Daytrip Lon. to Stratford for theatre?
Dec 12th, 2003, 05:25 AM
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Daytrip Lon. to Stratford for theatre?
Hi
I've just found out that Judi Dench will be performing with the RSC in Stratford while I am in London in early January.
This may turn my whole stay upside down but I'm intrigued with the idea of seeing her again on stage.
There is a Saturday 1:30pm performance. Is it doable do you think to go back and forth and maybe even do a bit of touristy things in Stratford since I've never been there?
(Oh dear, and I already have booked a train ticket for a return visit to Bath, but that's another problem.)
I'd love feedback on the logistics of London to Stratford and theatre.
thanks
I've just found out that Judi Dench will be performing with the RSC in Stratford while I am in London in early January.
This may turn my whole stay upside down but I'm intrigued with the idea of seeing her again on stage.
There is a Saturday 1:30pm performance. Is it doable do you think to go back and forth and maybe even do a bit of touristy things in Stratford since I've never been there?
(Oh dear, and I already have booked a train ticket for a return visit to Bath, but that's another problem.)
I'd love feedback on the logistics of London to Stratford and theatre.
thanks
Dec 12th, 2003, 05:46 AM
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Yes. Every year we take a train departing Paddington in the morning (9:18 to 11:35). We see two shows while we're up there and take a late train (11:15 PM) back to London after the evening show. But you can take an earlier train back if you want. Normally I'd suggest maybe taking the TourFriday bus around the sights of Stratford, but that sounds pretty cold in January. Just walk around the very touristy town -- there are some interesting buildings. And let us know how Dame Judi was!!!
Double check the hours -- those summer trains I do could easily be different.
Double check the hours -- those summer trains I do could easily be different.
Dec 12th, 2003, 05:55 AM
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Train's by far the easiest way to do this, since getting there by 1.30 doesn't leave you time to stop off anywhere on the way. It'll be dark by time the performance is over.
Timetables at www.thamestrains.co.uk
Timetables at www.thamestrains.co.uk
Dec 12th, 2003, 06:12 AM
#5
Just piling on the agree with what Patrick said. Stratford is a very doable day trip from London and way way worth it to see Judi Dench. I'm not much of a fan of the place except to see the theatre. If you get 1:30 pm tickets, take the 9ish train Patrick suggested and you'll have time to wander around before the show and pick up the requisite Bill Shakespeare snowglobe. You'll likely have sometime after the show too tho in January it'll be getting dark early.
Good luck...boy am I envious!
Good luck...boy am I envious!
Dec 12th, 2003, 07:19 AM
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HI
thanks, you all are great.
Is the train station centrally located?
Are the tourist sites walkable from one to another? Can I see much of them in a couple of hours?
Can anyone suggest a pleasant place for an early lunch or early dinner that is near the theatre?
thanks, you all are great.
Is the train station centrally located?
Are the tourist sites walkable from one to another? Can I see much of them in a couple of hours?
Can anyone suggest a pleasant place for an early lunch or early dinner that is near the theatre?
Dec 12th, 2003, 09:07 AM
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elaine, the train station is about a mile from the Royal Shakespeare and Shakespeare's birthplace is on the way. Ann Hathaway's cottage, unfortunately, is in the opposite direction and probably not doable.
A circular route from the train station to Holy Trinity Church, site of Shakespeare's baptism and grave, lunch before the treater at the Dirty Duck (aka Black Swan), the theater and return to the train past Shakespeare's birthplace would be possible in your limited time and early darkness.
A circular route from the train station to Holy Trinity Church, site of Shakespeare's baptism and grave, lunch before the treater at the Dirty Duck (aka Black Swan), the theater and return to the train past Shakespeare's birthplace would be possible in your limited time and early darkness.
Dec 12th, 2003, 10:08 AM
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Obxgirl, too funny. I've been to Stratford maybe 8 or 9 times and I've never bought a Bill Shakespeare snow globe. Am I missing something?
