camaraderie. Please give the doggy a big kiss from me......such a cutie. xoxo

[@jamesdavies1997]

Leeds! My hometown as well!🎉

[@ChuckConnNYC]

LNER is fantastic, I'd chose that any day of the week (the service up to Edinburgh is wonderful as well)

[@decemberclouds]

Eeeek your dog is so floofy! This was a really fun video.

[@ChetNotJet]

3:50 and it’s also £2 a mile so if your on a budget then take tube or Elizabeth line

[@HAL-bo5lr]

0:31 I’m gonna be flying from Heathrow. At that point, I knew it was going to be a hectic day.

[@user-pd2hw3ow5j]

Loved this video. Would love to see more.

[@lorandgjoshi7425]

Do some challenges in Italy, it would be way more challenging because trains are fast as hell and easy to use. Try milan to rome.

[@chrisoddy8744]

Would have been interesting to see how a car would do on this route (Dash up the M1) time wise!

[@delboy7039]

The train would win...! IMO

[@csorfab]

It would do like absolute shit. Google maps says it's a 4.5h drive

[@ethansaviation2672]

Don't even bring cars into this, it isn't worth the shame💀

[@Looiiss37]

You got lucky with the Leeds train! Class 91 set with Mark 4 coaches with a DVT on the back are so much more comfortable than a Azuma 800

[@Looiiss37]

Little tip btw, if it only just says LNER, then it is a Class 91

[@LokiAvivson]

12:03 £57 isn't too bad for first class, even if you take advantage of a seatfrog upgrade. it's slightly cheaper with railcard discount, depending on the service. sadly, railcard discount doesn't apply to seatfrog upgrades 😔😞 😭

[@Judy-zs4gz]

Last time, my friends told me a way to get bigger discounts for rail trips. so i plan to have a rail trip

[@32000Feet]

I tought the plane will win but the trian was absolutly wonderful!

[@alexandersutherland6050]

Amazing 🤩

[@der_eisenbahnfotograf2089]

How about Gevena to Zurich [Train vs. Plane]. I liked the video very much, the sad thing was i don't heard how long the train has took from London to Leeds.

[@alexsmtop10]

2 hours 16 Minutes

[@tom201090]

You both got pretty lucky in terms of delays.

[@1900intz]

Good job Liam.

[@pdf116]

Love the video! Pls do BERLIN-MUNICH train & flight battle

[@nosy_123]

WOO

[@mgpant6678]

You found very good price for the train and was quickest journey too

[@Judy-zs4gz]

that's good. Last time, my friends told me a way to get bigger discounts for rail trips. so i plan to have a rail trip

[@georgegriffin2415]

Liams fit is so fire 🔥

[@jordyjakequeen8404]

I really enjoyed this one well done guys x

[@Eliott11455]

Love these vids

[@peabody1976]

Now that the Elizabeth Line is open, and the fares are capped at £12.50, with no food and just airfare, Nicky's trip is now cheaper at £67.50, with free ride home. It's getting to the airport in London that sways the trip: plane and train are only £2 different. But I wonder how much the cab would be between the airport and Nicky's house... If you weren't too pressed for time, you take Piccadilly all the way and save a few quid. :)

[@garyjeffries1041]

Fun fact dash q 400 built in canada

[@tacoflyz]

3:00 time that is llyn by the sea from the game stepford county railway

[@helenzhao2926]

10:31 that dog there won the race for Nicky no matter what

[@franklinloo2160]

I love this vid guys. Racing,... Train 🚉 vs Plane ✈️ Hahaa...

[@rulocco]

Very nice vid. Now, the real race was the last bit of it, from airport / Train station to final destination. Cheers.

[@queeny5613]

Awesome

[@jackmildren3116]

Lovely Stevenage? Which Stevenage are you at because the one I’ve been to isn’t lovely 😂

[@coletteshaw3807]

lucky. last time I got a train Kings x to Leeds. we got halted for 1.5 hours.

[@craigenglish8369]

Flybe have actually cleaned their planes!! Towards the end of the "old" Flybe the plane interiors were dirty, damaged and they'd even done away with the head rest covers, probably trying to save money.

[@l3v1ckUK]

Terminal 2 is risky. My flight to Bergen was delayed last week. Even though the inbound flight landed 10 minutes early, it sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes before getting a gate. We were 20 minutes late departing. It should be better when they build the second half of it, whenever that may be. I was shocked by the lack of progress demolishing T1 compared to my last visit several years ago

[@sr6424]

Say your in central London and find you need to get to Leeds at a few minutes notice. How feasible and how much would it cost to fly? Now you can do it online it’s better than when you had to go to the desk at the airport to book a ticket. The flexibility of rail would have won in the past but may be closer now.

[@A789-p7o]

Nice man good vid

[@madewithlofi]

Your video was soooo much fun (and your mum must live in a really posh part of Leeds!). Have you seen that Interrail Passes are 50% off at the moment? I would love to see you race across Europe.

[@highpath4776]

No trains out to your suburban area of Leeds? (I used bus as I dont like paying taxi fares!) I have thought of going 285 or 111 from Kingston into LHR ( or Kingston-Feltham then bus if on train ) as being quickish. Also getting the evening summer timings right for St Pancras-Sheffield-Leeds service can be handy too, as the Doncaster-Wakefield-Leeds section of LNER is quite slow comparatively.