Eltham Palace & Greenwich
 

Can anyone tell me the best way to get from London to Eltham Palace and from there to Greenwich - or vice versa if that works better, using public transportation. Thanks.

Take a train to New Eltham then either a short walk or bus to Eltham Palace then take a bus direct to Greenwich - i think - maybe have to change

www.tfl.co.uk for Greater London bus info

www.nationalrail.co.uk for New Eltham trains

Last i knew Southeast trains still do not have Oyster Card readers - i stay in Eltham and that station did not last Feb at least.

Cholmondley will correct me if i'm wrong about the buses i hope.

http://www.elthampalace.org.uk/

the palace official site has a journey planner that will tell you exactly how to get there from London and from Greenwich - going to Greenwich should be the same buses as coming i'd think

Hopefully Cholmondely Warner will see this and advise you properly!

However it seems to me that Southeastern Rail runs trains from Charing Cross and London Bridge Stations to both Greenwich and Mottingham or Eltham.

Have you looked at the website?

http://www.elthampalace.org.uk/

The visitor information page has a 'get directions' section and also down close to the bottom is a link to the TFL journey planner which will tell you about buses between the two places as well as trains.

There is an Eltham station and a New Eltham station

Trains go from either Charing Cross or London Bridge or Victoria or Blackfriars to Eltham - eltham is the station and not New Eltham which i mixed up

I walked from the palace to Mottingham and it was on a footpath thru a natural area - the Ring path or some such thing - but it may be hard to follow if coming from that station - at least i had trouble finding the Mottingham station from the palace

The Eltham station however is a straight shot down the main road (south of the station)

Note that Eltham palace has a 2 for 1 entry for anyone with a rail ticket.

Thanks for the help. I did try the journey planner and was even more confused, but maybe I just have to keep looking at it and it will make sense.

As I understand your advice, I take the train from Charing Cross, London Bridge or Victoria to Eltham Station. From there I walk to the Palace (I'm assuming it's signposted).

Once I'm done at the palace I take a bus (from where - any ideas?) to Greenwich. (I'd appreciate any advice on where to get off the bus in Greenwich). And from Greenwich it appears that I can take a boat or train back to London.

I have visions of never being found again, lost somewhere on the Ring Path, eating wild grasses to survive.

Not sure about the bus routes but am sure you would board one on the main road in front of the palace heading north

But from Greenwich i would recommend taking the Docklands Light Railway back to London - this is an astounding to me experience - an elevated tram really that runs thru the heart of the amazing Docklands area - old docks have been converted to an extension of London's financial center - grand modern architecture with water all around. Canary Wharf is the epicenter and can be seen from miles around

The DLR takes you to either Bank or Tower Bridge, for easy Tube or bus connections. There are trains from Greenwich as well or of course boats which also are neat (but rather expensive IMO)

PalenQ - the Docklands Light Railway does sound interesting. I think we will take either that or the boat back to London.

Deciphering the Journey Planner, this is what I gather my plan should be:

From Victoria Station take Southeastern Rail towards
Dartford Rail Station – about 31 min. Get off at Eltham Station. Walk to Eltham Palace (20 min. walk).
OR
Take train to Eltham. Catch Route Bus 161 towards the Chiselhurst War Memorial (Buses every 10 min. journey should take about 12 min.) Get off at Eltham Church/Court
yard. Walk to Palace (6 min.).

To Greenwich - from Palace walk back to Eltham Church/Well Hall Road. (9 min.). Take Bus Route 286 towards Greenwich/Cutty Sark. (Bus every 10 min., trip about 33 min.). Get off at Trafalgar Estate, walk to National Maritime Museum (4 min.).

At end of day - from Greenwich Pier take Boat Thames Clipper towards Waterloo Millenium Pier (34 min.). Get off at Embankment Pier. Or
OR
Take the DLR.

Does that sound right?

Honestly people. *sigh*

You get to Eltham palace by getting the train from London Bridge to eltham and the 161 bus from there (it's an easy walk too). Stay on the bus and you'll end up at my office.

To get to Greenwich take the 286 and make sure you bring supplies, sherpas and a gun. It goes everywhere first.

You'll know where to get off in Greenwich as it will be full of old buildings rather than pubs with strippers* and drug dealers** (which is East Greenwich - dodgy ground).

The footpath is the Capital Ring and is well signposted.

I'd be happy to help with anything else you need to know about God's own, rather well policed, borough.

*The King William IV

**All of them.

CW - do you know if Oyster Card readers are in Southeast trains stations such as Eltham or New Eltham or Greenwich yet. In Feb they said they were due but as of yet not working so i could not use my Oyster Card to train to New Eltham. (but the OP will want a paper TravelCard bought only from a national rail station, such as victoria, london bridge, charing X, etc. as i understand the 2 for 1 plan is only valid with paper travelcards or regular tickets only if they are sold by a train station and not Tube stations run by TfL.

Thanks.

CW - do you know if Oyster Card readers are in Southeast trains stations such as Eltham or New Eltham or Greenwich yet.>>>

Yes they are.

Thanks very much for the information. I've already put my classified ad in 'Sherpas World', hoping to get a few nibbles. The gun presents more of a problem, since I come from the relatively gun-free country of Canada, but maybe the Sherpas will bring big walking sticks.

CW - any advice on a great pub where the Sherpas can rest their weary feet and I can enjoy a good ale?

In Greenwich?

It's easier to list the rubbish pubs in Greenwich:

The Auctioneer
The Gatehouse (Wetherspoons)
Also the Rose and Crown is a nice pub but it's a gay pub.

My favourites are: Cutty Sark Tavern; The Trafalgar and the Mitre.

(the pub I personally drink in is the Lord Hood, but I'd be wary of recommending it to a stranger and a foreign one at that)

Eltham a wasteland for pubs. The only one I'd recommend is the Rising Sun in the High St. The rest are chavvy hell holes. Yopu could get a gun in one of these.

Yes IME of staying in Eltham some years now there is a dearth of interesting pubs - mundane institutional types it seems.

But eltham does have a fairly thriving High Street or main commercial shopping drag with the usual names in English shopping - including Marks and Spencer i think - but a real neighborhood unlike what you encounter in central London. And there is, at last word at least, a typical bowling green in the large park by the train station.

I actually walked from Eltham to Greenwich - just a few miles and rather interesting as you can come down thru Greenwich Park's upper levels and go downhill to the Naval College and Observatory area and town center.

There is some kind of landmark looking pub by the traffic circle when urban Eltham ends and you see the park as well as Blackheath Green in the distance.

I'd be very wary of Greenwich, where local police protection has apparently broken down due to an overpaid underworked constabulary - carry a gun to be sure!

Thanks for the pubs. My cadre of Sherpas (or is that gaggle?) is shapping up quite nicely and I'm taking tae kwan do.

>>where local police protection has apparently broken down due to an overpaid underworked constabulary<<

too many spending their time on here dealing with meths-drinkers

And soon to be transferred back to the smoke....

I can't wait. I've had it with the bumpkins and lost tourists.

Great news - perhaps in the future it will be safe to walk around greater Greenwich?