10 Days in the UK
Aug 20th, 2018, 06:35 AM
#41
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Looks like the least of the travel hassle is taking the bus from LHR, Terminal 2 to MAN
Trip is 5 hrs, 4 stops with no changes. Leaves at 1100 (they arrive at 0740) and arrives in MAN at 1600
They can spend the night at the airport or surrounding area, pick up the car and head out
Of course, they would rather travel by train, but I don't think that they will save much time and may take even longer by the time they travel from LHR to the train station
Flight would be ideal, still considering. Cost is high for the schedule that could work
Trip is 5 hrs, 4 stops with no changes. Leaves at 1100 (they arrive at 0740) and arrives in MAN at 1600
They can spend the night at the airport or surrounding area, pick up the car and head out
Of course, they would rather travel by train, but I don't think that they will save much time and may take even longer by the time they travel from LHR to the train station
Flight would be ideal, still considering. Cost is high for the schedule that could work
Aug 20th, 2018, 06:42 AM
#42
I'm sorry -- but a FIVE hour coach trip after an over night flight would be excruciating!!!!!!
Instead of that horrible slog. Why not simply stay the night in central London and then take a quick train ride the next morning????? Would be easier, more restful and a heck of a lot nicer way to start a holiday. If they booked a hotel at/near Euston they could take the tube to Kings Cross and walk the short distance to Euston, or they could take a car service like justairports.com door to door LHR to their hotel. Easy peasy . . .
(OR they could drop the Lakes
)
Instead of that horrible slog. Why not simply stay the night in central London and then take a quick train ride the next morning????? Would be easier, more restful and a heck of a lot nicer way to start a holiday. If they booked a hotel at/near Euston they could take the tube to Kings Cross and walk the short distance to Euston, or they could take a car service like justairports.com door to door LHR to their hotel. Easy peasy . . .
(OR they could drop the Lakes
)
Aug 20th, 2018, 08:44 AM
#45
>>Taking the train to Tunbridge Wells requires crossing London from Paddington to Charing Cross.<< . . . or London Bridge
Aug 20th, 2018, 06:32 PM
#48
Then (if they want to be at all practical) they should plan on staying the first night in central London. Then they can easily take a train the next morning to Manchester or Liverpool, collect a car, explore the Lakes, wend their way south . . . and drop it at LHR to fly home.
(Or they can flip it completely the other way and stay the first night in Windsor, collect a car the next morning, visit the Cotswolds, head north, explore the Lakes, then drop the car at MAN and fly down to LHR with an arrival at least 4 hours before their flight home.)
Apparently none of the times work for flying up on their arrival day. And once they are IN London, flying the next day make no sense since they can catch the train right in the middle of town without schlepping out to an airport.
(Or they can flip it completely the other way and stay the first night in Windsor, collect a car the next morning, visit the Cotswolds, head north, explore the Lakes, then drop the car at MAN and fly down to LHR with an arrival at least 4 hours before their flight home.)
Apparently none of the times work for flying up on their arrival day. And once they are IN London, flying the next day make no sense since they can catch the train right in the middle of town without schlepping out to an airport.
Aug 20th, 2018, 06:33 PM
#49
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Since they arrive at LHR at 0740, they are eager to head to Manchester via train after arrival and clearing immigration
Looking at the websites, appears that the best site to start with is National Rail. Virgin trains site seems very pricey
The car pick up will be Manchester Airport, so they should go from Euston to MAN
Lots of controversy whether to purchase the ticket ahead or at the station for a point to point ticket
More economical one way or the other?
Looking at the websites, appears that the best site to start with is National Rail. Virgin trains site seems very pricey
The car pick up will be Manchester Airport, so they should go from Euston to MAN
Lots of controversy whether to purchase the ticket ahead or at the station for a point to point ticket
More economical one way or the other?
Aug 20th, 2018, 06:49 PM
#50
>>Since they arrive at LHR at 0740, they are eager to head to Manchester via train after arrival and clearing immigration <<
Then they need to be prepared to be traveling for about the next 6 or 7+ hours (after an all night flight). Someone is not being realistic.
