Bursting out of the Bubble

It’s Week 9. The deadlines are looming, exams are getting scarily close, and for many of us, cabin fever is setting in. As much as we love our little coastal town, it can get a tad claustrophobic, and sometimes you just need to get out. So with the Christmas holidays a mere 6 weeks away, what is the best way to get yourself out of rural Fife to the departure lounge of Edinburgh Airport?

At the end of term, your best option is clearly the cost-effective door-to-door service of the St Andrews Shuttle. But what if you’re jetting off at a more unusual time? (“revision” week mini-break perhaps?) Or maybe the Shuttle is just too mainstream for your hipster tastes. If you’re keen for some adventure, here’s the lowdown on the other ways you can break free of the Bubble…

Walk:  Major advantage: it’s free! According to Google Maps, it will take you approximately 14 hours and 53 minutes. While this will definitely get your beach body ready, I imagine it would be pretty cold. And depressing. And you would probably get hit by a car and die.

Bus:  Forget all your prejudices about the “peasant wagon” (as I overheard a red-trousered St Andrews student call it once). If you choose to get the X59 you’ll find yourself in the lap of luxury, with leather seats and free Wi-Fi. However, you’ll need them, as this bus takes the LONGEST route possible, a whole 2 hours and 40 minutes through the winding B-roads of Fife. Do not attempt with a hangover.

Train: Thanks to our quaint (and annoyingly) rural location, getting the train to Edinburgh Airport involves two buses. While it may be the fastest and, if you book in advance with a railcard, the cheapest of the public transport options, lugging your suitcases probably isn’t worth the 30 minutes you saved by not getting the bus.

Taxi: Not for those on a budget, but it may be your only option if you’re catching the average easyJet flight leaving at an offensive time in the morning. On the plus side, you may be able to find someone to share with you, and through the awkward 6am small talk, you might make a new friend. You never know!

Personal Chauffeur: If this is even an option for you, I must express my immense enviousness. If not, find a generous friend who has a car and bribe them to take you, wearing a chauffeur’s hat of course. Don’t forget your sunglasses and royal wave darling!