itspat

Thank you. We are planning to stay at Days Inn in Liverpool, which is very close to James Street (so close, in fact, that we are thinking we need to request a quiet room?)

But it sounds like we can avoid that altogether? Is it walkable from Lime Street Station? We will each have a small carry on luggage with us. A taxi would be preferable to catching another quick train to James Street? Also, our train to Ludlow looks like it can also leave directly from James Street, with one connection in Chester, which is another reason we thought it'd be okay.

Thoughts are continued to be appreciated, thanks!

And to clarify - we are planning on picking up EDI-LIV, LIV-LUD, and LUD-LON tickets all at Edinburgh Waverley. Is there a machine that you plug your credit card into to retrieve tickets (and is this pretty simple to do) or is it a queue where someone presents you with the tickets?

itspat

If we were to consider getting the FlexiPass...

Ludlow to London - would you recommend a particularly scenic route?

If you buy First Class FlexiPass, I'm assuming you are 2nd priority to those with reserved First Class seats? How does one handle that - can you either take a Standard Class seat or wait for the next First Class availability?

Thanks.

itspat

Spouse and I are having a "disagreement" -

Travel on a Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday - can you use a 3 Day FlexiPass? Or do you have to get a 4 Day Consecutive, even though you are not planning to train travel on Friday?

What are they referring to as a "period of eligibility"?

Thanks.

PalenQ

Travel on a Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday - can you use a 3 Day FlexiPass? Or do you have to get a 4 Day Consecutive, even though you are not planning to train travel on Friday?>

Yes a flexipass can be sued for unlimited train travel any days of your choosing spread out over a max 2-month period - the eligibility period to use your three unlimited travel days - you just put that day's date in the date box so you decide as you go along when you want to use flexible pass days. And a $319 p.p. for unlimited fully flexible first-class travel that is IME a bargain - just over $100 a day or about 60 pounds a day - that is great for unlimited fully flexible longer train rides - just hop on any ole train any ole time.

sofarsogood

"Is it walkable from Lime Street Station? " - yes it's just over a mile.

don't over think the usefulness of James St station - Lime St is far more important

"Is there a machine that you plug your credit card into to retrieve tickets (and is this pretty simple to do) or is it a queue where someone presents you with the tickets?" - you have both options

"can you either take a Standard Class seat or wait for the next First Class availability?" - yes

"Ludlow to London - would you recommend a particularly scenic route"

Here's the network map - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/css/Of...ilmaplarge.pdf

you'll end up taking the most direct route unless you want to detour via Aberystwyth or Inverness

flanneruk

If your hotel's in James St, it's probably marginally easier with luggage to get the underground train from Lime St to it than to walk or get a taxi. Personally I wouldn't: both James St and Lime St underground stations are quite deep, and there are lengthy passageways involved. The surface exit from Lime St also has one of the finest station-exit views in Europe (I'm serious). But if it's raining or you can't be faffed navigating...

Trains go every couple of minutes, and are standard class only, so timing doesn't matter.

As you've discovered, all trains from Liverpool to Chester now go the underground route, so James St is the first stop and a logical place to start a trip to Ludlow.

PalenQ

If you buy First Class FlexiPass, I'm assuming you are 2nd priority to those with reserved First Class seats? How does one handle that - can you either take a Standard Class seat or wait for the next First Class availability?>

I've used zillions of first-class BritRail Passes and have in all these years never ever not seen empty seats in first class - and very few seats are thus reserved - a waste of time if not money - Standard class seats are often very full and if traveling 2nd class I would definitely make a seat reservation but in first class there has always always always been lots of empty seats - I always put my bags on an adjoining seat - now there are sometimes two types of first class - so-called Gold and non-Gold - on weekends when folks with standard class tickets can at times upgrade to first class for a song these tier-2 first class carriages are all reserved and full - but there is always it seems on long-distance (ex Cross-Country) trains a proper plush first class - and you often get complimentary beverages and food served at your seat - there is a huge difference between classes on British trains IME.

PalenQ

"Ludlow to London - would you recommend a particularly scenic route>

nothing really scenic on that route but I find all of England scenic - at least to a foreigners' eyes.

I based in Shrewsbury, to me one of the vastly unheralded towns you rarely hear much about - lovingly set on a lazy river it has loads of Victorian buildings and great rail service - you probably change here for trains to Ludlow, not far south of town near the Welsh border.

We also day tripped from Shrewsbury to Iron Bridge Gorge, which to me is one of the most amazing things in the U K and again something not on most tourists radar - the birthplace of industrial steel - Iron Bridge here over a gorge being the first real use of structural steel in the world - the area became an iron making center - lots of ancient factories, warehouses and some rather weird things from eons ago.

flanneruk

""Ludlow to London - would you recommend a particularly scenic route>"

Trains from Chester to Ludlow are direct, so there's no need to change. But they do stop at Shrewsbury en route, and apparently there's a left luggage facility at Shrewsbury bus station (it says at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...d_Kingdom.html, but you must check) so you can stop and have a look. Shrewsbury rarely gets into any books because - like much of Britain - there's no Must See. It's just a terrifically nice town, and rare in being a largely Victorian town that's survived unspoilt.

The most direct route back to London from Ludlow (change at Hereford, then get the train through Great Malvern) is sort of like Shrewsbury.

As PQ predicted, I'd say the countryside visible from the train is pretty average. But it's what I walk through every day, so what do I know? And only Oxford on the route is a five star must see. But there's really terrific stuff that's just worth having a look at in Leominster, Hereford (if it were American, it's boast of being the Cider Capital of the World, only it'd mis-spell Capital) where the cathedral holds the Mappa Mundi, Ledbury (just pretty), Worcester (cathedral, some Harry Potter stuff and some interesting Roman memorials), Great Malvern (like Shrewsbury only better surrounding countryside), Hanborough (world's finest bus museum right at the station) Coombe (whence a lovely walk into Blenheim Palace through the gate you don't have to pay at, or to a terrific Roman mosaic just stuck there in the middle of the countryside) and so on.

Problem is: what about the luggage?

itspat

Many thanks, Fodorites... You've been very patient with my inane and often redundant questions. We have 92%figured out our trip and it will be great. Allow another 8% for some spontaneity and fun, right!

I have a couple lingering thoughts but will see if I can search some other existing threads first. Will be in touch...

PalenQ

Be sure to report back after your trip on this thread, please!