To be honest the food at the theatre is quite good and you can do lunch or dinner there (with no worries about meeting curtain times and no problem with cold, bad weather for walking). There are a couple of options there.
To be honest the food at the theatre is quite good and you can do lunch or dinner there (with no worries about meeting curtain times and no problem with cold, bad weather for walking). There are a couple of options there.
Dec 12th, 2003, 11:07 AM
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Hi
I have to give this some thought.
The Stratford day return ticket seems to be relatively expensive, and I'd also have to swallow a loss on a return ticket to Bath that I'd already booked and paid for. And I do have theatre in London booked for another night.
So on this budget-minded trip, perhaps not, but it sure is tempting.
Please don't feel your kind efforts were wasted, this excellent info will be helpful for Stratford searches in the future, including mine.
I have to give this some thought.
The Stratford day return ticket seems to be relatively expensive, and I'd also have to swallow a loss on a return ticket to Bath that I'd already booked and paid for. And I do have theatre in London booked for another night.
So on this budget-minded trip, perhaps not, but it sure is tempting.
Please don't feel your kind efforts were wasted, this excellent info will be helpful for Stratford searches in the future, including mine.
Dec 12th, 2003, 11:43 AM
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Unless I'm doing something wrong, I came up with a day return fare on Sat Jan 3 of over 40 pounds, don't recall exact figure. This was taking the 9:13 non stop train from Paddington in the morning, and then the 7pm train out of Stratford. On the website it seemed that some scheduled trains (like a 5:30pm out of Stratford, which I would have preferred) were not available that day.
Dec 12th, 2003, 11:47 AM
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Elaine, I've never had any luck finding decent train prices in the UK on the internet. I'm not sure if the price I got was a cheap day return or what. But it was bought the day we went. Normally those cheap day tickets are only good after 9:30, but maybe they make an exception for this? Or maybe it is just a special rate? I know a couple of years ago we didn't do a day trip to Bath because we thought the fares were outrageous, but Ben Haines and others explained there are much better fares you can get. Ben, can you help us here?
Dec 12th, 2003, 12:20 PM
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It would indeed appear that there are no cheap fares on the useful trains for that specific date. However, National Express has a coach leaving London at 8:30, arriving Stratford at 11:30. Return coach at 17:30. Day return fare is £14.
Dec 12th, 2003, 12:24 PM
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elaine, using http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ (click "planning your journey"
for January 3rd, (you didn't say which Saturday in early January) I get 23 pounds for departing on the 07:40 and returning on the 17:37.
You wold have to change trains outbound but get the return you wanted.
Keith
for January 3rd, (you didn't say which Saturday in early January) I get 23 pounds for departing on the 07:40 and returning on the 17:37.You wold have to change trains outbound but get the return you wanted.
Keith
Dec 15th, 2003, 05:16 AM
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thanks to all of you.
I think I'm going to be true to my budget for this particular visit, use the return ticket to Bath that I've already paid for, and leave Stratford for another time. Dame Judi will just have to get over her disappointment at not seeing me again.
The britrail website and train options remains problematic for me; I will give it a go another time (though booking my train ticket for Bath on line was easy and cheap).
I think I'm going to be true to my budget for this particular visit, use the return ticket to Bath that I've already paid for, and leave Stratford for another time. Dame Judi will just have to get over her disappointment at not seeing me again.
The britrail website and train options remains problematic for me; I will give it a go another time (though booking my train ticket for Bath on line was easy and cheap).
Dec 17th, 2003, 10:52 AM
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Although events have rather ovetaken this thread, I've brought it back because it contains a couple of fallacies about trains in Britain, which future searchers might prefer to know about.My comments might also be not quite right, and I'd appreciate any corrections.
1. "Cheap Day Returns" aren't anything special: on this route the price for a day return (£23.00) is trivially different from the normal saver return (£23.30).
