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Question re London to Harwich via train with changes

Question re London to Harwich via train with changes

Old Oct 22nd, 2008, 02:30 PM
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Question re London to Harwich via train with changes

I'm looking into transport options from London to Harwich International Port. I decided to look at the train option first, before a car service.

Our cruise departs on a Saturday. From the schedules available on the National Rail website, it seems to indicate that unlike the direct trains during the weekdays, on a Saturday this journey involves 2 changes, one at Stratford (London) (SRA), and the other at Mannington (MNG).

Does anyone have any experience/knowledge as to how difficult these changes are? I will be traveling with my daughter, and I will need to assist her in getting her suitcase up and down stairs, in addition to handling my own luggage.

Also, does your luggage accompany you on the train to your seat or to a baggage compartment at the end of your car (meaning that you handle it yourself), or does it get checked in and you don't claim it until the end of your journey (making any changes easier)?

Is there any great difference in comfort between first class and standard class seating?

Any help is appreciated.
chepar is offline  
Old Oct 22nd, 2008, 02:48 PM
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I did a quick check for this Saturday for travel after 9:00 to Harwich International. NON-transfer, direct trains from London Liverpool station.

Not sure what or when you looked. Let me know if I or others can help.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2008, 03:02 PM
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My cruise isn't until next July and the schedules won't let me go past mid January, so I searched random Saturdays - one was November 22, the other was December 27.

I know it's really early to be planning this stuff, but I like to decide what I'm going to do early on.

After reading rogeruktm's post, I went back and chose different Saturdays and these came up with direct train options.

Are there normally direct trains on Saturdays and the two dates I chose were just anomalies?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2008, 04:05 PM
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Except for Eurostar there is no check ing of luggage on train. You have to handle al your own stuff - and it may mean up narrow. steep flights from the platform into the train - and at some stations stairs up to the platforms (but I haven;t found that at London stations).''

You should keep your luggage (hopefully not much) where you can see it.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2008, 04:39 PM
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chepar:

Go to www.harwich.co.uk - Lots of good information for cruise passengers/cruise trains.

Sandy
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Old Oct 22nd, 2008, 04:53 PM
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Way, way, WAY too early to be worrying about this - because the schedules don't go that far out.

Plus - it is VERY common for train schedules to be disrupted on weekends during the winter - mostly due to maintenance work. Reduced service on the Sat after Christmas has absolutely no relevance to a Sat in July.

BTW - next year when you do start to look at the schedules, be sure to use &quot;Liverpool <u>STREET</u>&quot; station, not &quot;Liverpool&quot;.
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