Getting from Cardiff to the Eisteddfod on a student budget proved to be a little trickier than we originally thought. Cardiff – Welshpool trains were out of the question (£28 to £49 depending on the time) and a bus journey would have taken 5 hours to get there.
Then we thought of car sharing.
We found Bla bla Car, an online car sharing platform where drivers post journeys and offer places in their car for a relatively cheap fare. They get a little extra to pay for diesel, and passengers find a considerably cheaper way to travel. Everyone wins.
Naomi, 23, was driving from Bristol to Shrewsbury, leaving at 8:00 am. We rejoiced! She was charging £9 each and would get us, Amanda, Filip and myself, Sophie, to Shrewsbury at 10:50 am. Just in time for us to catch a train to Welshpool. That was the plan anyway.
We met up with Naomi at 8:00 sharp. She welcomed us with a warm smile, helped us load the car boot and we were off.
Everyone was chatty and smiley despite the rather early start. We quickly told Hannah we were working for Llais y Maes at the Eisteddfod and needed to be on site by midday.
Naomi was visiting her parents in Shrewsbury and she and Tom were going to head down to the Eisteddfod over the week. What a coincidence!
Naomi is originally from Wales and she now lives in Plymouth with Tom. She cried out excitedly when she saw the hilly horizon ahead which meant only one thing: we were nearing Wales.
Naomi and Tom dropped us off in Welshpool, which was further than we originally planned. She was kind enough to drive a little longer to help us out. One last wave and Tom and Naomi were off again.
As we sat on the shuttle bus, watching the rolling hills, the green fields and the sheep, fly past the window, we reflected on our little car sharing journey. We’re already thinking about looking up on Bla Bla Car to get back to Cardiff on August 8th. It was cheap, friendly, comfortable and so much nicer than travelling by train or coach where there is no space for conversation.
So, anyone driving from Welshpool to Cardiff next Saturday willing to take three smiley students with them?
Comment on this article