jenmakin

I'm travelling from Gatwick Airport to Hedge End. I do believe that I have to take the South west train - is that correct? If anyone knows where I can find a map of the trip, i would appreciate it.

Also a bit confused on which tickets to purchase while I'm travelling around London. I will be getting on at the Hedge End station and going to Waterloo. If I buy tickets at Hedge End to get to Waterloo - does it also cover transportation on the underground too? I'll be there for a full two weeks going to London everyday.

janisj

Do you mean Hedge End outside Southampton?

if you are going into London every day for 2 weeks -- wouldn't it be better to stay somewhere at least fairly near London?

The trip takes more than 90 minutes

janisj

Oh - meant to add the trip from LGW to Hedge End will take 2 hours. It is the trip to/from London that will take 90+ mins each way.

ron

This is the map you asked for, http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passen...South_East.pdf

You would take a Southern train (green line on the map) to Fratton (near Portsmouth), changing there to a South West train (red line) to Hedge End. You would buy a single ticket at Gatwick for the journey. The National Rail website, where this map resides, can also give you schedules and fares.

jenmakin

Ron, thank you so much for your help! The map / website is a huge help!

flanneruk

In principle: whether you're buying individual tickets or season tickets, just tell the seller you want the Zone 1/2 tube adding (usually about an extra £5, or £25 a week). You've then got unlimited access to Z1/2 (or more if you ask and pay) tubes and buses all day.

However, since this involves the world's most complex urban transport system, there's the predictable but. The spirit of the but is explained below: some of the detail will be inaccurate.

Tickets cost more if you're travelling at peak times. So there are at least three options:
- If you NEED to be in London before offpeak tube fares start, you need to buy a full-price daily or weekly ticket. (note, though, that if you're 60 or over, a Senior Railcard usually gives you 33% reduction on train tickets if you leave Hedge End after 0730-ish. This reduction doesn't apply with other discount cards)
- If your journey starts after 9-ish, you're probably better off buying individual tickets each day. Unless you're 60 or over AND have a Senior Railcard
- If your journey starts before 9-ish, and you'll be getting on the tube after 0930-ish, the likelihood is it'll be cheapest to buy a rail-only season ticket or daily ticket, and do your travelling in London on an Oystercard. This is because of the way the system calculates the tube add-on.

Now there are easily accessible experts on the details of this - and those details vary by train operator. Those experts are the ticket sellers at suburban railway stations (anywhere within a 2 hrs' train journey of London is a suburb).

They won't murder you if you ask for advice during a Monday (ot any other) rush hour, because you'll have been torn limb from limb by other travellers the moment you start asking questions (inflicting painful death on question-askers isn't a crime. It's a public service, and gets rewarded with a month's free travel). But get there the day before (or before 0630) and the seller will tell you precisely what will save you most, given what you plan doing.

In many stations, there's a sign up explaining the problem, and how it affects the station concerned. My experience is that SW TRains aren't as good at this as other operators - but their staff are just as helpful, though.

GeoffHamer

Hedge End is a small station and the ticket office is only open at certain times. This is on South West Trains' website:
Monday to Friday - 06:15 to 12:30
Saturday - 08:00 to 12:00
Sunday - Not available

willit

The ticket machines at hedge end are reasonably simple and reliable (I use the station occassionally when going to football) . If you have somebody willing to give you a lift available, it might makes more sense to be dropped of at Southampton Airport Parkway as trains from there are more frequent.

Cholmondley_Warner

What the hell is a foreigner doing in Hedge End?

No, really, why?

willit

M&S or the Rose Bowl ?

flanneruk

The awfulness of rail links in the area mean you have to use stations like Botley, Hedge End and SAP if you want any of those lovely Meon Valley villages and microtowns.

My Cotswold microtown, for example, plays Hambledon every year - more for the quality of the Hambledon tea than for a decent match, since we're massively outclassed even if they field their 33rd XI. We regularly find that someone in the team, or a groupie, assumes they can train it - so someone has to go and collect someone from one of the stations.

I imagine jenmakin is so bowled over by CW's eloquence s/he wants to visit the birthplace of his school's founder. Or is an American trying to claim back HMS Chesapeake. Or, has FF points s/he is redeeming at the Meon Valley Marriott.

Cholmondley_Warner

Or she might want to go to Hambledon and see my name on the honour boards in the pavillion.

CW - was once really a bit handy at the cricket.

flanneruk

Did they do those Rice Krispie cake things for tea in your day?

Cholmondley_Warner

Don't remember them, but do remember fairy cakes, and bread pudding and victoria sponge and madiera cake and home made biccies and sarnies with the crusts still on and urns of strong tea.

Good food to feed a sportsman at the top of his game. *ahem*

(Actually it's a given if you went to Winchester that you play for Stragglers, IZingari, MCC or OW*'s. Talent optional. But it's a moveable feast as I played for OEs in London).

I still think that Douglas Jardine (OW) was the last England captain with the right stuff. I'd have decapitated Bradman and stuck his noggin on a stump.

*all four. With varying sucess. Now just shouts at TMS and plays beer games in Richmond Park. My ambition is to hit a deer to find out what the ump will do. My guess is dead ball. Failing that, I'm having the venison.