Buying long distance train tickets at the last minute is foolhardy because walk up fares are much more expensive. However -- they will have a hard time picking a train time because 1) the don't know if they will land on time, 2) they don't know how long the Immigration queues will be, 3) they don't know if their luggage will arrive with them or be delayed. Early morning is when MANY long haul flights lad at LHR from both Asia and NA so immigration queues can be enormous. Even if they book a train leaving 4 hours after ETA, that may not be enough. A 45 minute delay with the flight departure and no gate being immediately available, and the 4 hours would have them still at LHR when their train is leaving Euston.
And if they have ANY ideas about driving after arriving at MAN . . . Jet lagged driving is as dangerous as drink driving.
Then they need to be prepared to be traveling for about the next 6 or 7+ hours (after an all night flight). Someone is not being realistic.
Buying long distance train tickets at the last minute is foolhardy because walk up fares are much more expensive. However -- they will have a hard time picking a train time because 1) the don't know if they will land on time, 2) they don't know how long the Immigration queues will be, 3) they don't know if their luggage will arrive with them or be delayed. Early morning is when MANY long haul flights lad at LHR from both Asia and NA so immigration queues can be enormous. Even if they book a train leaving 4 hours after ETA, that may not be enough. A 45 minute delay with the flight departure and no gate being immediately available, and the 4 hours would have them still at LHR when their train is leaving Euston.
And if they have ANY ideas about driving after arriving at MAN . . . Jet lagged driving is as dangerous as drink driving.
Aug 20th, 2018, 06:50 PM
#51
The National Rail site does not sell tickets. It has all the schedules but the ticket price is set by the actual train company, e.g. Virgin. Suggest quality time on this site: https://www.seat61.com/index.html
Tickets for long distance trains will be very expensive bought on the day of travel. But buying ahead you have the same issue as with planes - what if the the flight is late/immigration takes forever?
If they want to go immediately to Manchester, why stay out at the airport? Especially when they will almost certainly have to change trains IN Manchester to get to the airport. FYI, there are direct trains from Reading to Manchester Piccadilly and a Railbus from LHR to Reading.
Tickets for long distance trains will be very expensive bought on the day of travel. But buying ahead you have the same issue as with planes - what if the the flight is late/immigration takes forever?
If they want to go immediately to Manchester, why stay out at the airport? Especially when they will almost certainly have to change trains IN Manchester to get to the airport. FYI, there are direct trains from Reading to Manchester Piccadilly and a Railbus from LHR to Reading.
Aug 20th, 2018, 07:06 PM
#52
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It's true that National Rail site does not sell tickets but they automatically direct you to the correct train carrier (according yo your chosen route ) and you can easily purchase your tickets without leaving the website.
Aug 21st, 2018, 05:54 AM
#55
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Why start in Manchester with car if can't fly there - if taking 6-7 hour train ride there when they could be in Tunbridge Wels with a little shorter train time - and do itinerary as planned? Best of course is to stay in London that first night either way.
Aug 21st, 2018, 06:31 AM
#56
The Railbus to Reading and train to Manchester Piccadilly is about four and a half to five hours depending on how long they leave between the bus and train. (National Rail will not offer this option because it insists on you taking the Heathrow Express. Boo.) I don't get this fixation with Tunbridge Wells which I would say would be hard pressed to make even a third tier list.
Aug 21st, 2018, 07:42 AM
#57
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Yes Tunbridge Wells is nice but to go there for two nights and see Kent is IMO not worth it for that short time and a major detour off the rest of the route. I'd still advocate taking transfer to Windsor or Oxford and pick up car there and do Cotswolds and rest of itinerary - adding a few days in say North Wales instead - that is a natural stop between Bath and lake District.
Taking train or bus to Manchester seems daft after an all-night flight.
Taking train or bus to Manchester seems daft after an all-night flight.
Aug 21st, 2018, 08:49 AM
#58
It seems the main reason Tunbridge Wells was even in the original plan was to visit Dover, which I don't think has been mentioned again.
Aug 21st, 2018, 08:54 AM
#59
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jan - no I don't and have repeated a few times to ditch Kent and start in Cotswolds - Bath - Lake District and back to London. and in 10 days that is a lot of driving and short stays - the whole plan IMO is ill-thought out for the time restrictions given.
