Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Seeking advice on the cheapest and most efficient ways to day trip from London to Windsor, Bath, Leeds, and Warwick--trainn or bus? Specifics appreciated.

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Seeking advice on the cheapest and most efficient ways to day trip from London to Windsor, Bath, Leeds, and Warwick--trainn or bus? Specifics appreciated.

Can anyone provide information regarding stations, rates, etc. regarding the above?

Chris, The cheapest is usually by coach. National Express, the national coach network, serves all of these places (by Leeds I assume you mean Leeds Castle, not the city of Leeds...) For fares and times, see www.gobycoach.com However, Bath and Warwick are each about 3 hours by coach, so quicker (but more expensive) by train. For Warwick by train, Chiltern Railways advertise a fare which includes adm. to the castle. See www.chilternrailways.co.uk

Steve, Thanks for the info.

Hi I can't evaluate as to current price comparisons, but here is some info that may help. Train travel: www.nationalrail.co.uk/realtime/ fs_realtime.htm train schedule updates and delays www.thetrainline.co.uk, Virgin Trains-plan your trip, order tickets www.rail.co.uk lots of train information, including services available at major railroad stations www.britrail.com www.railtrack.co.uk for British timetables Windsor: http://www.royal.gov.uk/palaces/info.htm www.swtrains.co.uk I believe the train from London's Paddington Station takes about 30 minutes, transferring at Slough. For train info from London call 207 262 6767 Bath www.bath.co.uk You can buy your tickets at London's Paddington station the day before you want to travel which may entitle you to a discount. Great Western (www.greatwestern.co.uk) is the high speed train that services Bath Spa Station from London. The trip is 80-90 minutes.They offer day return tickets(with some restrictions). Warwick Castle: Very highly recommended by responders on the Fodor's Europe forum. www.warwick-castle.co.uk/main/home.html From London, trains run direct to Warwick from Marylebone station (1 hour 45 minutes). Contact Chiltern Railways (08705 165165) for details. www.chilternrailways.co.uk/

As has been said, busses are half the price oif trains, but take twice as long. They leave from Voctoria coach station: I think detail is on http://www.nationalexpress.co.uk/. Trains are expensive befiore 0930 Mondays to Frifays, but after 0930, and an time at weekends, they offer reasonable fares. The services you want are every hour or half hour. Windsor 6 pounds 30 direct from Waterloo. The trains from Paddington involve a change at Slough. Bath 21 pounds 60 from Paddington, usually with buffet car Warwick 19 pounds 50 from Paddington and from Marylebone. Leeds Castle by train with connecting bus might be ten pounds return. I had these figures from **44 345 48 49 50, who operate 24 hours and are helpful. I think the figures are on http://www.therailline.com co.uk. Please write if I can help further. Welcome to London. Ben Haines

Take the Coach! You have half a chance to visit with others on the trip. If you sit by the driver they are usually fun. Only met one crabby drive in 3 weeks of Coach travel! Not bad considering the taxi driver possibilities! :)

Thanks everyone for your help. I do have a follow-up question, however. How far from the train and coach stations are the castles in Windsor, Leeds and Warwick? Will I need to taxi from the stations, as well?

Detail for the railway stations is this. In Windsor, half a mile. In Warwick, a mile or a bit more. For Leeds Castle you arrive at a fairly nearby village, and there's a connecting bus. In Leeds the station is bang in the middle of the city. Ben Haines, London

Thanks Ben. I plan on taking the train to Bath and Warwick and the coach to Leeds and Windsor. Do the coaches terminate at the train stations or at other stops? If at separate coach stations, how far are they from my targets? Thanks again for your help, you're an excellent embassador.

Chris, I'm a bit worried there may still be some confusion over Leeds versus Leeds Castle. The former is a large industrial city in Yorkshire - a good 3 to 4 hour journey north from London. Not sure why you'd want to go there particularly unless you have relatives/friends there. The famous Leeds castle on the other hand is much closer to London, in the county of Kent. Everyone else assumed that's where you were headed. If you do want to visit Leeds castle, make sure you specify this clearly when arranging any transport over here. If you just say "Leeds", you'll end up 250 miles away in Yorkshire !

Yep, I'm referring to Leeds castle. I looked at the "go by coach" website and couldn't find anything specific to Leeds Castle. Does anyone know how that trip/route is referred to? Also, I'm still wondering how far the coach stations for Windsor and Leeds Castle are from the castles themselves. Thanks.

enjoying all the conversation and advice. my question, have 14 and 16 year old and if wish to do one day trip out of london, where would people suggest. sorry about how vague this is!