2. There is no standard cutoff time for discount fares. Conditions vary by route, by operator, by time of day. In this case, the fully discounted rates are valid on almost any weekday departure from London after 0910 (and the relevant train leaves at 0918). "Almost" excludes some evening peak departures on FGW (which doesn't really operate this service anyway at the time of writing: the exclusion is really insignificant boilerplate)
But cutoff times can be very different on other operators
3. As a general rule, it's simply not worth while booking over the web for London day-trip destinations. The £23 fare on this route is available by just walking up to the counter or machine at the station. As this thread shows, getting discount fares on some booking engines can be tricky - presumably because the rules are so complicated, third-party sites can't always keep up with them.
4. Advance booking (in the sense of securing your seat) is hardly ever even possible to day-trip destinations
4. On longer journeys however - especially on Virgin, GNER, FGW and cross-border Scotrail- there are good web deals, advance booking can often deliver even better ones, and seat pre-booking is often advisory and sometimes essential
But for Oxford, Brighton, Canterbury and the like - the places covered in the indispensable Time Out Book of Country Walks (the best guide to day trips with 90 mins of London, even if you don't want to walk), just turn up after 9-ish and buy a saver return.
1. "Cheap Day Returns" aren't anything special: on this route the price for a day return (£23.00) is trivially different from the normal saver return (£23.30).
2. There is no standard cutoff time for discount fares. Conditions vary by route, by operator, by time of day. In this case, the fully discounted rates are valid on almost any weekday departure from London after 0910 (and the relevant train leaves at 0918). "Almost" excludes some evening peak departures on FGW (which doesn't really operate this service anyway at the time of writing: the exclusion is really insignificant boilerplate)
But cutoff times can be very different on other operators
3. As a general rule, it's simply not worth while booking over the web for London day-trip destinations. The £23 fare on this route is available by just walking up to the counter or machine at the station. As this thread shows, getting discount fares on some booking engines can be tricky - presumably because the rules are so complicated, third-party sites can't always keep up with them.
4. Advance booking (in the sense of securing your seat) is hardly ever even possible to day-trip destinations
4. On longer journeys however - especially on Virgin, GNER, FGW and cross-border Scotrail- there are good web deals, advance booking can often deliver even better ones, and seat pre-booking is often advisory and sometimes essential
But for Oxford, Brighton, Canterbury and the like - the places covered in the indispensable Time Out Book of Country Walks (the best guide to day trips with 90 mins of London, even if you don't want to walk), just turn up after 9-ish and buy a saver return.
Dec 17th, 2003, 11:02 AM
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I don't know if you have the time but th RSC's All's Well moves to London on Feb. 18 and will be there until April 24. Dame Judi is wonderful on stage. I saw her in Amy's Room (???title??) in NYC a few years ago and she was radiant. So see her if you can.
Great traveling!
Suzanne
Great traveling!
Suzanne
Dec 17th, 2003, 11:52 AM
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I don't mean to sound negative or discouraging here, but I'm surprised how many posts there have been referring to "going to see Dame Judi is All's Well. . ."
I'm all for people going to see any production at the RSC, but it seems odd when people make it sound like the reason they're going is to see this one performer -- especially when she is far from the lead in it. She plays the countess, a nice, but medium sized role. I would hope people would go to see the production, not just to see Dame Judi Dench in whatever she happens to be doing. On the other hand, it is easy to see why they are using her -- it works at selling tickets, obviously. And without a doubt she will be brilliant in it. But then, so will some or all of the other actors who may equally talented.
That said, do go and do enjoy. But I hope you keep your eyes open to the entire play, not just sit patiently and wait for her scenes, missing the point of the entire production.
I'm all for people going to see any production at the RSC, but it seems odd when people make it sound like the reason they're going is to see this one performer -- especially when she is far from the lead in it. She plays the countess, a nice, but medium sized role. I would hope people would go to see the production, not just to see Dame Judi Dench in whatever she happens to be doing. On the other hand, it is easy to see why they are using her -- it works at selling tickets, obviously. And without a doubt she will be brilliant in it. But then, so will some or all of the other actors who may equally talented.
That said, do go and do enjoy. But I hope you keep your eyes open to the entire play, not just sit patiently and wait for her scenes, missing the point of the entire production.
